Dartmouth Model United Nations April 5 - 7, 2019 League of Nations

Dartmouth Model United Nations Conference 14th Annual Conference – April 5 – 7, 2019 Dartmouth College – Rockefeller Center – Hanover, NH 03755 E-mail: [email protected] - http://sites.dartmouth.edu/modelun

Lauren Bishop December 5, 2018 Secretary-General Dear Delegates: Shelley Wang Director-General On behalf of the entire Dartmouth Model United Nations staff, I would like to welcome and thank you for registering for the fourteenth annual Dartmouth Model United Nations conference this Mila Escadajillo April 2019. We have been working relentlessly since the end of last year’s conference to provide a Chief of Staff better and more worthwhile Model U.N. experience for this spring’s delegates.

Brandon Zhou DartMUN is a unique conference. We pair world-class delegations and dais staff members in Charge d’Affaires smaller, more-interactive environments to facilitate an enriching experience for delegates of all skill levels. We believe DartMUN’s active, small committees ensure delegates feel comfortable Clayton Jacques immersing themselves in a competitive but supportive environment that encourages trial by error Undersecretary-General of and participation. Furthermore, DartMUN’s well-trained staff is excited to work with your General Assembly delegates this winter in committee to equip the next generation of college students with the skills to tackle complex global problems. Daniel Bring Undersecretary-General of This being said, Model United Nations is only meaningful when delegates are thoroughly Special Committees prepared. To aid in your research preparation, your committee staff has spent hours researching,

writing, and editing this Background Guide. The Background Guide serves as an introduction to Nishanth Chalasani your respective committee and an overview of the topics that you will be debating over the course Undersecretary-General of Current Crises of the conference.

Samuel Zarkower The Background Guide is intended to be a starting point for your research and is not, in itself, an Undersecretary-General of adequate exposure to the complexities of your committee’s topics. To be prepared, each delegate Future and Historical Crises should do further research and focus on processing information through the lens of their respective country or position. If you are having trouble digesting all the information, the Background Guide Bill Kosmidis contains relevant discussion questions that break down the topics. Also, as questions or ideas arise, Undersecretary-General of Ad- do not be shy in contacting your committee staff via e-mail. Committee staff are knowledgeable Hoc and can help you better understand a particular topic or how your country fits into a larger international debate. More often than not, discussing the problem with another person can open up Alec Rossi more paradigms and viewpoints that may guide you throughout the brainstorming process. Director of Finance and Public Relations As in years past, all delegates are expected to write a brief position paper before the conference to synthesize all of their preparatory research and analysis. Please see the position paper guidelines Bethany David on the conference website for specific information about content, format, etc. Committee staff will Director of Technology collect position papers at the beginning of the first committee session on Friday evening. Bring a hard copy because delegates who do not submit position papers will not be eligible for awards. I Shawdi Mehrvarzan look forward to meeting you this coming spring. Deputy Chief of Staff

Sincerely, DartMUN is a student-run, non-profit, all volunteer organization sponsored by Lauren Bishop the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy. Secretary-General DartMUN XIV

2 Dartmouth Model United Nations Conference 14th Annual Conference – April 5 – 7, 2019 Dartmouth College – Rockefeller Center – Hanover, NH 03755 E-mail: [email protected] - http://sites.dartmouth.edu/modelun

Lauren Bishop Dear Delegates: Secretary-General

Shelley Wang Welcome to the 14th year of DartMUN and the League of Nations Committee! I am Director-General confident that our League of Nations simulation will be a captivating and exciting new experience for all of you! We look forward to seeing you soon and hope that you’ll leave this Mila Escadajillo Chief of Staff committee having learned a lot about Model UN, world history and having met lots of new and wonderful people! Brandon Zhou Charge d’Affaires Over the course of the weekend, Elijah Czysz and I will have the privilege of working with Clayton Jacques you as cochairs of the League of Nations. To tell you a little about my background, name is Undersecretary-General of Udai Singh and I grew up in Mumbai, India, before moving to Scarsdale, New York in 2013. General Assembly I’m a freshman here at Dartmouth College and am really excited to be involved with Daniel Bring DartMUN! For the timebeing I’m planning on being an Economics and Quantitative Social Undersecretary-General of Science double major with a German minor but we’ll see how that goes. Other things I’m Special Committees involved with on campus include the Dartmouth Investment Philanthropy program and the Nishanth Chalasani Climbing Team. In my free time I love to read, travel, learn new languages, procrastinate and Undersecretary-General of take naps. Current Crises

