WBBSE Class 9 Fundamentals Of History Chapter 7 The League Of Nations And The United Nations Organization SAQs

WBBSE Class 9 Fundamentals Of History Chapter 7 The League Of Nations And The United Nations Organisation Short Answer Questions

Question 1. When was the League of Nations founded and under whose initiative?
Answer: The League Covenant of the League of Nations was adopted in 1919 at the Paris Peace Conference and the League had its first session on 1 January 1920.

The League of Nations, an international organization which had its headquarters in Geneva was formed after the First World War to resolve all international disputes through peaceful discussions and negotiations.

Woodrow Wilson the President of the USA took great initiative in setting up this organization and is regarded as the ‘Father of the League of Nations’.

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Question 2. What were the objectives of the League of Nations?
Answer:

The objectives of the League of Nations that were discussed in the League Covenant were—

To settle all international disputes amicably through discussions and negotiations preventing wars and achieving peace and security across the globe

All the members of the League must take the solemn pledge to give up violence and maintain everlasting peace and security in the world through cooperation

In case of any unwanted aggression by any country over another, the League had the right to impose economic sanctions against the aggressor and if necessary could adopt military options to establish world peace and security

The members were also required to follow every clause of international laws, regulations, treaties or conditions.

Apart from these, it was the objective of the League to look after the social and economic welfare of the people, to work for the weaker section of society like – women, children, and workers, and the issues related to world health and other philanthropic activities.

WBBSE Class 9 History Chapter 7 SAQs With Answers League Of Nations

Question 3. Describe the structure of the League of Nations.
Answer:

The structure of the League of Nations

The League of Nations was formed with two kinds of members -the Original or Founding Members formed by the Allied States who signed the peace Covenant and the Non-Original Members formed by the defeated nations who joined the League.

In 1920, the League of Nations had 40 members which increased in the following years with the joining of newer Non-Original Members but again declined to 46 in 1939.

The three main constitutional organs of the League were –

1. The League Assembly
2. The League Council and
3. The Secretariat

Along with these, there were the Permanent Court of International Justice and the International Labour Organization.

WBBSE Class 9 Fundamentals Of History Chapter 7 Question 4. What do you know about the Covenant of the League of Nations?
Answer:

The Covenant of the League of Nations

1. The Constitution of the League of Nations was called the League Covenant and had 26 paragraphs which discussed in detail the purposes, structure and regulations of the League. The League Covenant was officially adopted at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.
2. The League Covenant in 1920, wanted to restrict and not prohibit war and stated that the nations must solve their disputes peacefully by referring them to arbitration, judicial settlement or to take their disputes to the League Council.

Question 5. What do you know about the General Assembly of the League of Nations?
Answer:

The General Assembly of the League of Nations

The General Assembly which had the highest authority in the League organization was formed with representatives of the States who signed the League Covenant. The Assembly had its sessions in Geneva once every year and each state could send three representatives to the Assembly though their vote was limited to one.

The functions of the General Assembly were—

1. To establish world peace and maintain security
2. To solve political issues and conflicts
3. To safeguard the interest of the minorities
4. To perform a special function of admitting new members that was possible through the concurrence of 2/3rd of the members.

Question 6. Who were the members of the League Council?
Answer: The League Council, which acted as the executive body, handled the functions of the League and was comprised of five permanent and four temporary in total nine members.

England, France, Italy and Japan were permanent members and the USA which was recognized as a permanent member did not join the League, the temporary members were elected by the League Assembly.

After the permanent members were increased to six with the joining of Germany and Russia and temporary members to nine forming a total of 15 members.

The League Of Nations And The United Nations Organization SAQs WBBSE League Council

Question 7. State the functions of the League Council.
Answer:

The functions of the League Council

The League Council which acted as the executive body handled the functioning of the League and had its sessions at least thrice a year.

In the beginning, it had five permanent and four temporary members but later the permanent members were increased to six and temporary members to nine forming a total of fifteen members.

The functions of the League Council were

1. It discussed global problems and tried to resolve them
2. It tried to ensure disarmament policies of the nations and wanted to avert wars
3. It also summoned international conferences to solve disputes between the nations.

