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spidge · 17-09-2007, 04:19 AM

The Italian Invasion of Abyssinia

http://wheremydogs.at/articles/2007/...n-of-abyssinia

The true breakdown of international law and order1, and hence the credibility of the League of Nations came with the long-expected Italian invasion of Abyssinia2. The League of Nations reacted by issuing sanctions, but was unwilling to include the decisive sanction on oil (which would have forced Mussolini to retreat!) in fear of driving Mussolini into Hitler arms. Also, Hoare and Laval (the British and French prime ministers), formed the “Hoare-Laval Plan” which would have granted two-thirds of Abyssinia to Italy. The problem, however, was that the League of Nations was not informed, which resulted in a public outcry when it leaked through, especially in Britain, where Hoare was forced to resign.
The invasion of Abyssinia was perhaps the turning point in international relations before the Second World War. On a level of international and collective security it meant that

the League of Nations was finally totally discredited in her role as a peacekeeper and Hitler was given further evidence that Britain and France were unwilling to act
the recently created “Stresa Front”, and with it the attempt to collectively contain Hitler, was destroyed
showed Mussolini’s preparedness (as later Hitler) to use force in order to achieve foreign policy aims, and the reluctance of Britain and France to thwart an aggressor

In the aftermath of the invasion Mussolini felt increasingly isolated. Whether this feeling was justified or unfounded, Hitler scented the occasion and exploited Mussolini’s feeling of isolation to align Italy with his own plans. This would lead to the Rome-Berlin Axis and later the war-time alliance between Germany and Italy2.
Italy also consequently abandoned her resistance of German domination over Austria as she had done after the assasination of Dollfuss. The stage was set for a German annexation of Austria.
1 The walls of international law and order had already started crumbling after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria
1 October 1935
2 The Pact of Steel

17-09-2007, 04:19 AM	#5 (permalink)
spidge Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 3,319 You're Top Poster: #3 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 6	These are the steps that led to the outbreak of World War 2 The Italian Invasion of Abyssinia http://wheremydogs.at/articles/2007/...n-of-abyssinia The true breakdown of international law and order1, and hence the credibility of the League of Nations came with the long-expected Italian invasion of Abyssinia2. The League of Nations reacted by issuing sanctions, but was unwilling to include the decisive sanction on oil (which would have forced Mussolini to retreat!) in fear of driving Mussolini into Hitler arms. Also, Hoare and Laval (the British and French prime ministers), formed the “Hoare-Laval Plan” which would have granted two-thirds of Abyssinia to Italy. The problem, however, was that the League of Nations was not informed, which resulted in a public outcry when it leaked through, especially in Britain, where Hoare was forced to resign. The invasion of Abyssinia was perhaps the turning point in international relations before the Second World War. On a level of international and collective security it meant that the League of Nations was finally totally discredited in her role as a peacekeeper and Hitler was given further evidence that Britain and France were unwilling to act the recently created “Stresa Front”, and with it the attempt to collectively contain Hitler, was destroyed showed Mussolini’s preparedness (as later Hitler) to use force in order to achieve foreign policy aims, and the reluctance of Britain and France to thwart an aggressor In the aftermath of the invasion Mussolini felt increasingly isolated. Whether this feeling was justified or unfounded, Hitler scented the occasion and exploited Mussolini’s feeling of isolation to align Italy with his own plans. This would lead to the Rome-Berlin Axis and later the war-time alliance between Germany and Italy2. Italy also consequently abandoned her resistance of German domination over Austria as she had done after the assasination of Dollfuss. The stage was set for a German annexation of Austria. 1 The walls of international law and order had already started crumbling after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria 1 October 1935 2 The Pact of Steel __________________ Spidge, ------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." (Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.) What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site: http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm