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19th October 1935: League of Nations imposes sanctions on Italy for the invasion of Abyssinia
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19th October 1935: League of Nations imposes sanctions on Italy for the invasion of Abyssinia

The League of Nations and the Italian Invasion of Abyssinia

Background of the Invasion

  • The Italian invasion of Abyssinia began on October 3, 1935, without a formal declaration of war. This was rooted in a territorial dispute over the Walwal oasis between Italy and Ethiopia.
  • The League of Nations quickly identified Italy as the aggressor following the decisive invasion by Italian troops from Eritrea. This led to a vote for sanctions just four days later.

Sanctions Imposed by the League

  • Initial sanctions imposed by the League were limited and ineffective, failing to restrict oil sales or access to critical transport routes like the Suez Canal used by Italy for military logistics.
  • Despite acting faster than during previous crises (e.g., Manchurian crisis), these sanctions proved virtually worthless in curbing Italy's aggression.

Political Context and Reactions

  • Britain and France were hesitant to punish Italy due to concerns about Hitler's rise in Germany; they feared that harsh actions might push Mussolini into an alliance with Nazi Germany.
  • A secret plan known as the "Vowel Plan" was considered, which would have ceded large parts of Abyssinia to Italy but was abandoned after public backlash against its revelation.

Continued Aggression and Outcome

  • Even after evidence emerged that Mussolini was using chemical weapons against Ethiopian forces, the League failed to impose stricter sanctions or take significant action against Italy.
  • The situation escalated further when Abyssinia fell under Italian control on May 5, 1936, leading to all sanctions being lifted shortly thereafter. This marked a significant failure for the League of Nations in maintaining peace and order in international relations.
Video description

The Italian invasion began without a declaration of war on 3 October 1935, although the two nations had previously been embroiled in a territorial dispute over the Walwal oasis throughout which both countries had acted aggressively. However, the decisive invasion of Ethiopia by Italian troops stationed in nearby Eritrea saw the League of Nations declare Mussolini’s country the aggressor four days later. The League imposed limited sanctions which failed to restrict oil sales to Italy and access to the Suez Canal, which was used by Italy to transport troops, equipment and supplies. Therefore, although the speed at which the League acted was considerably quicker than during the Manchuria Crisis in which the League took a year to respond, the sanctions themselves were virtually worthless. Concerned about the rise of Hitler in Germany and the increasing danger of a European conflict, Britain and France were reluctant to punish Italy in case they were driven to ally with the Nazi dictator. They even began to formulate the secret Hoare-Laval Plan that would have granted large parts of Abyssinia to Italy, but were forced to cancel this when details became public and were met with popular opposition. Even after it became evident that Mussolini was using chemical weapons against Abyssinia, the League continued in its failure to impose stringent sanctions. Hitler’s remilitarisation of the Rhineland in March 1936 had made France desperate to keep Mussolini as an ally. When Abyssinia was finally captured on 5 May, all the sanctions were dropped.