Question 8. Who were the Original and Non-Original Members of the League of Nations?
Answer:

The League of Nations was comprised of two types of members-

1. Original or Founding Members
2. Non-Original Members.

The Allied States who signed the League Covenant were the Founding Members and the defeated nations who joined the League were called the Non-Original members.

At the time of its formation in 1920, the League had 40 members which increased over the years as more Non-Original Members joined but was again reduced to 46 in 1939 before the outbreak of the Second World War.

Question 9. Where was the headquarters of the League of Nations and who was its first Secretary General?
Answer: The headquarters of the League of Nations was in Geneva, Switzerland. Sir Eric Drummond was the first Secretary General of the League of Nations.

Question 10. Why was the League Council formed?
Answer:

The League of Nations chiefly consisted of three departments –

1. The League Assembly.
2. The League Council and
3. A Secretariat.

The League Council which was comprised of permanent and temporary members handled the functions of the League and had sessions for at least three times in a year.

It was the duty of the Council to discuss and try to solve global issues, prevent war persuade the nations to adopt a disarmament policy and hold international conferences to resolve disputes.

WBBSE Class 9 Fundamentals Of History Chapter 7 Question 11. What were the functions of the League Assembly or General Assembly?
Answer:

The functions of the League Assembly or General Assembly

The General Assembly or League Assembly was one of the most important organs of the League of Nations which was formed with representatives of the States who had signed the League Covenant. The Assembly which enjoyed the highest authority met once a year.

It was the function of the General Assembly to –

1. Discuss and adopt policies related to global peace and security
2. Try to resolve political problems and conflicts and resolve international disputes
3. Safeguard and look after the interests of the minorities.

Question 12. Who were the permanent members of the League Council?
Answer: The League Council which acted as the executive body of the League of Nations was comprised of permanent and temporary members.

In the beginning, it had five permanent members comprising England, France, Italy and Japan; the USA which was recognized as a permanent member did not join the League thus reducing the number of permanent members to four.

Later, with the joining of Russia and Germany the number of permanent members increased to six.

Question 13. What was the function of the Secretariat of the League of Nations?
Answer:

The function of the Secretariat of the League of Nations

The Secretariat was one of the important organs of the League of Nations. A Secretary-General was appointed by the League who presided over the Secretariat to execute the programme’s activities and important decisions.

The staff of the League’s Secretariat prepared the agenda for both the Assembly and the Council, published reports of meetings and other routine affairs and effectively performed all the civil service for the League.

Question 14. What do you know about the Permanent Court of International Justice?
Answer:

The Permanent Court of International Justice

The Permanent Court of International Justice had its headquarters in the Hague in the Netherlands. It was formed to resolve global disputes, explain international laws and agreements and settle disagreements between members of the League.

The bench was made up of fifteen judges selected from different member states for nine years but no one was compelled to follow the decisions taken by this Court.

Class 9 Chapter 7 History SAQs PDF download WBBSE The International Labour Organization

Question 15. What do you know about the International Labour Organization?
Answer:

The International Labour Organization was one of the essential wings of the League of Nations. The I.L.O. had its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland and each member-state belonged to the I.L. o.

The functions of the I.L.O. included the development and promotion of standards for national legislation, to improve the conditions of workers all over the world and also protect them from being exploited.

Question 16. What was the Geneva Protocol?
Answer:

Geneva Protocol

The Geneva Protocol was signed on 17th June 1925 and it came into force on 8th February 1928. This Protocol prohibited the use of chemical and biological weapons in the war and wanted to settle international disputes peacefully.

Many countries submitted reservations when becoming parties to the Geneva Protocol and declared that they only regarded the non-use obligations as applying to other parties and these obligations would not be followed if the prohibited weapons were applied against them.

Question 17. State any two reasons for the failure of the League of Nations.
Answer: The League of Nations that was formed in 1919-1920 under the initiative of US President Woodrow Wilson failed. The United States of America who was recognized as the permanent member of the League refused to join the League of Nations and this reduced the effectiveness of the League from the very beginning.

The narrow and selfish attitude of the big nations, the Super Powers hindered the generation of feelings of cooperation and cordiality among the member nations.

Question 18. What do you know about the Atlantic Charter?
Answer:

The Atlantic Charter

Franklin D. Roosevelt the President of the USA and Winston Churchill the Prime Minister of Great Britain were in a conference amid the Atlantic in a vessel in August 1941.

