A border incident between Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland that December gave Benito Mussolini an excuse to intervene. Rejecting all arbitration offers, the Italians invaded Ethiopia on October 3, 1935.
For expansion of territory and influence in Africa
Explanation:
Benito Mussolini believed the invasion of Ethiopia would be one step closer to his ambitions of recreating the Roman Empire. Ethiopia had not been colonized during the Scramble for Africa and Mussolini was keen to not leave them unchecked. The propaganda machines made Italian soldiers believe they were going against a barbaric nation fighting with spears and arrows. This was not the case and Italy actually had taken a sufficient amount of losses before the collapse of Ethiopia. Overall this land expansion allowed the Italians to gain more resources and influence in Africa.
