Abyssinia And Manchuria Flashcards
(19 cards)
Q: Who ruled Abyssinia at the time of the Italian invasion?
A: Emperor Haile Selassie.
Q: What event did Italy use as a pretext to invade Abyssinia?
A: A border skirmish at Walwal in December 1934.
Q: When did Italy launch its full-scale invasion of Abyssinia?
A: October 1935.
Q: What was Mussolini’s goal in invading Abyssinia?
A: To build a new Roman Empire, gain resources, and boost national pride
Q: How did the League of Nations respond to Italy’s invasion?
A: It condemned the aggression and imposed limited economic sanctions, but excluded vital resources like oil and allowed Italy access to the Suez Canal.
Q: What was the Hoare-Laval Pact?
A: A secret Anglo-French plan to give most of Abyssinia to Italy in exchange for peace.
Q: What happened to Haile Selassie after the invasion?
A: He fled into exile and addressed the League of Nations in June 1936, denouncing its failure.
Q: What was the long-term effect of the Abyssinian Crisis on the League?
A: It destroyed the credibility of the League and pushed Italy closer to Nazi Germany.
Q: When did Japan invade Manchuria?
A: 1931, following the Mukden Incident.
Q: What was the Mukden Incident?
A: A staged explosion on a Japanese railway, used by Japan as an excuse to invade Manchuria.
Q: How did the League of Nations respond to Japan’s actions?
A: It took over a year to investigate and then condemned Japan’s aggression.
Q: How did Japan react to the League’s condemnation?
A: It withdrew from the League in 1933 and continued its occupation of Manchuria.
Q: Why didn’t Britain and France act more forcefully against Japan?
A: Because of the Great Depression, fear of war, and limited interests in East Asia.
Q: What did the Manchurian Crisis reveal about the League of Nations?
A: That it was powerless to stop major powers from using force.
Q: What was the core principle of the League of Nations?
A: Collective security — the idea that all members would act together to prevent aggression.
Q: How did the Manchurian and Abyssinian crises challenge this principle?
A: In both cases, aggression went unpunished, proving that the League’s system did not work.
Q: Why was collective security difficult to enforce in the 1930s?
A: Due to the economic crisis, fear of another war, and national self-interest overriding international cooperation
Q: What was the effect of these failures on smaller nations?
A: They lost faith in the League, realising that they could not rely on it for protection.
Q: How did Hitler view the League after these crises?
A: As weak and ineffective, encouraging him to pursue aggressive foreign policy with little fear of reprisal.
