The Battle of Adowa (also known as Adwa or sometimes by the Italian name Adua) was fought on 1 March 1896 between Ethiopia and Italy near the town of Adwa, Ethiopia, in Tigray. It was the climactic battle of the First Italo-Abyssinian War. The First Italian-Abyssinian War was one of the very few instances of successful armed African resistance to European colonialism in the 19th century. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... Year 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar). ... The landscape of Adwa Adwa (also spelled Adowa, Aduwa, or Adua) is a market town in northern Ethiopia, and best known as the community closest to the decisive Battle of Adowa fought in 1896. ... Italia redirects here. ... Ras Makonnen (May 8, 1852–March 21, 1906) was a General and the governor of Harar in Ethiopia, and the father to Tafari Makonnen, later known as the Emperor Haile Selassie. ... Oreste Baratieri (1841-1901) lead the Italian forces into the disasterous Battle of Adowa that ended the First Italo-Abyssinian War. ... The First Italian-Abyssinian War was one of the very few instances of successful armed African resistance to European colonialism in the 19th century. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... Year 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar). ... The landscape of Adwa Adwa (also spelled Adowa, Aduwa, or Adua) is a market town in northern Ethiopia, and best known as the community closest to the decisive Battle of Adowa fought in 1896. ... Map of Ethiopia highlighting the Tigray region. ... The First Italian-Abyssinian War was one of the very few instances of successful armed African resistance to European colonialism in the 19th century. ...

Background

As the twentieth century approached, Africa had been carved up between the various European powers, with the exception of the tiny republic of Liberia on the west coast of the continent and the ancient, newly landlocked kingdom of Ethiopia in the strategic Horn of Africa. Italy, a relative newcomer to the colonial scramble for Africa, having been left with only two impoverished territories on the Horn, Eritrea and Somalia, sought to increase its influence by conquering Ethiopia and creating a land bridge between its two territories. Italy and Ethiopia faced off in the First Italo-Abyssinian War, with the two armies at a standoff in Tigray. A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Nations of the Horn of Africa. ... Pith helmet of the Second French Empire. ... Cecil Rhodes: Cape-Cairo railway project. ...

The landscape of Adwa

By late February 1896, supplies on both sides were running low. General Oreste Baratieri, commander of the Italian forces, knew the Ethiopian forces had been living off the land, and once the supplies of the local peasants were exhausted, Menlik's army would begin to melt away. However, his government insisted that General Baratieri act, and he met with his brigadiers Matteo Albertone, Giuseppe Arimondi, Vittorio Dabormida, and Giuseppe Ellena on the evening of 29 February. His subordinates argued forcefully for an attack, with Dabormida exclaiming, "Italy would prefer the loss of two or three thousand men to a dishonorable retreat." Baratieri delayed making a decision for a few more hours, claiming that he needed to wait for some last-minute intelligence, but in the end announced that the attack would start the next morning at 9:00.^[2] Accordingly, his troops began their march to their starting positions shortly after midnight. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (900x420, 76 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Battle of Adowa Adwa User:JialiangGao Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (900x420, 76 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Battle of Adowa Adwa User:JialiangGao Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Oreste Baratieri (1841-1901) lead the Italian forces into the disasterous Battle of Adowa that ended the First Italo-Abyssinian War. ... February 29th, or bissextile day, is the 60th day of a leap year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 306 days remaining. ...

The battle

The Italian army comprised four brigades totalling 17,700 troops, with fifty-six artillery pieces.^[3] One brigade under General Albertone was made up of Italian officered askari (native infantry) recruited from Eritrea. The remaining three brigades were Italian units under Brigadiers Dabormida, Ellena and Arimondi. While these included elite Bersaglieri, Alpini and Cacciatori units, a large proportion of the troops were inexperienced conscripts recently drafted from metropoliton regiments in Italy into newly formed battalions for service in Africa (G.E.H. Berkley "The Campaign of Adowa and the rise of Menelik" Constable - London 1901). A drawing of an Askari by Wilhelm Kuhnert Askari is an Arabic, Persian and Swahili word meaning soldier (Arabic: ‎ ‘askarī). It was frequently used to describe indigenous troops in East Africa and the Middle East serving European colonial powers but also describes policemen and security guards. ... The Bersaglieri are a corps of the Italian army created by General Alessandro Lamarmora in 1836. ... The Alpini are a highly decorated elite infantry corps of the Italian Army. ...

