league of nations 1930s

Abyssinian crisis

(Failure in 1930s) 1935-6; Italy invaded Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 1935 following the Wal-Wal Incident and successfully occupied it

Addis Ababa

Capital of Abyssinia; occupied by Italian forces in May 1936

Disarmament Conference

(Failure in 1930s) 1932-4; conference held in Geneva to reduce global arms; failed due to fears of individual countries and reluctance to trust one another; neither Britain nor USA was willing to give guarantees; Hitler made clear intention to rearm and left conference in 1933

Economic depression

Period of economic decline experienced by countries in the early 1930s; led to both isolationism and militarism

Hoare-Laval Pact

December 1935; agreement made secretly between Britain, France and Italy during the Abyssinian Crisis to give Italy two-thirds of Abyssinia in return for stopping the war; press found out and Hoare was forced to resign as British foreign secretary

Lytton Report

September 1932; report published by the League following Lord Lytton's investigation into the Japanese invasion of Manchuria; it condemned Japanese actions and claimed the invasion was unlawful

Manchukuo

Name given to Manchuria by the Japanese following their occupation of the territory in September 1931; the Japanese installed ex-Chinese Emperor Pu-Yi as the puppet leader

Manchurian crisis

(Failure in 1930s) 1931-3; Japan invaded Chinese Manchuria in 1931 following the Mukden Incident and successfully occupied it, having renamed in Manchukuo and installed Pu-yi as the puppet leader

Mukden Incident

1931; suspected attack on the South Manchurian Railway that provided an excuse for the Japanese invasion of Manchuria

Benito Mussolini

Leader of Italy (1922-45)

Emperor Pu-yi

Ex-Chinese Emperor installed by Japan as the puppet leader of Manchukuo from 1934-45

Rome-Berlin Axis

1936; agreement signed between Hitler and Mussolini establishing positive relations between the countries

Hailie Selassie

Emperor of Abyssinia

South Manchurian Railway

Railway, controlled by Japan, that ran through Manchuria and the Korean peninsula; location of the Mukden Incident

Stresa Pact

April 1935; agreement signed between Britain, France, and Italy; each country confirmed it would uphold (i) the Versailles Settlement, (ii) the Locarno Treaties, and (iii) guarantee the independence of Austria

Suez Canal

Waterway that connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea; owned by Britain at the time of the Abyssinian Crisis; its closure would have had a significant impact on Italy's ability to move troops to Abyssinia, but Britain decided against doing this

Tariff

Tax on imports/exports; used to disincentivise trade with other countries

Wal-Wal incident

1934; incident on border between Abyssinia and Italian Somaliland; 30 Italians and 100 Abyssinians died; Mussolini demanded compensation, but later invaded