Samuel Zarkower Working alongside me is Elijah Czysz. Elijah is a freshman from Concord, New Hampshire. Undersecretary-General of At Dartmouth, he is active in the Mountaineering Club, Climbing Team and Marching Band. Future and Historical Crises Being a freshman, this is Elijah’s first year with DartMUN. However, the committee can rest Bill Kosmidis assured, as he has four years of experience debating and chairing from high school. In his Undersecretary-General of Ad- free time, Elijah loves to ski, play intramural hockey, listen to music and play overly Hoc complicated board games. Elijah will most likely end up a Geography major and Alec Rossi Quantitative Social Science minor. But most importantly, he is completely and utterly stoked Director of Finance and Public to co-chair this committee! Relations

Bethany David Sincerely, Director of Technology

Shawdi Mehrvarzan Udai Singh Deputy Chief of Staff

DartMUN is a student-run, non-profit, all volunteer organization sponsored by the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy.

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Introduction to the League of When French forces entered the Ruhr in 1923, the League was unable to punish Nations, 1931 France or force a withdrawal. In the early The League of Nations was formed 1930s, the League was still viewed by many in 1919 following the First World War. It as a source of hope and cooperation. Its was formed as part of the Treaty of responses to two major crises, the Japanese Versailles and was proposed by then US Invasion of Manchuria and the Chaco War, President Woodrow Wilson. The purpose of would be crucial to its future. It is in this the organization was to provide a forum for setting that our committee will be taking the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Though place. the United States played a key role in its creation, Congress voted to not join the

League. The League of Nations had a mixed Topic A: Japanese Invasion of record in conciliation of conflict. Though it successfully managed a number of crises Manchuria between 1920 and 1925, including border Topic A concerns the Japanese disputes between Sweden and Finland and Invasion of Manchuria. The committee will the near collapse of the Austrian economy, it be taking place only a few days after the was ultimately held back by a number of supposed invasion. structural problems.1 In their attempts to preserve national sovereignty, the creators of Japanese Build-Up to the Invasion the League had created a situation in which As a result of economic struggles the League did not really have much and increasing nationalism, Japanese society enforcement power due to a lack of in the early 1930s was increasingly willingness by the League to really punish militaristic. Between 1930 and 1932, the violators. For example, when Vilnius was Japanese economy experienced its biggest ruled to rightfully belong to Lithuania, the Polish government refused to leave the city.2

1 2 https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/teachinger/gloss https://www.jstor.org/stable/2189032?seq=1#meta ary/league-of-nations.cfm data_info_tab_contents

League of Nations DartMUN XIV downturn in modern history. There were a the military. Within the military, ultra- number of reasons for this downturn, nationalist groups formed with the purpose including the Minsei Party government’s of rejecting the party system, uniting the policy of deflation and preparation for the nation under the empire, introducing new return of the gold standard, as well as the economic schemes and saving the rural Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the following poor.5 Additional external factors also global Depression. The significant downturn played an important role in the Japan’s in the economy had many serious effects on motivation to invade. Geographically, Japanese society, but perhaps the most Manchuria was highly important to Japanese important was the emergence of military and interests because it was in the “common right-wing movements.3 The blame for back yard of Japan and Asiatic Russia as much of the economic despair was placed on well as an integral if not an integrated part the government, and ordinary citizens of China.” China was also beginning to became more sympathetic to nationalist and become more unified under the leadership of militaristic movements. In the period leading Chiang Kai-shek and Manchuria in turn was up the Japanese Invasion of Manchuria, the becoming closer to China under the military began to overshadow the influence leadership of the Young Marshal (Zhang of the civilian government, which led to a Xueliang).6 This growing tie increased the more aggressive foreign policy. One of the necessity of war for Japanese militarists. major aims of these right-wing and military The killing of a Japanese captain, Shintaro groups was to actively expand the military Nakamura, conducting an undercover and defend Japanese interests in Manchuria mission in China also played an important and Mongolia.4 Starting in 1931, the role as it “aroused the Japanese army and Japanese political system was taken over by press to fever pitch.” In addition to all of

3 6 Smith, Sara R. The Manchurian Crisis, 1931-1932: A http://www.grips.ac.jp/teacher/oono/hp/lecture_J/l Tragedy in International Relations. New York: ec09.htm 4 Wilson, S. (2002). The Manchurian Crisis and Columbia University Press, 1948. Print. Japanese Society, 1931-33. London: Routledge. 5 http://www.grips.ac.jp/teacher/oono/hp/lecture_J/l ec09.html

