League of Nations Failures: Disarmament and Abyssinia Crises

Disarmament Failure in the 1930s

Germany was forced to disarm after World War I, while other nations had not done the same. Countries were spending more on armaments than before.

The 1932 Disarmament Conference

In 1932, the disarmament conference produced resolutions to:

• Prohibit bombing of civilian populations.
• Limit the size of artillery.
• Limit the tonnage of tanks.
• Prohibit chemical warfare.

Germany, having been a member of the League for six years, argued they should be treated more equally than under the Treaty of Versailles. The central question was: Should everyone disarm, or should the Germans be allowed to rearm?

The conference failed to agree on the principle of equality. Britain later sent a note agreeing to equality, and an agreement was reached in principle to treat Germany equally. However, when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, he promised not to rearm, while secretly rearming Germany. Britain subsequently produced a disarmament plan.

Conference Failure Summary

Ultimately, no one was very serious about disarmament.

Conflict in Abyssinia

Similarities with Japan

Italy was a leading member of the League, yet it sought to enlarge its empire by invading Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

Differences with Japan

Unlike Japan, Italy was geographically on the doorstep of Europe and bordered many countries, making it less inaccessible.

In 1896, Italian troops had tried to invade Abyssinia but were defeated by a poorly equipped army of tribesmen. Mussolini wanted revenge for this humiliating defeat; he sought glory and conquest.

The Road to War (1934)

In 1934, an incident occurred involving Italians and Ethiopians. Mussolini claimed that Wal-Wal, located 80 km from the border, was Italian territory and demanded an apology. He began preparing an army for the invasion of Abyssinia. Haile Selassie, the Abyssinian Emperor, appealed to the League for help.

Phase 1: Deception and Diplomacy

Mussolini was supposedly “negotiating with the League to settle the dispute.” Simultaneously, however, he was shipping his vast army to Africa and whipping up war sentiment among the Italian people, preparing for a full-scale invasion.

Italy signed the Stresa Pact, which formalized a protest against German rearmament and committed the signatories to stand united against Germany. Despite this, a public outcry in Britain against Italy’s behavior showed that a majority of the British people supported the use of military force to defend Abyssinia if necessary. The League put forward a plan that would have given Mussolini some of Abyssinia, but he rejected it.

British and French Failure

Britain and France failed to take the situation seriously. They were desperate to maintain good relations with Mussolini, who seemed to be their strongest potential ally against Hitler.