This document answers the source based question "The League of Nations did nothing against Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia.’ How far do Sources A to D support this view?"
Cambridge International AS/A Level – May/June 2015
Section C: International Option
The Search for International Peace and Se...
The League of Nations did nothing against Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia.’ How
far do Sources A to D support this view?
Cambridge International AS/A Level – May/June 2015
Section C: International Option
The Search for International Peace and Security, 1919–1945
Syllabus 9389
Paper 13
Q. B
Source A, a speech by the Italian dictator Mussolini given on 2 nd October 1935. Mussolini
was speaking shortly after the invasion and disagrees that the League of Nations did nothing
to help Abyssinia. He states that there is talk of sanctions against Italy as opposed to the
League recognising Italy’s rights to Invade. Furthermore, it can be suggested that Mussolini
was exaggerating the chances of the possibility of another war to gain support behind his
invasion of Abyssinia. Mussolini is also thought to make Italy look like the victim as he says
that they only got “a few crumbs” and that they were in the right to invade as they had
been defeated when they invaded in 1896. Abyssinia He goes further to state that he does
not believe that either France or Great Britain will agree on sanctions and risk putting
Europe back into a catastrophic conflict or war. Mussolini quotes, “an African country
universally branded as being without the slightest shadow of civilization.” This evidently
means that he feels that nobody will be willing to help the small African nation of Abyssinia.
He goes further to state that any economic or military sanctions placed on Italy will be met
by retaliation.
Source B, are the measures taken by the League of Nations after the invasion by Italy of
Abyssinia. They state that no arms, munitions or implements of war can be exported or re-
exported to Italy. This means the League did implement sanctions against Italy. Although
Italy was already well armed and such sanctions would do little to affect her power over the
small nation of Abyssinia. Much stronger sanctions could have been implemented. For
example, Britain could have blockaded the Suez Canal and prevented Italian troops invading
through her colony Egypt. Economic sanctions on the import of oil could have been more
affective. The weakness of the league was brought on by the fear of many European nations
mainly Great Britain and France of the conflict escalating into another world war.
Source C, a speech given to the League of Nations by the Emperor of Abyssinia, Haile
Selassie. He states strongly that the League did little or nothing to help his country from the
invasion by Italy. He believes that small states have the right to their independence and
should be protected through collective security led by a strong League. This was clearly not
the case in Abyssinia where the larger nations for their own interests turned a blind eye to
the invasion. Selassie is seen to almost beg for help with the knowledge that it will not be
given as a weak ‘unimportant’ African country is not worth risking a world war for.
Furthermore, it also implies that even though Britain and France believe that Abyssinia is
pointless he still believes that they will help as he has got no one else to rely on and is
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