how did the abyssinian crisis in 1935-1936 affect the league of nations?

8/18/2019 How did the Abyssinian Crisis in 1935-1936 affect the League of Nations?

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How did the Abyssinian Crisis in1935-1936 afect the League o

Nations? he Abyssinian crisis occurred during the !nterwar "eriod originating ro# the

$a%-$a% !ncident in 193& and going u" to the anne'ation o Abyssinia in 1936(

he crisis brought about the end o "eace in )uro"e and de*ned the two sides in

the beginning o the +econd $or%d $ar( !ta%y and )thio"ia which was co##on%y

,nown as Abyssinia then were both #e#bers o the League o Nations( !ta%y was

een a ounding #e#ber o the League( )thio"ia .oined in +e"te#ber /0 19/3(

he #oties o 2usso%ini the !ta%ian ictator rose ro# the eents o he

+cra#b%e or Arica in the "reious century beore the 4irst $or%d $ar( 2usso%ini

regarded hi#se% as a #odern day u%ius Caesar who wou%d restore the "ower

and the "restige o the o#an )#"ire to !ta%y( !n 1096 the !ta%ian troo"s had

atte#"ted to ta,e oer Abyssinia but had been deeated and hu#i%iated by

"oor%y e7ui""ed tribes#en( his was a #assie b%ow to !ta%y8s "ride( 2usso%ini

not on%y wanted reenge or this deeat but a%so wanted the riches that Abyssinia

had to ofer such as the erti%e %ands and #inera% wea%th( (historylearningsite)

According to the Coenant o the League aggression was orbidden a#ong the

#e#ber nations( n August 6 19/0 !ta%y and Hai%e +e%assie %eader o Abyssinia

signed the !ta%o-)thio"ian reaty o 4riendshi" whi%e an inasion was a%readybeing "%anned(

!n ece#ber 193& there was a dis"ute between !ta%ian and )thio"ian so%diers at

the $a%-$a% oasis- 0:,# inside Abyssinia( According to the !ta%ians the

)thio"ians attac,ed the +o#a%is with ri;e and #achine gun *re( +i#i%ar%y

according to the )thio"ians the !ta%ians attac,ed the# with the su""ort o two

tan,s and 3 aircrats( )entua%%y a""ro'i#ate%y 1:< )thio"ians and 5: !ta%ians

and +o#a%is were ,i%%ed( 2usso%ini too, adantage and c%ai#ed that the %and in

dis"ute be%onged to !ta%y( He wanted an a"o%ogy and started to "re"are the

!ta%ian ar#y or an inasion o Abyssinia( he e#"eror o the Abyssinia Hai%e

+e%assie had to no o"tion but to a""ea% to the League or aid( (Wikipedia)

$hi%e 2usso%ini was su""osed%y negotiating the #atter with the League he was

sending his ast ar#y to Arica and "re"aring the !ta%ian "eo"%e or war( He was

"%anning a u%% sca%e inasion o Abyssinia( =ritain and 4rance ai%ed to ta,e the

#atter serious%y and "%ayed or ti#e( hey needed to ,ee" good re%ations with

2usso%ini who see#ed to be their strongest a%%y against Hit%er( he +tresa >act

was signed in ear%y 1935 by =ritain 4rance and 2usso%ini which #ade a "rotest

against er#an rear#a#ent or#a% and "roed their co##it#ent to stand

united against er#any( At the #eeting to discuss this "act Abyssinia was not

een #entioned( +o#e historians be%iee that 2usso%ini be%ieed that =ritain and4rance wou%d ignore his doings in Abyssinia in return or agreeing to the "act( As


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ti#e "assed the "ub%ic started to react to !ta%y8s behaior( A ba%%ot was ta,en by

the League o Nations @nion in =ritain in 193&-1935( 2ost o the =ritish "eo"%e

su""orted the use o #i%itary orce to deend Abyssinia i re7uired( $ith the

autu#n e%ection co#ing soon the "o%iticians began to toughen u"8( he =ritish

Ho#e 2inister Hoare #ade a s"eech about the i#"ortance o co%%ectie

security encouraging the League8s #e#bers and a%% the s#a%%er nations(

A%though there was ta%,ing and negotiating there was no actua% action against

2usso%ini( Ater eight #onths on & th +e"te#ber a co##ittee re"orted to the

League that neither country cou%d be he%d res"onsib%e or the $a%wa% !ncident(

2oreoer the League "ut orth a "%an that wou%d gie 2usso%ini "art o

Abyssinia( Howeer he re.ected it( (modernworldhistory, page 251)

