The Civilizing Mission; A History of the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935-1936
New York: The Dial Press, Inc., 1968. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. xix, [1], 383, [1] pages. Endpaper maps. Illustrations. Maps. Chronology. Appendices. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Some soiling to fore-edge. Small tears to DJ edges and small pieces missing. A. J. Barker was a colonel in the British army and graduated from the Royal Military College at Shrivenham. He saw action in World War II in Somaliland, Abyssinia and Burma, the Middle East and Malaya. He retired in 1958 and was the author of several military history books. Derived from a Kirkus review: Il Duce's "notorious war" against Ethiopia clearly exposed world opinion as an illusory deterrent to aggression. He mounted his invasion in the face of formal sanctions by the League of Nations and their somewhat meager implementation by the big Western powers. The result: weakening of the League, a step toward World War II, and a clear victory for Italy. As Barker, one of the best of contemporary historians, ably shows here, diplomatic considerations were probably more important than military ones for Italy--as is always the ease in a David and Goliath war. Barker's book, which is readable, coherent, engrossing, delves equally into the politico-diplomatic machinations and the military campaign. He makes large claims for the importance of his subject: that this war wrecked the League. On the whole, a perceptive account of an incident, particularly important in his view as a foreunner of the contemporary wars of aggression. Condition: Good / Fair.
Keywords: Italy, Ethiopia, Italo-Ethiopian War, Haile Selassie, Benito Mussolini, League of Nations, Italian-Ethiopian War, Badoglio, Pierre Leval, Geneva Conference, Walwal
[Book #11055]
Price: $100.00