Diapositiva 1

ITALIAN INVASION OF ABYSSINIA (1935-1936)ITALY INVADES ABYSSINIA IN OCTOBER 1935Conveniently located next to 2 existing Italian colonies: Eritrea and Somaliland. Place of humiliating event in Italian history. In 1896 its army defeated an Italian invasion at the battle of Adowa.

Impact of GD aggressive foreign policy to get raw materials, markets and territory for the growing population. A tactic to distract his people from the impact of the GD

Mussolini wanted GLORY and CONQUEST. This was part of the national strength and pride of the Fascist ideology.

WHY DID MUSSOLINI INVADE ABYSSINIA?

1934, Italian troops provoked a clash at the Wal Wal oasis near the Abyssinian border with Italian Somaliland.October 1935: ITALIAN TROOPS INVADED ABYSSINIA.The Italians used modern weapons, including tanks, planes and poison gas. The Abyssinians did not have weapons like these.

HAILE SELASSIE appealed to the LON

THE INVASIONThis was clearly a case of the strong invading the weak. The League should have defended Abyssinia.

THE LEAGUE DECLARED MUSSOLINI AN AGGRESSORTHE LEAGUE OF NATIONSThe sale of weapons and some goods to Italy was banned.No League member was to buy Italian goods or lend Italy money.

BUTtook too long to be implementedthey excluded valuable goods such as coal, oil and steelNot all countries respected them and continued trade with Italy. Jap, Ger, USA ignored themItalian ships were still allowed to use the Suez Canal. Mussolinis main supply route to Abyssinia.

ECONOMIC SANCTIONS

Meanwhile, the British and French ministers drew up a plan to end the war. They suggested that Abyssinia should be split into two. The plan was leaked to the press and there was a huge outcry. Britain and France were clearly putting their interests ahead of the interests of the League, Hoare and Laval were forced to resign. This damaged the Leagues reputation.

THE HOARE LAVAL PACT

The Italians continued fighting in Abyssinia. In May 1936, they captured the capital city, Addis Ababa.

Haile Selaisse managed to escape to Geneva and appealed to the League for more help.

The next step for the League would be to gather an army to turn Mussolini out of Abyssinia. The League did nothing.

MILITARY SANCTIONS?The LON admitted failure in the dispute in April 1936. In May Victor Emanuel II (King of Italy) was proclaimed Emperor of Abyssinia. The LON abandoned economic sanctions.

WHY DID THE LEAGUE FAIL? SANCTIONS: took too long to be implemented + not respected by all countries + excluded valuable goods + Suez Canal was kept open. BRITAIN + FRANCE: put their interests ahead of the interests of the LON 1. did not want to lose Mussolini as an ally against Hitler2. they feared Muss would want to go to war if her economy was affected by sanctions: public opinion was against war + they were economically unprepared for war.

Mussolini considered it was unfair that sanctions were applied to Italy after the Japanese had not been punished. Aware of how important Italy had become to the Allies since Hitlers rise and was prepared to use that in his favour.

Disaster for the LON: a leading member had again successfully ignored the LON.Demonstrated ineffectiveness of collective security. It sent a clear signal that the LON no longer played an important role in world affairs.It revealed that the leading powers of the LON were unwilling to apply collective security if their interests were not directly threatened. Italy moved closer to Nazi Germany: approached Germany, signed the Rome-Berlin Axis (1936) and abandoned the LON (1937)

EFFECTS OF ABYSSINIAN CRISIS with With Ethiopia we have been patient for forty years! It is time to say enough! In the League of Nations there is talk of sanctions instead of recognition of our rights. I shall refuse to believe that the real and generous people of France can support sanctions against Italy.... I refuse to believe that the real people of Great Britain, who have never had discords with Italy, are prepared to run the risk of hurling Europe along the road to catastrophe for the sake of defending an African country universally branded as a country without the slightest shadow of civilization.

FROM A SPEECH BY BENITO MUSSOLINI, 1935, .

What were the reasons for the League of Nations failures during the 1930s?Self-interestAbsence of important countriesLack of TroopsTOV it was meant to protect was unfairDecisions were slowSanctions were ineffective

We have our own problems!

You need to know how each of these contributed towards the Leagues failures