On August 14th 1941, the two leaders issued a joint declaration which came to be known as the Atlantic Charter. The Charter declared/certain common principles in the national policies of their respective countries on which they based their hopes for a better future for the world.

WBBSE Class 9 Fundamentals Of History Chapter 7 Question 19. What was the significance of the Atlantic Charter?
Answer:

The Significance of the Atlantic Charter

On August 14th 1941, the two leaders, Franklin D. Roosevelt of USA and Winston Churchill of England issued a joint declaration which came to be known as the Atlantic Charter.

The Charter aimed to prevent the world from the threat of war and establish peace; and restorative self-government for those deprived of it; providing the basis for the modern United Nations.

The Atlantic Charter also inspired the international agreements and events that occurred after the Second World War like— the dismantling of the British Empire, and the signing of NATO.

Question 20. Who were the signatories of the Atlantic Charter?
Answer: The Atlantic Charter was a statement that was issued on 14th August 1941, that declared the goals that Britain and the USA had set for the world after the end of the Second World War. The adherents to the Atlantic Charter signed the declaration on 1st January 1942.

The representatives of 26 governments signed this Charter—USA, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, China, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Yugoslavia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Panama and South Africa.

Question 21. What is the full form of UNO and when was it established?
Answer: The full form of UNO is the United Nations Organization. It was established on 24th October 1945 at the behest of the USA, the Soviet Union and England.

Question 22. When, where and between whom did the Dumbarton Oaks Conference take place?
Answer: The Dumbarton Oaks Conference took place in Washington, D.C., from August 21st 1944 to October 7th 1944.

The Dumbarton Oaks Conference which was also known as the Washington Conversations on International Peace and Security Organization was an international conference which was attended by the representatives of the nations like the USA, the Soviet Union, England, China and others.

It was at this conference the concept of the United Nations was formulated by the international leaders.

Question 23. How was the name United Nations chosen?
Answer: The term United Nations was first used on 1st January 1942. The President of the USA coined the term ‘United Nations’ inspired by the poem written by Lord Byron named Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage.

Question 24. How was the United Nations Organization formed?
Answer: The fall of the League of Nations and the horrors of the Second World War prompted the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union to begin formulating the original U.N. Declaration, signed by 26 nations in January 1942, as a formal act of opposition to the Axis Powers.

At the Moscow Conference of 1943, the leaders of the USA, Soviet Union, Britain and China unanimously decided to set up an international peace organization and this resolution was passed at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in 1944.

In 1945, the representatives of 50 states met at San Francisco and prepared the UN Charter and on 24th October 1945 the United Nations Organization was formed.

WBBSE Class 9 Fundamentals Of History Chapter 7 Question 25. What are the main objectives of the United Nations?
Answer:

The main objectives of the United Nations

The United Nations Organization which was formed on 24th October 1945 mentions four fundamental purposes or objectives. They are- establishing peace across the globe by eradicating any possibilities of war and ensuring worldwide security.

It wanted to foster friendly relations between nations and emphasized fundamental human rights, the dignity of human persons and equal rights of all nations irrespective of their size big or small.

It adopted measures to promote education and culture and improve the health of mankind It also employed international machinery to develop the economic condition of the poor and underdeveloped nations.

Question 26. State the Principles of the United Nations Organization.
Answer:

In Article 2 of the UN Charter seven fundamental Principles of the U.N.O. are discussed—

1. All members big or small must sincerely fulfil their duties as stated in the UN Charter to enjoy their rights and privileges.
2. In case of any international disputes, the member states must resolve them by peaceful means
3. All members must exercise self-control and refrain from making use of any threat or force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
4. All members of the U.N.O. will have equal sovereign status
5. The U.N.O. will not interfere regarding any internal matters of any country
6. All the members will pledge to help each other and safeguard world peace.
7. The states which are not members of the United Nations will also act by these principles to maintain international peace and security.

WBBSE Chapter 7 History Important SAQs With Solutions UN Charter

Question 27. What do you know about the UN Charter?
Answer:

On 26th June 1945 the Charter of the United Nations was signed at the San Francisco Conference and the United Nations Organization came into force on 24th October 1945. The UN Charter comprises a Preamble, 19 chapters, and 3 Articles and the Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the Charter.

