ABSTRACT
In 1935–36, fascist Italy invaded and conquered Ethiopia which was one of only two independent states in Africa. Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, who had led the unsuccessful defense of his country, addressed the League of Nations, which had been established after World War I in order to prevent conflict but which did little to prevent Italian aggression. The very refinement of barbarism consisted in carrying ravage and terror into the most densely populated parts of the territory, the points farthest removed from the scene of hostilities. The object was to scatter fear and death over a great part of the Ethiopian territory. The Governments thought that the entry of Ethiopia into the League, whilst giving that country a new guarantee for the maintenance of her territorial integrity and independence, would help her to reach a higher level of civilization.