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these factors, Manchuria offered 200,000 they heard a loud explosion behind them and square kilometers of agricultural land, upon investigating found out that a portion forestry and mineral-rich land. Given all the of the rails had been blown up. As soon as problems being faced by Japan at home, they arrived at the site of the explosion, Manchuria seemed like an immediate shots were fired at them from the fields to solution. the east. The approximately 5 shooters then stopped and retreated, with the Japanese Mukden Incident troops in pursuit. After chasing for about Japan had invested large amounts of 200 feet the Japanese troops were shot at by money in Manchuria, especially in the South a group of about three to four hundred. China Manchuria Railroad. In order to Lieutenant Kawamoto then sent two of his protect its investments in the region, Japan men to get reinforcements. The reinforced kept a large standing army in Southern force was then ordered to attack the Manchuria. On the night of September 18, supposedly 10,000 man-strong Chinese 1931, there was an incident on the Japanese- army in the North Barracks. The fighting owned South China Manchuria Railroad. By lasted for a few hours and by 6am the entire the next morning the city of Mukden was barracks were captured by the Japanese 7 occupied by Japanese troops. The exact army. sequence of events that took place is still According the Chinese version, the ambiguous and highly debated. There are Japanese attack on the Barracks was multiple versions, depending on who’s completely unprovoked and unexpected. purposes they serve. Given that there were orders to avoid any According to the Japanese version, clash with the Japanese army, most of the Lieutenant Kawamoto was conducting soldiers were unarmed or armed only with defense exercises with six of his men along dummy guns. There was not much th the track of the South Manchuria Railway to resistance, with only 620 Regiment being the north of Mukden. During their exercises forced to fight their way out of the barracks.

7 Smith, Sara R. The Manchurian Crisis, 1931-1932: A Tragedy in International Relations. New York: Columbia University Press, 1948. Print.

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Thus, according to the Chinese version, they Japanese invasion of Manchuria. While this did not commit any errors and the Japanese information will be very helpful in attack was aggressive and unprovoked.8 understanding the crisis better and in While what happened on the night of understanding the motivations of the September 18th, 1931, may never be known, involved countries it should not be viewed the aftermath was nevertheless crucial. The as a guideline that you must follow in your Japanese army, claiming that the incident simulation. Though you will only want to was a sign of Chinese aggression and make use of information that is available at insurgence, invaded Manchuria and the time of the committee, understanding occupied it before cutting it off from the rest what happened can help guide some of your of China. The Japanese forces then set up solutions. Additionally, you have the the state of Manchukuo, which was advantage of knowing what happened if you essentially a puppet state controlled by the follow the exact same strategies as nations military. China responded by asking the did at the time of the crisis; you should use League of Nations to intervene and take this advantage to change the solutions you action against Japan for its aggressive attempt to implement. actions and territorial designs under Article Upon China’s complaint, the 11 of the League’s Covenant. This League’s first reaction was to ask the committee will take place immediately after Japanese government to withdraw its troops the Mukden Incident at the 65th Session of as the League investigates. The delegates the Council which began on September 19th, agreed to this demand, blaming the invasion 1931. on military “hot-heads” but the Japanese military did not agree and launched a full- The League’s Reaction to the scale invasion of Manchuria.9 Thus, Invasion following the failure of verbal warnings, the League was left with only 2 options, either a This section will describe how the military response or economic sanctions. League of Nations responded to the

8 Ibid. 9 https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war- two/causes-of-ww2/manchuria-1931/

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Unfortunately, given the impact of the Great 2. What is the long run impact of the Depression, the members of the League did invasion on the global political not want to risk losing significant amounts environment? How could this affect of trade with Japan, the most powerful your country? Considering wider member in East Asia. Additionally, impacts could direct your strategy countries like Britain and France were going into the committee. concerned about their colonies in the 3. How would a failure to address this regions. They feared that siding with China situation impact global stability and would anger Japan and thus create the the future of the League of Nations. possibility that Japan would attempt to invade their colonies. Ultimately the League created the Lytton Commission, which conducted an investigation in Manchuria and reported in October 1932. The report stated that Japan should leave Manchuria and that Manchuria should be a semi- independent nation instead. The report was accepted and approved by the League and as a result Japan resigned from the League of Nations in 1933.10

Questions to Consider 1. Even if your country was not directly involved in the conflict, what interests does your country have in the region? Does it have significant trade with either country?

