Week 7 - The Invasion of Abyssinia

Week 6:

The Invasion of Abyssinia

This week

• We will cover two basic things:– What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia?– Who was Mussolini, and how did he manage Italy?

• For a quick review up to this point,– Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931, the LoN wrote

a report and did nothing, and Japan left the LoN– Hitler took “emergency control” of Germany in

1933, and re-armed the military and withdrew Germany from the LoN

I. What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia?

I. What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia?

I. What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia?

I. What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia?

I. What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?

• Mussolini’s motives for invading Abyssinia– 1896 – Italy tried and failed to conquer Abyssinia– Hitler was ready to expand already IN EUROPE– STRESA FRONT – Britain and France were

depending on Italy for help against Hitler, so Mussolini expected no resistance from Britain/France to invade Abyssinia in return

I. What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?

• Weaknesses in the Stresa Front– Britain was the first to “weaken” the alliance,

because Britain entered into a private agreement with Hitler in 1935 to fix the ratio of German-to-British warships (1 to 3)

– This agreement broke the Treaty of Versailles, and Britain did not communicate with France or Italy before signing the agreement with Germany

– Italy invaded Abyssinia (a League member state) without consulting Britain or France, on October 3, 1935

I. What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?

• Response from the League Council– First, there were trade

sanctions – but not on petrol, so Italy continued to advance

– The Suez Canal (separating Mediterranean Sea from Red Sea) was never closed to Italy by the British

I. What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?

• Response from the League Council– Hoare-Laval Pact – a

secret deal was created by Britain and France to give Italy ½ of Abyssinia if Mussolini would stop

– When the British public heard about the plan, they were furious and the plan collapsed

I. What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?

• Response from the League Council– In March 1936, Britain

and France finally banned sales of petrol to Italy, but it was too late

– May 1936 – Italy conquered the capital of Abyssinia, and all resistance ended. Italy had won

Look at Source D on page 55. Compare it to the cartoon below. Does it make sense now?

1. Impact of Abyssinia on the League of Nations– Haillie Selassie’s famous speech in Geneva, June

1936– The next major event in the world – the Spanish

Civil War – passed without the League even offering an opinion as Italian and German planes bombed Spanish cities like Guernica

I. What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?

Bombing of Guernica, April 26 1937

2. Benefits of Abyssinia for Hitlera. Opportunity – in 1936, Hitler quietly started sending

German troops and military equipment into the Rhineland – a clear violation of the T. of Versailles

b. Lack of Resistance – the League of Nations was now not going to stop Hitler if it could not stop Mussolini

c. Allies – instead of a Stresa Front, Italy signed a new agreement with Germany in November 1936 – the Rome-Berlin Axis. Japan, Italy and Germany signed an anti-USSR agreement called the Anti-Comintern Pact

I. What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?

II. Who was Mussolini, and how did he manage Italy?

A. Italy’s challenges in the 1920s1. Italy had been promised land in exchange for

fighting with Britain/France in WWI, but didn’t receive all of it

2. Communism was rising in popularity3. Most people did not think that the Italian

parliament (democracy) could protect Italy from Communism

II. Who was Mussolini, and how did he manage Italy?

B. The Fascist take-over1. 1922 - Fascists (ex-military, extremely nationalistic

Italians) marched to Rome, Mussolini took control of government

2. 1924 – Mussolini rigged elections, Fascists won majority of seats in Italian Parliament

3. 1926 – all other political parties were made illegal4. Posters appeared in Italy saying, “Mussolini is always

right!”5. 1929 – Mussolini made a deal with the Catholic Church

to guarantee no interference

II. Who was Mussolini, and how did he manage Italy?

C. Mussolini goes to war1. 1936 – Italy invaded and conquered Abyssinia

– Italy formed alliance with Germany (Rome – Berlin Axis)

2. 1940 – Italy declared war on France/Britain3. 1943 – Italy was invaded by USA/Britain,

Mussolini was captured, then rescued by German troops

4. 1945 – Mussolini was murdered by anti-Fascist Italians