1935 Abyssinian Crisis

1935 Abyssinian Crisis

• League’s failure to intervene in Abyssinian Crisis served as example of its ineffectiveness in maintaining world peace and resolving conflicts.
• This incident convinced Hitler that League would not hinder his expansionist policy.

❖ Implications of the Abyssinian Crisis:

• Mussolini wanted to make Italy a great power; exact revenge for Italy’s defeat to Abyssinia in 1896; and exploit Abyssinia’s mineral wealth.
• League, however, had suffered many blows to its credibility by 1935, especially from its failure to intervene in the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931.
• Britain & France, however, remained allies with Italy at that time under the Stresa Front (agreement to reaffirm Locarno Treaties & declare continued independence of Austria).

• Measures taken by the League:

• Imposed ban on arms sales, loans and exports of rubber, tin and metals to Italy, while allowing arms to be sold to Abyssinia.
• Delayed ban on oil sale to Italy (not wanting to harm economic interests of League members).

• Measures taken by Britain and France:

• Did not close Suez Canal to Italian ships – Italy continued supplies to Abyssinia.
• Foreign ministers Hoare (British) & Laval (French) proposed secret plan to give Mussolini two-thirds of Abyssinia in return his stopping the invasion.
• France needed Italy’s support against Hitler, who was then remilitarising Rhineland.

League’s failure to impose meaningful sanctions marked its demise & led to the Italian takeover of Abyssinia in May 1936.
It also made Mussolini and Hitler even bolder in their ambitions; Mussolini would form the Rome-Berlin Axis with Hitler in the same year.