10 Northedge, F S. The League of Nations: Its Life and Times, 1920-1946. New York: Holmes & Meier, 1986. Print.

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Topic B: The Chaco Dispute indigenous people of eastern Paraguay, echoed similar sentiments. Taking the

advice of natives, the Spanish, upon arrival, Historical Background of the Gran also considered the region “best avoided.”15 Chaco Region (1438-1903): Since little settlement of the region had occurred, Bolivian and Paraguayan claims to Geography of the Gran Chaco the region rested mainly on litigation rather The Gran Chaco region is a sparsely than settlement patterns. Bolivians claimed populated arid and semi-arid region located titles given to Bolivia by the Audiencia of 16 in the east of Bolivia, west of Paraguay and Charcas in the colonial era. Paraguayans north of Argentina.11 The region provides claimed that since the sixteenth-century access to the Parana and Paraguay river expeditions into the Gran Chaco originated systems that feed into the Atlantic Ocean. In from their capital of Asuncion, the Gran 17 the 1920s and 1930s, it was thought to have Chaco was rightfully Paraguayan. In significant potential for oil drilling.12 reality, the region was largely ignored by Bolivia and Paraguay until the late Indigenous and Colonial History nineteenth century. The region, sparsely populated th throughout history, served as the frontier of 19 Century History: Water and War th the Inca Empire.13 Even the Inca, who had In the 19 and and early twentieth conquered a mountainous swath of territory century after both nations suffered severe from Northern Ecuador to central Chile,14 loss of territory, Bolivia lost access to the did not dare conquer the brutal Chaco Pacific to Chile in the War of the Pacific landscape. The Guarani, the resilient (1879-1883). The peace terms guaranteed

11 Matt Twombly, “Exploring the Gran Chaco,” World 14 Deborah L. Olszewski, Archaeology and Wildlife Fund, Humanity’s Story,(Oxford: Oxford University Press, https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/su 2015), 384 mmer-2018/articles/exploring-the-gran-chaco 15 Bridget Maria Chesterson, The Chaco War: 12 Bridget Maria Chesterson, The Chaco War: Environment, Ethnicity, and Nationalism, (London: Environment, Ethnicity, and Nationalism, (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016), pg 2 Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016), pg 159 16 Ibid, pg 2 13 Ibid, pg 2 17 Ibid, pg 2

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Bolivia a railroad from the Bolivian capital, La Paz, to the now-Chilean ports on the Pacific and freedom of transit through Pacific ports. However, with the fate of their sea access depending on a hostile Chile, the Bolivian government began to look for other ways of accessing maritime trade. The Parana and Paraguay river systems of the Gran Chaco region would provide Bolivia with access to the Atlantic Ocean.18 Further Bolivian territory was lost to Brazil in the Acre War (1899-1903).19 The Bolivian Syndicate, a company backed British and American capital, had attempted to exploit rubber from the Acre territory, which was legally held by Bolivia, but occupied by Brazilians. To dissuade Bolivian encroachment, Brazil suspended Bolivian access to the Paraguay and Amazon, pushing land locked Bolivia to war. Bolivia lost the territory, but was promised yet another railroad (this time to the Amazon river), and guaranteed access to the Paraguay river via Brazil.20 Once again,

18 https://www.britannica.com/event/War-of-the- 20 Peter Seaborn Smith, "Bolivian Oil and Brazilian Pacific Economic Nationalism." Journal of Interamerican 19 “ACRE WAR ENDS WITH BOLIVIA'S SUDDEN Studies and World Affairs13, no. 2 (1971): 166-81. SURRENDER TO BRAZIL” San Francisco Call, February https://www.jstor.org/stable/174677?seq=2#metad 9th, 1903, https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi- ata_info_tab_contents bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SFC19030209.2.28&e=------en--20- -1--txt-txIN------1

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the hopelessly landlocked Bolivia was left dependent on hostile neighbors for access to maritime trade. And with the development of the Acre War, this access was proven to be a tool of leverage to be used actively against Bolivia. Bolivia’s military history at the turn of the century was a bitter story of defeat. Paraguay’s pre-Chaco War history somewhat mirrored Bolivia’s. Paraguay lost much of its territory to Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina in the War of the Triple Alliance. Brazil had initially sponsored a coup d’état in Uruguay, installing pro-Brazilian leaders. Seeing this as a hostile action, Paraguay invaded Brazil in 1864 with the most powerful army in South America at the time. However, Brazil quickly garnered the support of Argentina and their new ally, Uruguay. Paraguay was crippled by the war. Their pre-war population was reduced from 525,000 to 221,000, only about 28,000 of which were men.21 Further interest in the Gran Chaco Paraguay was devasted. increased as oil prospecting came to the

region. Standard Oil was entered in contract 19th Century History: Oil Nationalism with the Bolivian government, and Royal

