Mussolini

Mussolini got ready to invade Ethiopia; he wanted war and glory for his country. The invasion started in October of 1935. Even the Italian military forces were successful in the occupation of the territory the Abyssinians did not surrender. Both Italy and Ethiopia were members of the League of Nations, and the league was not able to prevent Italy from violating the rights of Ethiopia. After Abyssinia asked for help to the League, The League of Nations talked to Mussolini. However he ignored the institution and kept the invasion going. The major leaders of the League Britain and France wanted to keep Mussolini on their side, as a consequence, they were not willing to intervene over a small country and risk the peace of Europe. Moreover, they didn’t want a military sanction as they were still recovering from World War I. The league failed due to the lack of support from France and Britain. Furthermore the trade ban that was imposed by the league did not work. As oil petrol were not involved in the prohibition, Italy could continue with the invasion. In an attempt to control de situation, Hoare-Laval Pact was set up in 1935. In this pact it was agreed that Abyssinia would be split in two.

The League's involvement in this event was a disaster. It showed nations that its sanctions were not working and showed the weakness of the league. It also appeared that Britain and France were surrendering to Italy's aggressive actions, and after this event no one would take the League seriously again.

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