Italy's fascist dictator Benito Mussolini sought to build a new empire, in an attempt to restore the power of the ancient Roman empire. The invasion of Ethiopia in 1936 was central to this ambition. Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie appealed to the League of Nations. While the majority of the league recognized Italy’s occupation, China, New Zealand, the Soviet Union, Spain, Mexico and the United States did not. In 1941, with help from the British forces, Ethiopia was liberated from Italian rule, paving the way for the country to join the UN after the war.