Thoughts and Prayers vs. Tanks and Guns
What happens when aggression is met with appeasement?
January 10th, 1920. After the 20 million dead, 21 million wounded, and incalculable destruction of World War I, a consortium of 42 countries forms the League of Nations. Their founding purpose: “to develop cooperation among nations and to guarantee them peace and security.”
It doesn’t go well.
In 1931, Japanese troops use a “false-flag" attack as justification to invade Manchuria. The League of Nations commissions a report condemning Japan’s aggression, finding that it has wrongfully invaded Manchuria and demanding that it be returned to the Chinese. Unfortunately, the report isn’t released until Manchuria is firmly under Japanese control. Japan simply ignores the findings and withdraws from the League a few months later.
In 1935, two hundred thousand Italian soldiers attack Eritrea without justification or warning. The Ethiopian counteroffensive manages to slow their advance for a few weeks, but the Italians’ superior military strength (which includes heavy artillery, airstrikes, and, eventually, chemical weapons) eventually overwhelms their resistance. The League of Nations condemns Italy’s actions and imposes economic sanctions. Italy ignores both.
