Transcript Aims of the Treaty of Versailles

Failure of the League
The crisis over Abyssinia
1935 - 37
Background to events
Abyssinia : An independent country ruled
by Haile Selassie, was the only independent
black country in Africa.
 In 1896 its army had defeated an Italian
invasion.
 Black people in America and the West
Indies began to look to independent
Abyssinia as a symbol of hope for
liberation
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Background to events
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Mussolini : Fascist dictator of Italy, was determined to build
an Empire.
He also wanted revenge for Italy’s embarrassing defeat of
1896.
‘My objective is simple.
I want to make Italy great respected and
feared’
He also wanted to relieve the pressure on himself due to the
economic problems in Italy
A further colonial acquisition as well as revenge would
enhance Mussolini’s standing
Abyssinia seemed the perfect, easiest coup for the new
Italian dictator. Italy already occupied Eritrea, north of
Abyssinia
Why Abyssinia?
Abyssinia could also be a useful market for
Italian goods and a place to settle Italy’s
surplus population
 For glory in the opinion of Mussolini you
were ‘better to live as a lion than a
lifetime as a sheep’
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Further failings of the League
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A secret plan to avoid war was drawn up by
the British and French foreign ministers,
Hoare and Laval, in December 1935.
Hoare-Laval Plan proposed Large parts of Abyssinia to be given to Italy
in return for Italian an withdrawal.
The plan becomes public knowledge and there
is a public outcry- plan abandoned
May 1936 Italian conquest complete, they
continue with plan and achieve their mission.
A British cartoon of 1935 shows international politics and the
League of Nations being like a stage musical. Britain and
France, the two main nations sing:
‘We don’t want you to fight, but by jingo if you do, We will
probably issue a joint memorandum Suggesting a mild
disapproval of you.’
The League: actions and
results
No impact Italy complete conquest. Hitler
noted weakness of the League and
remilitarize the Rhineland (March 1936)
 June 1936 - Haile Selassie addressed
Assembly of League calling for help
 March 1936 - Oil embargo threatened but
never enforced.
 No additional action by League
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The League: actions and
results
July 1936 - sanctions against Italy
abandoned
 Italy - Kept Abyssinia
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Became allied with Germany
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Left the Stresa Front
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Left the League (1937)
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Why did the League Fail?
Britain and France wanted to keep Mussolini in the
Stresa Front to contain the threat posed by Hitler.
 One dictator was enough to contend with.
 The Hoare-Laval Plan discredited and weakened the
League.
 Britain and France were unwilling to take a lead, they
feared Italian action against their interests in the
area as they both had colonies in Africa
 An African war would be unthinkable for both.
 Appeasement seemed the best policy
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Long Term Results
Countries lost faith in the League
 Countries started to form secret alliances
 Countries started to rearm.
 Collective security was a distant dream.
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Impact on the idea of “collective
security”
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The League of Nations was founded on the understanding of
“collective security” would bring everlasting peace.
That countries would be punished for breaking the terms set by
the league.
This incident, which went unpunished, despite sanctions being
threatened, highlighted the weaknesses within the League’s set
up and soon had countries losing faith in the League and
withdrawing from it.
The League died in 1935. One day it was a powerful body imposing sanctions, the next day it
was a useless fraud, everybody running away from it as quickly as possible. Hitler watched.
AJP Taylor (1966)