LEAGUE OF NATIONS: THE ABYSSINIAN CRISIS. Some historians believe that the Abyssinian crisis destroyed the credibility of the League of Nations. It was the British and French foreign ministers, Hoare and Laval, who secretly planned to carve up Abyssinia and give a chunk of the country to Mussolini. Hoare and Laval lost their jobs because of this idea.

1. CONTENT
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
ABYSSINIAN CRISIS
1935-1936
7

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.