HISTORY IGCSE CONTENT - 20TH CENTURY OPTION - LEAGUE OF NATIONS: ABYSSINIA 1935-1936.

1. CONTENT
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
ABYSSINIAN CRISIS
1935-1936
5

2. ITALY WAS RULED BY FASCISTS
• Fascism is a system in which the interests of a country are
more important the interests of the individuals (citizens).
• It was a dictatorship, right-wing extreme ideology,
nationalistic. Mussolini was the father of fascism.
• Italy was controlled by Benito Mussolini and his Fascist Party.
• He was PM from 1922 after threating to take power by
Marching on Rome.
• He used his position to change some rules in the election
process and in 1924 the Fascists won the elections.
• In 1925 he started a dictatorship.
• Opposition parties were banned. He used Secret Police against
his opponents.

3. ITALY – WHICH SIDE?
• In the early 30’s, Italy was more on Britain and France side.
• He joined them at the Stresa Conference in 1935 to stand
against a possible German invasion of Austria (Anschluss).

4. INVADING ABYSSINIA - REASONS
• Italy had been defeated by Abyssinia in 1896 and the Italians
wanted revenge (Reason #1).
• Abyssinia was well positioned for Italy and they wanted a
colony in Africa (R#2).
• Mussolini had seen Japan get away with Manchurian
invasion, despite the LON threats (R#3).
• Mussolini dreamed of making Italy a great empire again (like
the Roman empire) (R#4).

5. WHAT HAPPENED?
• In October 1935, Mussolini sent troops
with heavy artillery (gun machines) and
tanks to invade.
• The Abyssinian leader Haile Sellasie
appealed to the League.
• The League imposed economic
sanctions but on the low level.
• Britain and France didn’t close the
Suez Canal to Italian ships, so supplies
got through despite the sanctions.
• By May 1936 Italy finished the job and
they conquered Abyssinia.

6. THE LON WAS INEFFECTIVE AGAIN
• The LON reputation was damaged beyond repair.
• Italy became more confident and started making pacts with
Hitler.
• Mussolini and Hitler agreed the Rome-Berlin Axis in 1936.
• In 1937 Italy joined Japan and Germany in the Anti-
Comintern (Communist Internationale) Pact, a pact designed
to defeat communism.
• Italy also attacked Albania in 1938, and signed the Pact of
Steel with Hitler in 1939.

7. WEAK AND INEFFECTIVE
• The League was too weak and ineffective.
• The failures to protect Manchuria and Abyssinia would have
dire consequences.
• The new alliance between Mussolini and Hitler gave Germany
the extra strength it needed to bounce back after the losses of
Versailles.