The collapse of collective security: the reasons for and consequences of the failure of League of Nations in the Manchurian and Abyssinian Crises
The League of Nations was supposed to stop countries attacking each other. Its failure to punish Japan in 1931 and Italy in 1935 showed that collective security — nations acting together against aggressors — did not work in practice.
Real World
After Italy invaded Abyssinia in 1935, the League imposed oil sanctions but excluded oil — the one commodity that would have crippled Mussolini's war machine — because Britain feared a Mediterranean conflict.
Exam Focus
Distinguish between reasons for failure (structural weaknesses) and consequences (emboldening aggressors) to structure 'explain' and 'assess' answers clearly.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
How well did you know this?