KS1 (Age 5-7)KS2 (Age 7-11)11 Plus (Age 7-11)KS3 (Age 11-14)GCSE (Age 14-17)PSHE A.I.ESL Spanish Specialist Games

Need help with World War One Aftermath: League Of Nations: 1930s - The Abyssinia Crisis Of 1935-1936? Ask our AI Tutor!

AI Tutor - Lucy

Connecting with Tutor...

Please wait while we establish connection

Hi! I'm Lucy, your AI tutor. How can I help you with World War One Aftermath: League Of Nations: 1930s - The Abyssinia Crisis Of 1935-1936 today?

now

Mussolini had hopes of resurrecting the ancient Roman Empire.

World War One Aftermath: League Of Nations: 1930s - The Abyssinia Crisis Of 1935-1936

Explore how the League of Nations reacted to Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia and why this crisis badly damaged hopes for collective security in the 1930s.

Explore the Topic →

(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Abyssinia’s emperor, Haile Selassie, appealed to the League of Nations for help. Both Italy and Abyssinia were League members, so this was a direct test of collective security.

In GCSE History, the Abyssinia Crisis shows how the League of Nations struggled in the 1930s. Mussolini’s Italy invaded Abyssinia, and the world watched to see whether collective security would work.

Key Terms

Abyssinia: An independent African country (modern Ethiopia) invaded by Italy in 1935, despite both states belonging to the League of Nations.
Sanctions: Economic or trade measures used to pressure a country, such as banning arms sales or certain exports, instead of using direct military force.
Collective security: The idea that League members would act together to resist aggression, so that an attack on one state was treated as an attack on all.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What was the Abyssinia Crisis in the 1930s?

The Abyssinia Crisis began when Mussolini’s Italy invaded Abyssinia in 1935. It became a major test for the League of Nations, which was supposed to prevent aggressive war between its members.

How did the League of Nations respond to Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia?

The League condemned Italy and introduced sanctions on some exports, such as arms and certain raw materials. However, vital goods like oil were not banned, and Britain kept the Suez Canal open.

Why did the Abyssinia Crisis weaken the League of Nations?

The crisis showed that powerful countries could ignore the League without serious punishment. Weak sanctions and divided leadership made the League look ineffective and encouraged other dictators to take risks.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Italy already had two colonies that bordered Abyssinia. Which one of the following African territories did Italy control?

Eritrea

The Sudan

Kenya

Uganda

This obvious advantage enabled Italy to assemble troops and supplies on the border, and to attack the victim from two sides

2 .

Mussolini was anxious to avenge the defeat of an Italian army in 1896 at the hands of an Abyssinian force. Where did this defeat take place?

Adowa

Asmara

Addis Ababa

Djibouti

In 1896 Italy was a newly unified state, and the defeat was a major humiliation for her - the more so as Abyssinia was backward and lacked the weaponry that the Italians enjoyed

3 .

The Abyssinian leader took refuge in another state until his land had been freed during the Second World War. Where did he go?

France

Canada

Britain

Switzerland

A period in exile kept hopes of liberation alive. Africa provided several theatres in the Second World War, and by 1943 Italian forces had been driven out of Abyssinia. Exiles could now return and re-establish themselves in their homeland

4 .

Italy complained about Abyssinian shepherds making use of an Italian oasis. Mussolini used this border incursion as an excuse to invade. What was the name of the oasis?

Quattara

Wal Wal

Fashoda

Massawa

Alleged infringements of poorly defined borders were often used as excuses for declarations of war. Abyssinian pastoralists were used to crossing into neighbouring Italian land to use oases, to which they felt that they had a right of access

5 .

Mussolini maintained that he was trying to re-establish an empire from the classical period. Which such empire was he attempting to revive?

The Carthaginian Empire

The Greek Empire

The Phoenician Empire

The Roman Empire

Mussolini was fond of classical images. He believed that something that had existed in the past could be resuscitated

6 .

Italian warships and transports used an international waterway to get access to the Red Sea, and thence to threaten Abyssinia. What was the name of this waterway?

The Gulf of Aqaba

The Straits of Tiran

The River Nile

The Suez Canal

The League of Nations could - in theory - have denied Italy the use of this waterway. If this had happened, it is unlikely that the attack on Abyssinia could have been successful

7 .

Which Abyssinian leader appealed personally in Geneva for assistance in the face of Italian aggression?

Haile Mariam

Haile Mengistu

Haile Selassie

Haile Gebreselassie

This dignified speech to the League's General assembly was greeted with derision by Italian journalists. The League was reminded by others of its obligations to deal effectively with naked aggression

8 .

The status of Abyssinia was unusual and only shared by one other area in Africa. What was this factor?

It was colonised by two European states

It was an independent state, not a colony

It was ruled according to the terms of a League of Nations mandate

It had been independent at one time, but by 1935 it was a colony

Almost all of Africa had been colonised in one way or another during the "Scramble for Africa" during the Nineteenth Century

9 .

What measures did the League of Nations take against Italy as a punishment for the invasion, and in the hope that it would accordingly fail?

No measures at all

Military sanctions

Economic sanctions with certain exceptions such as coal and iron ore

Unrestricted economic sanctions

In the middle of a worldwide economic recession it was difficult to expect member states to weaken their own economies through trade sanctions, or to embark on expensive and risky military action. However, the League now faced its second major test in the face of blatant bullying - the first had been the Japanese adventure in Manchuria

10 .

The foreign ministers of Britain and France concocted a plan to give two-thirds of Abyssinia to Italy, leaving a central core that included the capital and the railway to French Somaliland. They gave both their names to this device. What was it called?

The Sykes/Picot Agreement

The Daladier/Chamberlain Plan

The Hoare/Laval Plan

The Chamberlain/Briand Pact

Public opinion in both countries was outraged, as this plan seemed to reward unprovoked aggression.. Italy was not impressed either: they wanted all of Abyssinia

Author: Edward Towne