Early Acts of Appeasement
Failure of League of Nations
Japanese Occupation of Manchuria 1931
Italian Occupation of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) 1935
The End of the League of Nations
Germany Rearms - Militarizes the Rhineland
- USA - doesn't join
- Germany joins 1926 - pulls out 1933
- Lack of enforcement (only economic sanctions)
- Too closely linked with the Treaty of Versailles
- Nationalism too strong (big guys didn't want little guys to tell them what to do)
Japanese Occupation of Manchuria 1931
- Japan owns South Manchurian railway
- Military op in 1931 claiming Manchuria
- 1932 - League's Lytton commission decides Japan to leave
- Japan quits the league - invades northern China 1933
- League decides this conflict has no effect on Europe - ignores situation
- Two men in Europe take notice (Hitler & Mussolini)
Italian Occupation of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) 1935
- Italy had interestes in colony since 1895
- Mussolini wanted to expand his empire
- 1943 an incident is set up where Italians are killed
- Ethiopia appealed to the league
The End of the League of Nations
- League doesn't respond - Italy invades
- Economic sanctions threatened by Leauge
- Hoare-Laval plan gives most of Ethipoia to Italy if fighting stopped
- Plan undermines the league
- people lose interest - Mussolini completes conquest
- Signals end of the league (but still exists until 1945)
Germany Rearms - Militarizes the Rhineland
- 1935 Hitler introduces conscription in Germany
- France, Britain and Italy from the Stresa front to condemn Hitler's actions
- 1935 Mussolini signs naval agreement with Hitler
- March 1936 Hitler remilitarizes the Rhineland (breaks the Locarno Pact)
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Summary
The League of Nations lack of enforcement is revealed and the occupation of Manchuria and Ethiopia (Abyssinia at the time), began the early acts of appeasement. Appeasement only makes Hitler more aggressive. Germany begins to rearm forces, (breaking the Locarno Pact) and change begins to happen.