21 https://www.britannica.com/event/War-of-the- Triple-Alliance

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Dutch Shell with the Paraguayans.22 Tin Now, in 1931, the two landlocked markets in Bolivia were already on the states suffering from the effects of the Great decline when the Great Depression hit South Depression and military defeats view the America. Bolivia looked to oil as its next Gran Chaco, with its access to the Paraguay source of income.23 Oil became a source of River (and by extension the Atlantic) and nationalism among Bolivians, and Bolivian prospects of oil, as a possible source of leaders pushed further into the Gran Chaco recovery. in order to provide more drilling opportunities for Standard Oil, which was 19th Century Diplomatic Efforts reluctant to expand operations to landlocked The late nineteenth century saw three Bolivia – a location with little access to failed treaties attempting diplomatic transportation.24 After the war, leftists in settlement of the Bolivian-Paraguayan both Bolivia and America would claim that border. The treaties of Decoud-Quijarros Standard Oil and Shell each pushed their (1879), Aceval-Tamayo (1887), and backing countries to war to justify Bolivian Benitez-Ichazo (1894) were never nationalization of oil. However, in reality, completed26 and were described by historian Standard Oil was uncooperative with the Ricardo Scavone Yegros as “a series of Bolivian government, which was starting to lamentable disagreements and initiatives that use oil nationalism – the zealous concept of never reached fruition.”27 nationalizing oil for the state’s advantage – to justify a war with Paraguay. President of Buildup to Conflict and Current Bolivia, Daniel Salamanca, saw oil in the Situation (1903-1931) Gran Chaco as a source of national income following the Depression.25

22 Bridget Maria Chesterson, The Chaco War: to the Council and Members of the League, Environment, Ethnicity, and Nationalism, (London: December, 26th, 1928, (accessed through the United Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016),, pg 168 Nations Office at Geneva, https://biblio- 23 Ibid, pg 162 archive.unog.ch/Dateien/CouncilMSD/C-619-M-195- 24 Ibid, pg 163 1928-VII_EN.pdf) 25 Ibid, pg 163 27 Bridget Maria Chesterson, The Chaco War: 26 League of Nations, Documentation Concerning the Environment, Ethnicity, and Nationalism, (London: Dispute Between Bolivia and Paraguay, Distributed Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016), pg 4

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Buildup to Conflict violence, the President Briand of the League After diplomatic solutions failed, Nations sent telegrams to the governments Paraguay and Bolivia attempted to assert of Bolivia and Paraguay.31 Through dominance in the region through correspondence with Briand, both nations immigration and religious conversion.28 agreed to arbitrate the conflict at the Both nations hoped to establish missions to upcoming Pan American Conference – the convert the natives and win their loyalty. International Conference of American States Bolivians turned to Franciscan and Catholic on Conciliation and Arbitration Oblate missionaries. Paraguayans used (ICASCA).32 This meeting successfully Anglican and Catholic Salesian prevented war in the short term by missionaries. They also sent a group of instituting a committee to investigate the Mennonite immigrants fleeing from the disputed events of the skirmish.33 However, Soviet Union to establish a farming it was clear that war was on the horizon. 34 settlement 1926.29 The border dispute remained unsettled, no Missions were reinforced by fortines: sanctions were placed on either nations to small poorly armed and provisioned forts. enforce the arbitration, and expansion of the Tensions rose as the two nations encroached two nations into the region continued.35 into the Gran Chaco. Anger spiked in 1928, when a Paraguayan Major, acting without Arms Race orders, attacked a Bolivian fortin.30 Upon The years from 1926 to the present press releases detailing this breakout of 1931 have been a race to import significant

28 Ibid, pg 4 United States Government Printing Office, 29 Ibid, pg 4 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.3901507 30 Ibid, pg 4 3399993;view=1up;seq=185 31 League of Nations, Documentation Concerning the 34 Bridget Maria Chesterson, The Chaco War: Dispute Between Bolivia and Paraguay, Distributed Environment, Ethnicity, and Nationalism, (London: to the Council and Members of the League, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016), pg 4 December, 26th, 1928, (accessed through the United 35 Proceedings of the International Conference of Nations Office at Geneva, https://biblio- American States on Conciliation and Arbitration, archive.unog.ch/Dateien/CouncilMSD/C-619-M-195- United States Government Printing Office, 1928-VII_EN.pdf) https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.3901507 32 Ibid 3399993;view=1up;seq=185 33 Proceedings of the International Conference of American States on Conciliation and Arbitration,