!n ctober 1935 the !ta%ians inaded Abyssinia( he Abyssinians "ut u" a brae

resistance but they cou%d do %itt%e with their "re-$or%d $ar ne e7ui"#ent( he

!ta%ians were ar#ed with tan,s air"%anes ar#oured ehic%es and #ustard gas(

his was a straightorward situation o a %arger nation attac,ing a s#a%%er one( he situation was si#i%ar to the 2anchurian crisis( =oth !ta%y and a"an were

%eading #e#bers o the League( =oth wanted to e'"and their territories by

anne'ation( Howeer the League8s accessibi%ity to Abyssinia was the diference

in these crises( Abyssinia was on the League8s doorste"( !ta%y was a )uro"ean

"ower( @n%i,e the eents in 2anchuria the League cou%d not c%ai# that this

"rob%e# was too ar away to hand%e( According to the Coenant the League

cou%d i#"ose econo#ic sanctions on the attac,ing country in such situations(

Howeer they cou%d wor, on%y i they were i#"osed 7uic,%y and eBcient%y( he

League too, si' wee,s to i#"ose sanctions and they did not een inc%ude ita%

#ateria%s such as oi%( hree League #e#bers did not co#"%y with the sanctions(!ta%y cou%d easi%y coer the sanctions on te'ti%es and go%d but a sanction or oi%

wou%d hae actua%%y afected !ta%y8s war #achine( he argu#ent or de%aying the

sanctions on oi% was that !ta%y wou%d si#"%y get its oi% ro# a non-League nation

@+A( =ritain and 4rance has oeresti#ated the siDe o the !ta%ian nay and didn8t

want to "roo,e 2usso%ini into attac,ing the 2editerranean where the =ritish has

two %arge naa% bases ibra%tar and 2a%ta( !ta%y used the +ueD Cana% to su""%y

her ar#ies( C%osing the Cana% wou%d hae been efectie in contro%%ing the

situation but =ritain did not want to ris, war with !ta%y( )7ua%%y dangerous was

the behind-the-scenes dea%ing that was going on between the 4rench and =ritish

4oreign 2inisters( (historylearningsite)

!n ece#ber 1935 the =ritish 4oreign +ecretary +a#ue% Hoare and the 4rench

>ri#e 2inister >ierre Laa% #ade the Hoare-Laa% "%an( his handed two %arge

"ortions o Abyssinia to !ta%y whi%e a%%owing the Abyssinians to ,ee" a ga" in the

#idd%e o the country( he south o the country was resered or !ta%ian business(

!n return the !ta%ians wou%d hae to ca%% of the war( 2usso%ini acce"ted the "%an

but there was a huge outcry in =ritain( he "eo"%e be%ieed that the League had

been betrayed by a #e#ber o their own goern#ent( Laa% was a%so in a

treacherous "osition with the "%an being seen as an act o treason to the League(

Hoare was orced to resign and the "%an was abandoned( Laa% was sac,ed( =ut

the #o#entu# o the econo#ic sanctions was %ost and the ban on oi% sa%es wasurther de%ayed( he co##ittee *na%%y conc%uded in 4ebruary 1936 that the


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ita%ian8s oi% su""%y wou%d be e'hausted in two #onths i the oi% sanctions ca#e

into efect een with the @+ "roiding the# with oi%( =ut it was too %ate( 2usso%ini

had ta,en oer %arge "arts o Abyssinia( he a#ericans were disgusted by the

actions o =ritain and 4rance and o""osed the League by increasing the oi%

su""%y to !ta%y( (historylearningsite)

he ca"ita% Addis Ababa was ta,en in 2ay 1936 and Hai%e +e%assie was re"%aced

by the !ta%ian ,ing Eictor )##anue% on the throne( +o#a%i%and )ritrea and

Abyssinia were united under the na#e !ta%ian )ast Arica( he League had ai%ed

yet again and cou%d on%y watch he%"%ess%y( his crisis showed the wor%d that the

League8s sanctions were ha%-hearted een when enorced and that it was wi%%ing

to negotiate with aggressor nations to the e'tent o buc,%ing down to the#( he

biggest threat that e#erged ro# the crisis is that o !ta%ian su""ort o Hit%er(

!ta%y was grateu% or the beneo%ent neutra%ity towards its actions( !n return

2usso%ini to%d the er#ans that he wou%d not side with =ritain i er#any chose

to io%ate the Locarno reaty by entering the hine%and( =ritain and 4rance8sho"es o getting he%" ro# 2usso%ini against Hit%er were dashed when 2usso%ini

and Hit%er signed an agree#ent o their own ca%%ed the o#e- =er%in A'is( $or%d

>eace was c%ose to being tossed in the garbage( $ith war a""roaching again

ussia .oined er#any and !ta%y whi%e 4rance and reat =ritain were a%%ies once

#ore( (Martin Kitchen, Page 395, 39)

Works Cited

"Abyssinia." Abyssinia. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013.

how did the abyssinian crisis in 1935-1936 affect the league of nations?

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