the abyssinian crisis

Question 1

Mussolini’s fascist italy

Answer 1

• became prime minister in 1922 after threatening to march on rome to seize power.
• changed the voting rules in 1924 and the fascists came to power
• from 1925 he made italy a dictatorship
• opposition to political parties was banned.
• the secret police was used against opponents

Question 2

what were the three main reasons for his invasion?

Answer 2

• italians wanted revenge: abyssinia had defeated them in 1896
• popularity: success would divert people’s attention from the depression, and make him more popular
• japan: succeeded in Manchuria, which gave him confidence.

Question 3

what happened?

Answer 3

• oct 1935 mussolini sent heavily armed troops into abyssinia
• the abyssinian leader asked the league for help
• they imposed economic sanctions but delayed banning oil exports because the USA might not support them.
• britain and france didn’t close the suez canal so supplies got through anyway.
• may 1936, Italy had conquered all of Abyssinia.

Question 4

Hoare-Laval pact

Answer 4

britain and france agreed to give abyssinia to mussolini secretly

this went directly against the league’s values and when it got out the public were outraged

Question 5

why was mussolini not punished?

Answer 5

members of the league didn’t want to go to war with italy, britain and france wanted to save their resources

Question 6

aftermath of abyssinian crisis

Answer 6

the league was falling apart with a ruined reputation

members didn’t want to unite against aggression