The UN Charter upholds the human rights of citizens mentions seven fundamental principles of the United Nations and advocates for peace and security of the world together with the promotion of economic, social, scientific and cultural development of all the people.

Question 28. What are the main organs of the United Nations Organization?
Answer:

The United Nations Organization has six main organs. They are-

1. The General Assembly
2. The Security Council
3. The Economic and Social Council
4. The Trusteeship Council
5. The International Court of Justice
6. The Secretariat.

WBBSE Class 9 Fundamentals Of History Chapter 7 Question 29. How does a country become a member of the U.N.O?
Answer: According to the UN Charter membership in the organization” is open to all peace-loving States that accept the obligations contained in the United Nations Charter and, in the judgement of the organization, can carry out these obligations”.

The 51 countries who first signed the UN Charter are the original members but other countries could also join as members and at present the U.N.O. has 193 nations as its members. States are permitted to become members of the UN by the decision of the General Assembly (vote of 2/3rd majority) upon the recommendation of the Security Council.

Question 30. Who are the permanent members of the UN Security Council? How does UNO annul the membership of a State?
Answer: The countries that are the permanent members of the UN Security Council are the USA, the Soviet Union, England, France and China.

In case a member state loses statehood or violates the principles of the Charter repeatedly and disrespects the clauses and articles mentioned in the Charter the Security Council can then recommend the annulment of membership of that state to the General Assembly.

The General Assembly can annul the membership of that particular state by the vote of assent by 2/3rd of the existing members.

Question 31. What do you know about the General Assembly of the UN?
Answer:

General Assembly of the UN

The General Assembly of the UNO which is the main deliberative body is formed of all the members of the organization where each member has a single vote but does not have veto power.

The General Assembly can discuss any matter mentioned in the Charter but its power is limited as it cannot legislate laws and hence acts as an observer or a platform for discussion among the free countries across the globe.

The session of the General Assembly can be convened every September and the Assembly performs certain functions like-

1. Elects the UN Secretary-General and the judges of the International Court of Justice in conjunction with the members of the Security Council
2. Review annual reports of various organizations
3. It examines, discusses and passes the UN’s budget
4. Also elects members of various UN organizations.

Question 32. Write a note on the Security Council of the UNO.
Answer:

The Security Council of the UNO

The Security Council of UNO which consists of 15 members ( 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent) enjoys the most important position in the structure of the UNO. Any permanent member of the Security Council namely the USA, the Soviet Union, England, France and China can veto a proposal.

The main functions of the Security Council are-

1. Maintenance of global peace and security
2. It has the power to pass legally binding resolutions and can suspend or expel a member state
3. It can investigate, arbitrate, judge and even order for punishments on any matter.

WBBSE Class 9 Fundamentals Of History Chapter 7 Question 33. Write a note to the Secretariat of the United Nations.
Answer:

The Secretariat of the United Nations

The Secretariat of the United Nations was an important organization with its headquarters located in New York and comprising of a Secretary General, eight Deputy Secretaries- General and 10,000 employees.

The Secretary-General is appointed for five years by the General Assembly based on the recommendations made by the Security Council.

The Secretary-General has to perform certain functions-

1. He monitors all the decisions and directives of the UN
2. He is responsible for the proper working of the entire Secretariat, communicating with the member states, drafting the programme schedules
3. He coordinates all the departments
4. In case of any trouble in any part of the world, it is the responsibility of the Secretary-General to restore peace in that region and draw the attention of the UN.

Question 34. What are the main committees of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization?
Answer:

The main committees of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization

The General Assembly have six main committees and each committee deals with a particular topic.

The six main committees are-

1. The Disarmament and International Security Committee
2. Economic and Financial Committee
3. Social, Cultural and Human Welfare Committee
4. Political Committee
5. Legal and Administrative Committee
6. Public Health Committee

Question 35. What do you know about the Economic and Social Council of the UN?
Answer:

The Economic and Social Council of the UN

The Economic and Social Council of the UNO is formed under the General Assembly and Chapter Ten of the UN Charter describes its structure and programme.

The functions of this Council are-

1. To look into matters like economic and social betterment, human rights and health issues, cultural and educational development of the member states and sending recommendations to the General Assembly.
2. The extent of this Council’s activities is very vast and it has at least 13 organizations under its wing which are responsible for improving international cooperation.

