HUNGARY (1956) PALESTINE (1947 – 49) LEBANON (1975 – 87) SOMALIA (1991 – 95) BOSNIA (1991 – 95) Failures of the UN

Hungary (1956)

Hungary (1956) What happened?  In October 1956 – violent protests  Hungarians wanted a new government – not controlled by USSR  By 30th October – new government under Imre Nagy (more liberal – stepped away from USSR)  4th November, 200,000 Soviet troops invaded Hungary

Hungary (1956) UN response  General Assembly met on 4th November and passed Resolution 1004  Condemned Soviet invasion – demanded withdrawal  Humanitarian aid to Hungary

Hungary (1956) USSR reaction  They ignored ruling  7th November – occupied Budapest – own leader

Hungary (1956) Why failure?  20,000 Hungarians died. 200,000 fled  Nagy arrested and executed by USSR  Weakness against major power  Key members no support  Britain and France – busy with Suez  USA – presidential election  USSR nuclear power – what power did UN have?

Palestine (1947 – 49) What happened?  February 1947 – Britain’s mandate to govern was up  Asked UN to decide future  Palestine – mostly Muslim Arabs  Many Jews there too Fled from Hitler

Palestine (1947 – 49) UN response  Set up committee of enquiry  Could not agree – two plans  November – General Assembly chose plan  Palestine split in two Arab state and Jewish state  Arab Palestinians angry – VIOLENCE  April 1948 – UN called for peace  Sent a Truce Commission (diplomats not soldiers)

Palestine (1947 – 49) UN response  UN plan fell apart  14th May 1948  Jews refused to wait for UN decision. Created state where UN had suggested  Arab states, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, declared war on Israel

Palestine (1947 – 49) Why failure?  Fighting lasted until 1949  UN was divided on what to do with Palestine  Had not sent troops to enforce  520 – 800,000 Arab refugees  Armed force decided who won. Not UN.

Palestine (1947 – 49)

Lebanon (1975 – 87)

What happened?  During 1948 war in Palestine, 100,000 Palestinian Arabs fled to Lebanon  They settled in refugee camps on southern border  Many supported PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organisation)  Wanted to destroy Israel  March 1978  PLO commando attack into Israel  Many Israelis killed  Israel retaliated  Israeli troops attacked PLO bases in Lebanon

Lebanon (1975 – 87) UN response  Resolution 425  Security Council asked Israel to withdraw and sent peacekeeping force of 4000 men - UNIFIL  PLO raids continued anyway  June 1982 – Israel invaded again  Israel swept past UNIFIL troops as far as Beirut  US had to broker peace

Lebanon (1975 – 87) Why failure?  US had to broker peace (not UN)  Pressure from Reagan  Armed PLO groups left Lebanon  Israel withdrew some troops but insisted on keeping some troops there  UNIFIL remained in Lebanon helping to keep peace  UN  Failed to prevent Israeli aggression  Relied upon USA  Despite continued requests by UN, it was 2000 before Israeli left Lebanese soil

Somalia (1991 – 95) What happened?  Somalia is a poor country in East Africa  1991 – civil war  2 million refugees and 4.5 million starving

Somalia (1991 – 95) UN response – number 1  1991 – sent special envoy to mediate  January 1992 – Security Council announced ban on trading arms to Somalia  April 1992 – 3500 troops – UNOSOM 1 – sent to keep warring factions apart  UN sent humanitarian aid  Failure

Somalia (1991 – 95) Further problems  Ceasefires agreed – didn’t last  UNOSOM 1 – too small  Weapons smuggled in  Humanitarian aid hampered by fighting

Somalia (1991 – 95) UN response – number 2  1992 – USA offered to lead stronger force  US-led Task Force of 37,000 men – December  Fighting died down  UN decided to withdraw United Task Force – sent own force – UNOSOM II – only 22,000 men  Fighting broke out again  Mogadishu – 24 UNOSOM soldiers killed in June, 18 US troops fighting with UNOSOM killed in October  August 1994 – Secretary-General – ‘members are not prepared to continue costly commitments… when there are no signs of … reconciliation’ – By 1995 – all US & UN troops gone

Somalia (1991 – 95) Why failure?  Civil war continued. UNOSOM II cost $1.6 billion  The UN failed Somalia  Diplomacy failed  Embargo on arms sales failed  Military efforts failed  Only success – humanitarian aid (limited by military failure)

Bosnia (1991 – 95) What happened?  1991 – civil war in Yugoslavia  Broke into 6 republics  One Bosnia divided ethnically - Serbs, Croats & Bosnians And divided religiously – Muslims & Christians  1992 – civil war in Bosnia  Fighting between different groups over religion/ethnic reasons  Ethnic cleansing

Bosnia (1991 – 95) 1980

Bosnia (1991 – 95) 1991

Bosnia (1991 –95) UN response  May 1992  UN urged ceasefire  UN imposed trade sanctions on Serbia  Fighting continued anyway  October 1992 – UN banned military flights in Bosnia – bombing slowed – not stopped  July 1993 – UN debated border controls – seize weapons – budget already spent  1993 – UN set up ‘safe areas’ for civilians – constantly shelled by Serbs

Bosnia (1991 –95) UN response  WORST – 1995 – UN safe area at Srebrenica defended by 600 UN troops who did not stop Serbian troops  UN bussed women out but 8000 Bosnian men taken by Serbs and shot End  1995 – diplomatic pressure by Contac t Group (number of states including US) – forced peace

Bosnia (1991 – 95) Why failure?  UN failed to stop war  Failed to protect people – eg. Srebrenica  Had to rely on Contact Group (US)  Budget insufficient – could not stop weapons etc.

Bosnia - Srebrinica