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quantities of arms in preparation for war. In 1932. Moreover, its “clever multi-source 1926, Bolivia had signed massive three arms buying strategy” gave them a more million-pound arms deal with British efficient system of supplying their manufacturer Vickers-Armstrong. The three military.36 years leading up to the War, however, presented numerous problems to the import Current Scenario of these arms. After the decline in the tin It is the current consensus that market, Bolivia had to decrease the cost of Bolivia is best-equipped in the event of the the deal to just 1.25 million pounds. In outbreak of war. Its armies are led by addition to these problems, Vickers never prominent Czechoslovak and German World sent the full 1.25 million pounds worth of War One veterans. In comparison, equipment, and much of what was sent was Paraguay’s military leadership consists of of “dubious quality.” Neighboring states, local Paraguayans with some low-level aid which Bolivia relied upon for transportation, from White Russians. In addition to the would often tamper or block passage of disparities in leadership, Bolivia has a goods, and when they did arrive in Bolivia, larger, better armed standing army than Bolivia’s own poor transportation system Paraguay. To add to Bolivia’s advantages was known to fail to transport the goods to was a larger economy with which it could the Chaco frontier. Although Paraguay’s supply its forces.37 efforts to acquire arms were dwarfed in The only advantage Paraguay holds scale by Bolivia’s, Paraguay’s import of is in transportation. In 1928, a report from military goods suffered from far fewer the British legation in La Paz states that transportation issues. This does not mean Bolivia’s “‘inordinately long lines of that Paraguay did not prioritize arms communication’ gave Paraguay a distinct acquisition. In fact, Paraguay spent 60% of its national income on arms from 1926-

36 Matthew Hughes, “Logistics and Chaco War: https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/1251/3/C Bolivia versus Paraguay, 1932-1935,” The Journal of haco+War+-+revised+version+1.pdf Military History, Volume 69, Number 2, April 2005, 37 Bridget Maria Chesterson, The Chaco War: pp. 411-437 Environment, Ethnicity, and Nationalism, (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016), pg 4

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advantage in the Chaco.”38 Outside of also worth noting that the Pan-American communications, Bolivian officials are Conference is not scheduled to meet again optimistic about transportation of soldiers until 1933,42 so the strategy taken in the and materials; however, outsider have 1928 incident of arbitration through the Pan- remarked upon the horrendous planning and American Conference is no longer viable. logistical skills of the Bolivian army.39 The historical positioning of this particular There is also the concern of outsiders of issue provides an opportunity for the Bolivian peasant conscripts being subjected resolution of the conflict while the League to altitude change – coming from their of Nations still has potential to become an homes in the Andes at 12,000 ft to 500 ft in effective international political body. the Chaco.40 These factors are especially Historian James Barros states, “the concerning considering the harsh, dry subsequent disagreement of the Great climate of the Chaco. It is estimated that Powers outside the League of Nations was thousands could die tragically of reflected within the organization, especially malnutrition if sent into the Chaco region to in important political episodes like fight. Manchuria, or the Chaco War… causing the This conference takes place 1931, organization a great loss of prestige and one year before the official outbreak of war. effectiveness as an organ for coercion and It is the committee’s goal to address the peaceful settlement.”43 tensions between Paraguay and Bolivia before war breaks out in 1932. It is worth Questions to Consider: reminding delegates that the goal of the 1. What arrangement in Latin American League of Nations was “to provide a forum affairs is most profitable for your 41 for resolving international disputes.” It is nation?

38 Matthew Hughes, “Logistics and Chaco War: 41 https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914- Bolivia versus Paraguay, 1932-1935,” The Journal of 1920/league Military History, Volume 69, Number 2, April 2005, 42 pp. 411-437 http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/intam03.as https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/1251/3/C p haco+War+-+revised+version+1.pdf 43 Barros, The League of Nations and the Great 39 Ibid Powers: The Greek-Bulgarian Incident, 1925,pg 123 40 Ibid

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2. What could peacefully resolve this dispute? 3. How can the League of Nations enforce a lasting peace? 4. What issues does national sovereignty pose to the League’s actions? What precedent does your country wish for the League of Nations to set when confronting this issue? Do you represent a smaller country wishing for strong protection? A belligerent nation wishing for little interference? An economic powerhouse with little concern for costly inconsequential affairs?