The League of Nations & the Abyssinian Crisis (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
How significant was the Abyssinian Crisis to the collapse of the League of Nations? - Timeline & Summary
The Abyssinian Crisis of 1935 began when Italy invaded Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) to expand its empire. Abyssinia appealed to the League of Nations for help. The League condemned Italy's invasion and imposed economic sanctions. However, these measures were weak and did not include vital resources like oil. As a result, the sanctions were ineffective and Italy continued its invasion.
The League's failure to effectively handle the Abyssinian Crisis demonstrated the weakness of Britain and France. The crisis showed that the two major powers within the League were more focused on their own interests. They would do anything to avoid conflict. They had no desire to uphold the League's principles of collective security and peace.
Moreover, the Abyssinian Crisis led to a loss of faith in the League's ability to maintain international peace and cooperation among member nations. As a result, the League's influence was greatly reduced. It failed to prevent further aggression and the outbreak of the Second World War.
Causes of the Abyssinian Crisis
Abyssinia was a country in the north-east of Africa
It is now called Ethiopia
British, French and Italian colonies surrounded Abyssinia
Despite this, Abyssinia maintained its independence
Exam Tip
In your revision, it is helpful to consider the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors behind certain events. ‘Push’ factors are events or motivations for someone to act. Mussolini did not want to rely on foreign goods. This ‘pushed’ Italy to invade Abyssinia to gain valuable raw materials. ‘Pull’ factors are benefits from performing an action. Abyssinia defeated Italy in 1896. This ‘pulled’ Italy to invade Abyssinia to get revenge and restore national pride. Considering the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors will help you to explain why Italy invaded Abyssinia and how this affected the League of Nations.
Events of the Abyssinian Crisis
Consequences of the Abyssinian Crisis
The Abyssinian Crisis highlighted the selfish interests of Britain and France
The Hoare-Laval Pact aimed to give Mussolini what he wanted to protect Britain and France’s imperial interests in East Africa
Britain and France avoided taking firm action against Italy
They did not close the Suez Canal
Italy continued to have sea access to Abyssinia
Britain and France had just signed the Stresa Front (1935) with Mussolini
The Stresa Front was an agreement against Nazi Germany
This alliance seemed more important to France and Britain than protecting Abyssinia
Britain and France failed to achieve a long-lasting alliance with Italy
In 1936, Italy and Germany formed the Rome-Berlin Axis
The incident reconfirmed how weak the League was without the USA
The USA sold oil to Italy
If the League placed oil sanctions on Italy, they feared that the USA would not support the League
As a result, Italy continued to have essential resources for war
Worked Example
How useful are sources B and C to an historian studying the Abyssinian Crisis?
[12 marks]
Source B: A cartoon by the British cartoonist David Low. It was published in the Evening Standard on 15th February 1935. |
Source C: From the diary of Ivan Maisky, the Soviet ambassador to Britain, November 1935. Hoare was in charge of British foreign policy until December 1935, when he resigned “Hoare told me that the Italian demands remain unacceptable to Abyssinia, as they do to the League and Britain. I briefed Hoare on our position. We have no quarrels with Italy. We have no interests in Africa. If we are taking a stand against Italy, it is only as a loyal member of the League, and because we want to teach a lesson to serve as a warning for any future aggressors. Italy is not a very serious aggressor, but there are more dangerous candidates in the world. Hoare assured me that the British position is exactly the same. Britain has no interest of its own in the conflict. It is guided purely by loyalty to the League. Hoare, like me, does not regard Italy as a terrifying aggressor” |
Partial answer:
Overall, the sources are more useful together because they demonstrate how Italy and the other members of the League were motivated by their own self-interests. This highlights the lack of desire of the League’s members to stand up to aggressive leaders who were also members of the League.
Exam Tip
The “How useful” question in AQA Conflict & Tension: The Inter-War Years, 1918–1939 requires a conclusion. The worked example above shows you how to structure this. Your conclusion should:
Include both of the sources
Address how the sources are more useful together
Be brief
To complete this answer, you should have two paragraphs, one on each source, explaining how useful the source is about the Abyssinian Crisis.
For further guidance on this question, you can read this revision note on how to answer the 12-mark “How Useful” question.
The League of Nations After 1936
After 1936, the League of Nations’ reputation was destroyed
It had no authority over international relations
It had no power or influence over aggressive countries
The world moved closer to a world war
Hitler began an aggressive campaign of land expansion in Europe
The events of Manchuria and Abyssinia showed that Hitler could do whatever he wanted without consequences
The League had success with its humanitarian commissions after 1936
Some historians use this to argue that the League of Nations was not a total failure
The Permanent Court of Justice and the International Labour Organization became part of the United Nations
The Health Commission became the World Health Organization
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