WI: African Colonies Become Mandates

I have recalled that people during the twenties and thirties suggested turning all of colonial Africa into a mandate or series of mandates under the League of Nations, partially so that the Germans would stop asking for their old colonies back. Do you see any possibility in this? What would actually be placed under the Mandate? Ethiopia, Liberia, South Africa, Swaziland, and most of North Africa seem unlikely personally.
 

yourworstnightmare

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Donor
Well, the Colonial Powers would never agree. Britain and France were too proud and were able to get profit from their Colonies. Belgium, Portugal and Italy would see it as ploys from Britain and France to steal their Colonies.

Liberia and Ethiopia are actually more likely how ASB it seems. Due to the slavery issue some there were ideas to force Ethiopia into becoming a Mandate and having the US create some kind of Mandate like relation with Liberia. However neither is really likely.
 
Why would the British and French (in particular) be daft enough to make their colonies mandates when they are then going to be expected to do all the hard work (with none of the profit)?
 
What would change? Didn't those countries that had mandates run them as colonies anyway (until after WWII)? Not like the League of Nations has the power to enforce, um, anything.
 
What would change? Didn't those countries that had mandates run them as colonies anyway (until after WWII)? Not like the League of Nations has the power to enforce, um, anything.

I may be wrong, but I think some of the mandates in Africa were run more poorly than the colonies and protectorates of the very same powers.
 

yourworstnightmare

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Donor
The Mandates were unde League supervision, meaning the League recieved yearly reports on the progress. Also, forced labor was forbidden in the Mandates.
 

Cook

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Liberia and Ethiopia (Abyssinia) and South Africa were all independent nations with seats in the League of Nations in the 1920s and ‘30s so they can be ruled out entirely.
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
Liberia and Ethiopia (Abyssinia) and South Africa were all independent nations with seats in the League of Nations in the 1920s and ‘30s so they can be ruled out entirely.
Still, there were discussions about reducing both Liberia and Ethiopia to mandates. Which kind of show the general attitudes among the League Nations (darned colored people don't know what's best for them etc.)
 
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