Editing War of aggression (section)

===The Convention for the Definition of Aggression===
Two '''Conventions for the Definition of Aggression''' were signed in [[London]] on 3 and 4 July 1933. The first was signed by [[Czechoslovakia]], [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]], the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet Union]], [[Turkey]] and [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]], and came into effect on 17 February 1934, when it was ratified by all of them but Turkey. The second was signed by [[Kingdom of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]] (ratified 20 October 1933), [[Estonia]] (4 December), [[Latvia]] (4 December), [[Persia]] (16 November), [[Second Polish Republic|Poland]] (16 October), Romania (16 October), the Soviet Union (16 October) and Turkey, which ratified both treaties on 23 March 1934. [[Finland]] acceded to the second convention on 31 January 1934. The second convention was the first to be registered with the [[League of Nations Treaty Series]] on 29 March 1934, while the first was registered on 26 April. As [[Lithuania]] refused to sign any treaty including Poland,<ref>Lithuanian authorities regarded Polish rule over the [[Vilnius Region]] as a military occupation of its constitutional capital.</ref> it signed the definition of aggression in a separate pact with the Soviet Union on 5 July 1933, also in London, and exchanged ratifications on 14 December. It was registered in the Treaty Series on 16 April 1934.

The signatories of both treaties were also signatories of the [[Kellogg–Briand Pact]] prohibiting aggression, and were seeking an agreed definition of the latter. Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia were members of the [[Little Entente]], and their signatures alarmed [[Kingdom of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]], since the definition of aggression clearly covered its support of the [[Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization]].<ref>S. A. H., "Bulgaria and the Balkan Entente", ''Bulletin of International News'', 15, 16 (1938), 4.</ref> Both treaties base their definition on the "Politis Report" of the Committee of Security Questions made 24 March 1933 to the Conference for the Reduction and Limitation of Armaments, in answer to a proposal of the Soviet delegation. The Greek politician [[Nikolaos Politis]] was behind the inclusion of "support for armed bands" as a form of aggression.<ref>Leon Romaniecki, "The Soviet Union and International Terrorism", ''Soviet Studies'', 26, 3 (1974), 420.</ref> Ratifications for both treaties were deposited in [[Moscow]], as the convention was primarily the work of [[Maxim Litvinov]], the Soviet signatory.<ref>P. Zadeikis, "An Aspect of the Lithuanian Record of Independence", ''Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science'', 232 (1944), 50.</ref> The convention defined an act of aggression as follows:
* Declaration of war upon another State.
* Invasion by its armed forces, with or without a declaration of war, of the territory of another State.
* Attack by its land, naval or air forces, with or without a declaration of war, on the territory, vessels or aircraft of another State.
* Naval blockade of the coasts or ports of another State.
* Provision of support to armed bands formed in its territory which have invaded the territory of another State, or refusal, notwithstanding the request of the invaded State, to take, in its own territory, all the measures in its power to deprive those bands of all assistance or protection.

The League prerogative under that convention to expel a League member found guilty of aggression was used by the League Assembly only once, against the Soviet government itself, on December 14, 1939, following the [[Winter War|Soviet invasion of Finland]].<ref>[http://www.histdoc.net/history/league1.html League of Nations Assembly resolution of December 14, 1939, expelling the Soviet government]</ref><ref>[http://www.histdoc.net/history/league2.html League of Nations Council resolution of December 14, 1939, expelling the Soviet government]</ref>

Primary documents:
*[http://www.worldlii.org/cgi-bin/disp.pl/int/other/treaties/LNTSer/1934/75.html Text of the Convention of 3 July]
*[http://www.worldlii.org/int/other/treaties/LNTSer/1934/102.html Text of the Convention of 4 July]
*[http://www.worldlii.org/int/other/treaties/LNTSer/1934/95.html Text of the Convention of 5 July]