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Abyssinian War
Abyssinian War (1935–6) The conquest of Ethiopia (formerly Abyssinia) by Italian forces was born out of Mussolini's desire to strengthen his domestic position through the establishment of an Italian East African Empire. Furthermore, he wanted to avenge Italy for its previous humiliating defeat by the Ethiopian forces at Adowa in 1896 during an earlier attempt to occupy the area. Following a border clash at the Abyssinian oasis of Walwal, Mussolini rejected all attempts by the League of Nations to mediate, and invaded Abyssinia on 2 October 1935. Some six months later, the ill-equipped Ethiopian army succumbed to the Italian use of airforce, tanks, and poison gas, and on 5 May 1936 Badoglio captured the capital, Addis Ababa. The Italian aggression caused international outrage, but the inability of the League of Nations to agree to more than limited sanctions against Italy demonstrated the essential ineffectiveness of the League as well as the concept of appeasement. On the other hand, the war exposed some serious deficiencies in the Italian army, which were largely ignored by Mussolini and others who were deluded by the fact of the victory.
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JAN PALMOWSKI. "Abyssinian War." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAN PALMOWSKI. "Abyssinian War." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-AbyssinianWar.html JAN PALMOWSKI. "Abyssinian War." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-AbyssinianWar.html |
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Abyssinian War
Abyssinian War, 1935–6. Conflict between Abyssinia and Italy. Mussolini used a border incident on 5 December 1934 at Walwal, on the Eritrean and Somali frontier, as a pretext for pursuing his aim of imperial expansion in north Africa. The Italians invaded Abyssinia on 3 October 1935 without declaring war and captured the capital Addis Ababa on 5 May 1936. The League of Nations branded Italy the aggressor and imposed limited sanctions but to no avail. In 1941 the British evicted the Italians with the aid of Abyssinian nationalists.
Richard A. Smith |
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Abyssinian War." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Abyssinian War." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-AbyssinianWar.html JOHN CANNON. "Abyssinian War." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-AbyssinianWar.html |
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Abyssinian War
Abyssinian War, 1935–6. Conflict between Abyssinia and Italy. Mussolini used a border incident in December 1934 at Walwal as a pretext for pursuing his aim of imperial expansion in north Africa. The Italians invaded Abyssinia on 3 October 1935 and captured the capital Addis Ababa on 5 May 1936. The League of Nations branded Italy the aggressor and imposed limited sanctions to no avail.
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Abyssinian War." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Abyssinian War." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-AbyssinianWar.html JOHN CANNON. "Abyssinian War." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-AbyssinianWar.html |
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