Not happy here--apparantly blogger did not publish my beastly post, so I apologize to everyone that was watching the clock. So here we go again:
During the time period after World War I, Italian expansion was increasing rapidly. Fascist Italy (under Mussolini) was continuing to evolve toward greater authoritarian controls, and therefore becoming more aggressive in its expansion. Both Italy and Nazi Germany were increasing their severity of expansion. In late 1935, Italy attacked Ethiopia, and consequently conquered the helpless nation. The League of Nations provided no resistance to Italy's actions: the league inposed only halfhearted and short-lived economic sanctions on Italy. Why was this? Was the league afraid that Italy woud instead turn on the imposing nations? Or did the league simply think that this issue would resolve itself? Either way, Mussolini was just getting started. The combined Fascist and Nazi efforts in Spain aided Franco in his efforts to win the civil war there. It was then that Hitler and Mussolini witnessed the inability of Great Britain and France to check their actions. Not long after, Italy continued on its path and annexed Albania. Italy was easily able to expand in these ways, aided by the reluctance of Great Britain, France, and the United States to take measures to check aggression. Was this what caused WWII? Had Italy's expansion been interferred with, what would have changed? Would the aggression have been crushed, and the world have returned to relative peace? Or would Italy and Germany have marched more quickly against new opposition from the League of Nations?
Again, I am sorry for the time delay. I tried to write a new post as fast as I possibly could.
