Italian expansion: Abyssinia (1935-1936) Events
- We have already mentioned the Abyssinian crisis on several occasions.
- The events in Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia) during 1935-1936 marked a critical moment for both international diplomacy and Mussolini’s strategic direction.
- Italy’s military campaign in Ethiopia significantly altered the balance of its foreign relations, straining ties with Britain and France and gradually nudging Mussolini toward alignment with Nazi Germany.
- At the same time, the League of Nations suffered another major setback.
- After its earlier inability to act decisively in Manchuria, its failure to prevent aggression in Abyssinia severely damaged its credibility and influence on the world stage, perhaps to a point of no return.
What were Mussolini’s aims in invading Abyssinia?
- He wanted to grow his African Empire and take revenge for Italy having been defeated by Abyssinia in 1896.
- Abyssinia was part of Mussolini’s spazio vitale/ultra nationalist ideology: Italy had failed to get new colonies as a result of the 1919-1920 peace treaties.
- Part of Mussolini’s ideological project was also to restore the glory of the ancient Roman Empire, so getting part of North Africa felt as a natural step.
- Regardless of which was the main motivation for Mussolini going to Abyssinia, without a doubt he also did it because he could do it. In particular, he was confident that neither the League nor Britain or France would take action against him.
- He had helped Austria in 1934 to prevent Anschluss, which made him look good in the eyes of the League, Britain and France.
- In April 1935, he had signed the Stresa Front with Britain and France as a deterrence against Hitler.
- As you know, this was a collective security agreement that secured his good relations with Britain and France and in a way conditioned any action that Britain and France could take against Mussolini.
- There is a historiographical debate surrounding the reasons for Mussolini’s interest in Abyssinia.
- For Denis Mack Smith, the decision to invade Abyssinia in 1935 was largely driven by domestic economic pressures and a desire to divert attention from Italy’s internal problems.
- He emphasizes that Mussolini needed a victory to rally public support, provide a distraction from unemployment and stagnation, and offer opportunities for new markets and raw materials.
- More information on this domestic economic issue can be found in Paper 2 - Topic 10: Authoritarian States.
- AJP Taylor, on the other hand, highlights fascist ideology and imperial ambition as the core motives.
- He suggests Mussolini aimed to build a new Roman Empire, asserting Italian power through militarism and conquest, reflecting the fascist ideals of strength, nationalism, and expansion.
- Again, when you’re taking notes try to find evidence to support both points of view and establish which looks stronger to get to the upper band marks in your essays.
Abyssinia - The events
- Mussolini had been planning the invasion at least since 1932, but the opportunity presented itself in 1934 with the Wal Wal incident.
- The Wal Wal incident occurred at an oasis along the disputed border between Italian Somaliland and Ethiopia, where Italian colonial troops and Ethiopian forces had a small clash over territorial claims.
- This skirmish heightened tensions between the two nations and provided Italy with a pretext for its subsequent military aggression, which culminated in the invasion of Abyssinia in early October 1935.
- Before the invasion, the Emperor of Abyssinia, Haile Selassie, appealed several times to the League of Nations for help, but they did not take action until the war actually began.
- Against Mussolini’s prediction, the League did sanction Italy with economic penalties in October 1936. Mussolini completed the invasion in 1936 and Haile Selassie went into exile.
Haile Selassie
- Born in 1892 Haile Selassie was the Emperor of Ethiopia during the Abyssinian Crisis.
- Under his leadership, Abyssinia joined the League of Nations in 1923, seeking international legitimacy and protection against imperialist threats.
- After Italy’s 1935 invasion, Selassie went into exile and delivered a historic appeal to the League in 1936, becoming a global symbol of resistance to fascism.
- He gained spiritual significance in Jamaica, where the Rastafari movement hailed him as a messianic figure following his 1966 visit, which drew massive crowds and deepened his international legacy beyond politics.
- Bob Marley’s famous song, “War” takes its lyrics almost entirely from Haile Selassie’s 1963 speech to the United Nations, where he denounced racism and called for peace and equality.
