The Abyssinian Crisis (1935)

• Location: Abyssinia, modern-day Ethiopia, marked in red on a map.
• Context: In 1935, Abyssinia is the last African nation not colonized by European powers.
• Leadership: Ruled by an Obsidian king who aims to join the League of Nations for protection against European colonization.
• Goal of League of Nations: Promised to protect the sovereignty of member nations through peaceful means.

Italy's Interest in Abyssinia

• Italian Expansion: Italy, under Benito Mussolini, previously occupied Libya and parts of Somalia and seeks to expand by invading Abyssinia.
• Mussolini's Promises: He promises autarchy and the revival of the Roman Empire, necessitating expansion.
• British Concerns: Britain fears rising Italian power, especially in relation to Nazi Germany.
• Mussolini's Paranoia: Views Nazi Germany as a potential threat, leading to his aggressive foreign policy.

British Diplomacy and the League of Nations

• Backdoor Deal: Britain implicitly supports a partial Italian claim on Abyssinia to keep Mussolini aligned against Germany, betraying League of Nations principles.
• Mussolini's Rejection: Denies the partial occupation and invades Abyssinia entirely.
• Military Disparity: Abyssinian forces (muskets, spears) vastly outmatched by Italian troops (modern weapons, including mustard gas).

War Crimes in the Abyssinian Conflict

• Italian Tactics: Use of mustard gas against Abyssinians, leading to mass casualties and marking war crimes.
• Result: Italy successfully annexes Abyssinia, leading to Mussolini's cheers and heightened popularity in Italy.

League of Nations' Response

• Failure of Collective Security: The League fails to protect Abyssinia, illustrating its ineffectiveness.
• Economic Sanctions: Britain considers but does not enforce a significant oil embargo on Italy, prioritizing diplomatic relations over intervention.
• Decline of the League: This event marks a low point for the League, undermining its credibility.

The Pattern of Appeasement

• Appeasement Policy: Britain and France’s strategy to appease aggressive states like Italy and Germany, rather than confront them directly.
• Impact on Future Conflicts: Set a dangerous precedent allowing further aggression from totalitarian regimes.

Japan's Expansionism

• Background: Japan's imperial ambitions post-Russo-Japanese War, leading to invasions of Korea, Taiwan (Formosa), and later, China.
• The Co-Prosperity Sphere: Japan’s ideology of bringing liberty to Asian countries from Western imperialism while expanding their own empire.
• Reality of Occupation: In practice, Japan enslaves and brutalizes the populations in occupied territories.

Rape of Nanking

• Horrifying Acts: Japanese forces commit war crimes in Nanking, including mass executions and widespread sexual violence.
• Western Indifference: The lack of international response to these atrocities highlights the failure of global powers to intervene in defense of human rights.

Prelude to World War II

• Germany's Rearmament: Hitler begins militarization, defying the Treaty of Versailles while Western powers remain passive.
• Anschluss and Sudetenland: Hitler's annexation of Austria (Anschluss) and demand for Sudetenland, again met with appeasement instead of resistance.
• Munich Agreement: Western powers, particularly Britain under Neville Chamberlain, concede to Hitler's demands, believing it will ensure peace. This backfires as he invades the rest of Czechoslovakia soon after.

Invasion of Poland (1939)

• Start of World War II: Germany invades Poland on September 1, 1939, prompting Britain and France to declare war but take no immediate military action.
• Blitzkrieg Tactics: Employing rapid mobility and coordination of tanks and airpower, Germany conquers Poland quickly.
• Consequences: The fall of Poland amidst lack of support from Britain and France leads to a shift in focus for Germany towards Western Europe.

The Holocaust Begins

• Shift from Policies to Genocide: Mark the start of organized killings, targeting Jews and Poles following the invasion of Poland.
• ** Einsatzgruppen**: Mobile killing units responsible for mass shootings of civilians and the systematic murder of Jews.

Conclusion

• Appeasement's Legacy: The pattern of appeasement towards fascist powers leads to extensive violations of international norms and ultimately fails to prevent war.
• International Response: The lack of intervention by the League of Nations or Western democracies serves as a catalyst for both the expansion of totalitarian regimes and the onset of World War II.