Appeasement And Road To War #5: The Abyssinian Crisis Flashcards
1
Q
What about the location of Abyssinia made it a target?
A
- Every other surrounding country was ruled by either France, Britain, or Italy
- It was renowned for fertile land good natural resources unlike Italy
2
Q
Who ruled Abyssinia?
A
Haille Selassie I
3
Q
When had Abyssinia previously been invaded?
A
In 1896 by Italy, they failed
4
Q
What did Benito Mussolini seek to do in 1922 when he came into power?
A
- Invade Abyssinia again
- By the mid 1930s, he needed some military victories to prove Italy’s greatness and increase its empire
5
Q
How did Italy invade Abyssinia?
A
- 5 Dec 1934: Mussolini put troops on the Abyssinia border, making their army angry
- Jan 1935: Haille Selassie asked the League to mediate, they imposed limited moral sanctions only
- 3 Oct 1935: Mussolini invaded by using poison gas and attacking Red Cross hospitals.
- Dec 1935: Hoare-Laval Pact. league proposed to carve up Abyssinia and give Italy economic rights in southern Abyssinia
- May 1936: The capital Addis Ababa was captured and Haille Selassie was removed from HoS.
- Dec 1937: Italy leaves the LoN.
6
Q
How was the League’s credibility harmed?
A
This war suggested that the ideals of peace and collective security that were the foundations of the League were now abandoned.
7
Q
Failed Sanctions to Italy?
A
- They failed to close the Suez Canal to Italian shipping and the navy.
- They imposed limited economic sanctions not including coal and oil. Mussolini said oil sanctions would have stopped the war effort.
8
Q
What was the Hoare-Laval Pact?
A
- Britain and France gave permission for Italy to invade
- Britain and France demonstrated their self-interest and lack of trust in the league.
- They were the two dominant countries yet they were anxious about the League’s ability to handle Mussolini and the power imbalance in Europe
9
Q
Italy leaving the LoN?
A
The league demonstrated their inability to manage aggressors yet again.
10
Q
When was the Hoare-Laval Pact?
A
Dec 1935
