Samuel Hoare Biography and Timeline

Member of Parliament

Elected Member of Parliament

Role range: 1910-1940

Secretary of State for India

Appointed Secretary of State for India

Role range: 1931-1935 – 1931-1935

Of the Versailles Treaty

German-British Fleet agreement, the German fleet is set to 35% of the British, supports the revision of the Versailles Treaty and leads to some discomfort between France and Great Britain

Role range: 1935-1937 – 1935-1937

Treaty of Anglo-German Naval

German-British Fleet agreement, the German fleet is set to 35% of the British, supports the revision of the Versailles Treaty and leads to some discomfort between France and Great Britain

Role range: 1935-1937 – 1935-1935

Collective Security

Declares Britain will use collective resistance against aggression

Role range: 1935-1937 – 1935-1935

Collective Security

Declares Britain will use collective resistance against aggression

Role range: 1935-1935

Sanctions

Hood & Renown arrive in Gibraltar to impose sanctions & uphold collective security

Role range: 1935-1937 – 1935-1935

United Nations

Hood & Renown arrive in Gibraltar to impose sanctions & uphold collective security

Role range: 1935-1935

Sanctions

Britain supports League sanctions against Italy.

Role range: 1935-1935

Sanctions

The League of Nations votes by 50 nations to 1 to impose sanctions against Italy

Role range: 1935-1935

Foreign Secretary of Great Britain

Appointed Foreign Minister

Role range: 1935-1937 – 1935-1937

Alliance Samuel Hoare and Pierre Laval

Signed by Hoare & Laval, to settle dispute between Abyssinia & Italy. Large parts of Abyssinia are ceded to Italy, an outcry forces Hoare to resign

Role range: 1935-1937 – 1935-1935

Invasion of Abysinnia

Despite a British fleet in the Mediterranean & sanctions, Italy invades Abysinnia

Role range: 1935-1937 – 1935-1935

Abyssinian Crisis Exposes Divisions

Hoare's resignation illustrated the divisions between diplomatic compromise and the collective security policy supported by League advocates.

Anglo French Cooperation Faces Strain

Hoare encountered competing British and French priorities as both governments considered the Italian threat.

British Ministers Debate Sanctions

Hoare participated in cabinet debates about sanctions against Italy following its aggressive actions toward Ethiopia.

British Policy Balances Deterrence

Hoare tried to balance pressure on Italy with British concerns about a broader European confrontation.

British Public Rejects Proposal

Hoare faced strong domestic criticism when the proposed compromise appeared to undermine Ethiopian sovereignty.

Cabinet Considers Somaliland Access

Hoare discussed possible access to a Somali port as part of prospective Ethiopian territorial arrangements.

Cabinet Reviews Abyssinian Crisis

Samuel Hoare entered discussions about the escalating Ethiopian crisis while serving as British foreign secretary.

Cabinet Support Falters

Hoare lost political support as opposition to the proposed Ethiopian arrangement grew.

Collective Security Faces Test

Hoare's handling of the Italian Ethiopian confrontation became a test of Britain's declared support for collective security.

Ethiopian Independence Enters Negotiations

Hoare examined proposals intended to preserve some Ethiopian independence while accommodating Italian demands.

French Negotiations Intensify

Hoare continued discussions with French premier Pierre Laval over possible terms for settling the war.

Geneva Diplomacy Becomes Priority

Hoare treated League of Nations diplomacy as a principal arena for resolving the Abyssinian dispute.

Geneva Speech Supports Covenant

Hoare stated that Britain supported the League Covenant as the basis for international security arrangements.

Government Withdraws Peace Plan

Britain abandoned the Hoare Laval settlement proposal after public and political objections.

Hoare Addresses League Assembly

Hoare gave a major address to the League of Nations Assembly in Geneva in September, affirming British support for collective action.

Hoare Assesses Italian Expansion

Hoare weighed the danger that Italian expansion in Ethiopia posed to European diplomacy and collective security.

Hoare Becomes Foreign Secretary

Samuel Hoare became foreign secretary in June, assuming responsibility for Britain's diplomacy during the Abyssinian crisis.

Hoare Consults French Government

Hoare conducted diplomatic consultations with French leaders over a coordinated response to the Ethiopian crisis.

Hoare Coordinates London Position

Hoare sought to reconcile Britain's strategic interests with the principles it defended at Geneva.

Hoare Laval Negotiations Conclude

Hoare's December discussions with Laval produced the controversial draft arrangement subsequently called the Hoare Laval plan.

Hoare Resigns Foreign Office

Hoare resigned as foreign secretary in December following the collapse of the proposed settlement with Italy.

Hoare Weighs Territorial Compromise

Hoare raised the possibility of a territorial settlement in Ethiopia during British government deliberations.

Italian Invasion Deepens Crisis

Italy invaded Ethiopia in October, confronting Hoare with a direct challenge to League collective security.

League Condemns Italian Aggression

Hoare's government supported the League's response after Italy's attack on Ethiopia prompted international condemnation.

League Credibility Draws Criticism

The Hoare Laval controversy raised questions about whether major powers would uphold collective security principles.

League Delegates Examine Aggression

Hoare's delegation participated in League diplomacy amid growing concern about the possibility of an Italian invasion.

League Framework Shapes British Policy

Hoare pursued an approach to the crisis that publicly emphasized obligations under the League of Nations Covenant.