The names of some of those significant organizations are-

1. The Food and Agricultural Organization
2. International Monetary Fund
3. International Labour Organization
4. World Health Organization etc.

Question 36. Write a note on the Trusteeship Council.
Answer:

Trusteeship Council

1. The members of the Trusteeship Council are elected by Permanent Members of the Security Council and the General Assembly.
2. Several underdeveloped countries like Cameroon, Somaliland, Tanganyika and a few others were placed under this Council to develop them socio-economically and culturally and prepare them for independence.
3. The Trusteeship Council also worked to prevent the exploitation of that backward and underdeveloped nation.

Question 37. What is the full form of WHO? What is its function?
Answer: The full form of WHO is the World Health Organization. This organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that works for international public health.

The functions of the WHO are-

Attainment by all people of the highest possible health

To direct and organize campaigns to fight against diseases like plague, cholera, COVID-19- 19 and others and also promote research to provide superior medical facilities.

Question 38. What is the function of UNESCO?
Answer: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO was formed on 16th November 1945.

The functions of this organization are-

Economic and social welfare activities like improvement of the standard of living of the people, preservation of human rights, eradication of poverty, the spread of education and others.

It works for the development of scientific knowledge, mass communication, social sciences, cultural activities and relief services.

It also works on issues which are considered global priorities like “Africa” and “Gender Equality”.

Question 39. What do you know about the FAO?
Answer:

FAO

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the UNO was founded on 16th October 1945 and it has its headquarters in Rome, Italy.

The function of the organization is to undertake efforts to defeat hunger and make improvements in the process of providing nutrition and food security. The motto of this organization is-” Let there be bread”.

WBBSE Class 9 Fundamentals Of History Chapter 7 Question 40. What do you know about the IMF?
Answer:

IMF

The IMF or International Monetary Fund formed on 27th December 1945 is an organization which has 189 countries as its member.

The functions of the IMF are—

1. It works to develop global monetary cooperation and economic growth
2. Achieve economic stability and promote international trade
3. Generate high employment scope and reduce poverty across the globe.

Question 41. What do you know about UNICEF?
Answer:

UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund is an agency of the United Nations that works to assist in the development of the children of member countries. It was formed on 11th December 1946 and has its headquarters in New York.

The functions of UNICEF are-

1. To protect the children from hunger and starvation
2. To improve the health of the children affected by various diseases and even malnutrition
3. Works to promote education and the general welfare of children.

Question 42. What do you know about the UNRRA?
Answer:

UNRAR

UNRRA or United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration was founded in 1943 and became part of the United Nations in 1945. It worked as a relief agency and was primarily dominated by the United States of America. It had its headquarters in Washington, D.C., but it had largely stopped its operations in 1947.

Question 43. What do you understand by the term ‘Veto’?
Answer:

‘Veto’

The term ‘Veto’ means the right to reject a proposal and Veto power refers to the Latin word meaning ‘I forbid’.

The Security Council of the United Nations which is responsible for preserving global peace and security has five permanent members ( USA, Soviet Union, France, England and China) who can exercise ‘Veto Power’ to reject any proposal or resolution that comes under their purview.

A negative vote by any one of the members is regarded as a ‘Veto’ and in case of such a situation, the Security Council cannot do anything.

Question 44. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the United Nations Organization?
Answer:

The strengths and weaknesses of the United Nations Organization

The United Nations Organization, an international peace-making organization was formed on 24th October 1945 at the behest of the USA, Soviet Union and Great Britain.

Its strength lies in the amount of prestige it enjoys and in the number of its members including the USA, its role in achieving international peace and the exercise of control in the areas like disarmament and nuclear weapons.

The weakness of the UNO includes the veto power that the ‘Big Five’ has often misused to meet their selfish interests and it also failed to receive cooperation from the ‘Big Five’ on the issues of resolving disputes and ending conflicts in certain areas of the world.

Question 45. Name the first and the current Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Answer:

The first Secretary –

The General of the United Nations was Trygve Lie who was formerly the Foreign Minister of Norway.

The present Secretary-

The General of the United Nations is Antonio Guterres of Portugal.