This lesson presentation covers 2 things: 1 - the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia, and 2 - how Mussolini took over Italy in the 1920s

1. Week 6:
The Invasion of
Abyssinia

3. This week
• We will cover two basic things:
– What was the impact of the Invasion of Abyssinia?
– Who was Mussolini, and how did he manage Italy?
• For a quick review up to this point,
– Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931, the LoN wrote
a report and did nothing, and Japan left the LoN
– Hitler took “emergency control” of Germany in
1933, and re-armed the military and withdrew
Germany from the LoN

4. I. What was the impact of the
Invasion of Abyssinia?

5. I. What was the impact of the
Invasion of Abyssinia?

6. I. What was the impact of the
Invasion of Abyssinia?

7. I. What was the impact of the
Invasion of Abyssinia?

10. I. What was the impact of the
Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?
• Mussolini’s motives for invading Abyssinia
– 1896 – Italy tried and failed to conquer Abyssinia
– Hitler was ready to expand already IN EUROPE
– STRESA FRONT – Britain and France were
depending on Italy for help against Hitler, so
Mussolini expected no resistance from
Britain/France to invade Abyssinia in return

11. I. What was the impact of the
Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?
• Weaknesses in the Stresa Front
– Britain was the first to “weaken” the alliance,
because Britain entered into a private agreement
with Hitler in 1935 to fix the ratio of German-to-
British warships (1 to 3)
– This agreement broke the Treaty of Versailles, and
Britain did not communicate with France or Italy
before signing the agreement with Germany
– Italy invaded Abyssinia (a League member state)
without consulting Britain or France, on October
3, 1935

12. I. What was the impact of the
Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?
• Response from the League Council
– First, there were trade
sanctions – but not on
petrol, so Italy
continued to advance
– The Suez Canal
(separating
Mediterranean Sea
from Red Sea) was
never closed to Italy by
the British

13. I. What was the impact of the
Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?
• Response from the League Council
– Hoare-Laval Pact – a
secret deal was
created by Britain and
France to give Italy ½
of Abyssinia if
Mussolini would stop
– When the British
public heard about the
plan, they were furious
and the plan collapsed

14. I. What was the impact of the
Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?
• Response from the League Council
– In March 1936, Britain
and France finally
banned sales of petrol
to Italy, but it was too
late
– May 1936 – Italy
conquered the capital
of Abyssinia, and all
resistance ended. Italy
had won

15. Look at Source D on page 55. Compare it to
the cartoon below. Does it make sense now?

16. 1. Impact of Abyssinia on the League of Nations
– Haillie Selassie’s famous speech in Geneva, June
1936
– The next major event in the world – the Spanish
Civil War – passed without the League even
offering an opinion as Italian and German planes
bombed Spanish cities like Guernica
I. What was the impact of the
Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?

17. Bombing of Guernica, April 26 1937

18. 2. Benefits of Abyssinia for Hitler
a. Opportunity – in 1936, Hitler quietly started sending
German troops and military equipment into the
Rhineland – a clear violation of the T. of Versailles
b. Lack of Resistance – the League of Nations was now
not going to stop Hitler if it could not stop Mussolini
c. Allies – instead of a Stresa Front, Italy signed a new
agreement with Germany in November 1936 – the
Rome-Berlin Axis. Japan, Italy and Germany signed an
anti-USSR agreement called the Anti-Comintern Pact
I. What was the impact of the
Invasion of Abyssinia, 1936?

21. II. Who was Mussolini, and how
did he manage Italy?
A. Italy’s challenges in the 1920s
1. Italy had been promised land in exchange for
fighting with Britain/France in WWI, but didn’t
receive all of it
2. Communism was rising in popularity
3. Most people did not think that the Italian
parliament (democracy) could protect Italy from
Communism

22. II. Who was Mussolini, and how
did he manage Italy?
B. The Fascist take-over
1. 1922 - Fascists (ex-military, extremely nationalistic
Italians) marched to Rome, Mussolini took control of
government
2. 1924 – Mussolini rigged elections, Fascists won
majority of seats in Italian Parliament
3. 1926 – all other political parties were made illegal
4. Posters appeared in Italy saying, “Mussolini is always
right!”
5. 1929 – Mussolini made a deal with the Catholic
Church to guarantee no interference

23. II. Who was Mussolini, and how
did he manage Italy?
C. Mussolini goes to war
1. 1936 – Italy invaded and conquered Abyssinia
– Italy formed alliance with Germany
(Rome – Berlin Axis)
2. 1940 – Italy declared war on France/Britain
3. 1943 – Italy was invaded by USA/Britain,
Mussolini was captured, then rescued by
German troops
4. 1945 – Mussolini was murdered by anti-Fascist
Italians