Italy invades Ethiopia, defying the League of Nations

The pact between Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin suspended the civil disobedience campaign and released many political prisoners in exchange for Congress participation in a London conference. It...

Japanese troops used an explosion on the South Manchuria Railway as a pretext to seize Mukden and occupy Manchuria. China appealed to the League of Nations, exposing the weakness of collective...

Japanese authorities proclaimed Manchukuo after occupying Manchuria and installing Puyi as its head of state. The new regime presented itself as independent, but depended on Japanese military and...

The League of Nations admitted Iraq as a member, formally ending Britain’s mandate. Independence followed years of revolt and negotiation, but British military rights, treaty obligations, and...

After the League rejected Japan’s claim to Manchuria, Tokyo notified the League that it would withdraw. The notice came two years after the invasion and signaled the limits of an institution unable or...

After clashes and killings, Palestinian national committees called a general strike demanding an end to Jewish immigration and land transfers and the creation of a national government. The strike...

Emperor Haile Selassie addressed the League of Nations after Italy’s invasion and occupation of much of Ethiopia. He warned that abandoning collective security would place every small state at risk....

The military uprising began in Spanish Morocco and spread to mainland Spain. Franco’s Army of Africa, including Moroccan troops recruited under colonial rule, became central to the Nationalist...

Japanese forces captured Nanjing after the city’s defense collapsed. For weeks, soldiers killed civilians and prisoners, committed mass sexual violence, and looted homes and institutions. Chinese...

The constitution of Ireland came into force, replacing the Free State framework and reducing the formal role of the British Crown. It followed a decade of political struggle to unwind provisions of...