As Chris Prouty describes:

They [the Italians] had inadequate maps, old model guns, poor communication equipment and inferior footgear for the rocky ground. (The newer Remingtons were not issued because Baratieri, under constraints to be economical, wanted to use up the old cartridges.) Morale was terrible as the veterans were homesick and the newcomers too inexperienced to have any espirit de corps. There was a shortage of mules and saddles.^[4]

Estimates for the Ethiopian forces under Menelik range from a low of 80,000 to a high of 150,000, outnumbering the Italians by an estimated five or six times.^[5] The forces were divided among Emperor Menelik, Empress Taytu, Ras Wale, Ras Mengesha Atikem, Ras Mengesha Yohannes and Ras Alula Engida, Ras Mikael of Wollo, Ras Makonnen, Fitawrari Gebeyyehu, and Negus Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam.^[6] In addition, the armies were followed by a similar number of traditional peasant followers who supplied the army, as had been done for centuries.^[7] Most of the army was composed of riflemen, a significant percentage of which were in Menelik's reserve; however, the army was also composed of a significant number of cavalry and firearm-less lancers.^[8] On the night of Feb 29 and the early morning of March 1, three Italian brigades advanced separately towards Adwa over narrow mountain tracks, while a fourth remained camped.^[9] David Levering Lewis states that the Italian battle plan Emperor Menelek II (August 17, 1844 – December 12, 1913), Conquering Lion of Judah, Elect of God, King of Kings of Ethiopia was negus negust (emperor) of Ethiopia from 1889 to his death. ... Taytu Betul (c. ... In molecular biology, Ras is the name of a protein, the gene that encodes it, and the family and superfamily of proteins to which it belongs. ... Wale, pronounced wah-lay, is a Washington, DC hip hop artist (born September 21, 1984)who has recently gained national attention for his innovative lyrics and mixture of hip hop and go-go music combined with a unique style, unparalleled swagger and fierce sneaker game. ... Mengesha Yohannes (1868 - 1906) was the natural son of Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia, Ras of Tigray, and as a claimant of the Imperial throne is often given the title of prince. ... Ras Makonnen (May 8, 1852–March 21, 1906) was a General and the governor of Harar in Ethiopia, and the father to Tafari Makonnen, later known as the Emperor Haile Selassie. ... Ethiopian aristocratic and religious titles used in Ethiopia until the end of the Monarchy in 1974. ... Negus can refer to two etymologically unrelated words: Negus, an Amharic word for vassal ruler or governor in the pre-1974 empire of Ethiopia (ንጉሥ nÉ™gus). ... February 29 is the 60th day of a leap year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 306 days remaining. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ...

called for three columns to march in parallel formation to the crests of three mountains -- Dabormida commanding on the right, Albertone on the left, and Arimondi in the center -- with a reserve under Ellena following behind Arimondi. The supporting crossfire each column could give the others made the ... soldiers as deadly as razored shears. Albertone's brigade was to set the pace for the others. He was to position himself on the summit known as Kidane Meret, which would give the Italians the high ground from which to meet the Ethiopians.^[10]

However, the three leading Italian brigades had become separated during their overnight march and at dawn were spread across several miles of very difficult terrain. Their sketchy maps caused General Albertone to mistake one mountain for Kidane Meret, and when a scout pointed out his mistake, Albertone advanced directly into Ras Alula's position.

Unknown to General Baratieri, Emperor Menelik knew his troops had exhausted the ability of the local peasants to support them and had planned to break camp the next day (2 March). The Emperor had risen early to begin prayers for divine guidance when spies from Ras Alula, his chief military advisor, brought him news that the Italians were advancing. The Emperor summoned the separate armies of his nobles and with the Empress Taytu beside him, ordered his forces forward. Negus Tekle Haymanot commanded the right wing, Ras Alula the left, and Rasses Makonnen and Mengesha the center, with Ras Mikael at the head of the Oromo cavalry; the Emperor and his consort remained with the reserve.^[11] The Ethiopian forces positioned themselves on the hills overlooking the Adowa valley, in perfect position to receive the Italians, who were exposed and vulnerable to crossfire.^[12] Mengesha Yohannes (1868 - 1906) was the natural son of Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia, Ras of Tigray, and as a claimant of the Imperial throne is often given the title of prince. ... For the language, see Oromo language. ...

Albertone's askari brigade was the first to encounter the onrush of Ethiopians at 6:00, near Kidane Meret, where the Ethiopians had managed to set up their mountain artillery. His heavily outnumbered askaris held their position for two hours until Albertone's capture, and under Ethiopian pressure the survivors sought refuge with Arimondi's brigade. Arimondi's brigade beat back the Ethiopians who repeatedly charged the Italian position for three hours with gradually fading strength until Menelik released his reserve of 25,000 Shewans and swamped the Italian defenders. Two companies of Bersaglieri who arrived at the same moment could not help and were annihilated. Shewa (also spelled Shoa) is a historical region of Ethiopia. ...

General Dabormida's Italian brigade had moved to support Albertone but was unable to reach him in time. Cut off from the remainder of the Italian army, Dabormida began a fighting retreat toward Italian positions. However, Dabormida inadvertently marched his command into a narrow valley where the Oromo cavalry slaughtered his brigade shouting Ebalgume! Ebalgume! ("Reap! Reap!"). General Dabormida's remains were never found, although his brother learned from an old woman living in the area that she had given water to a mortally wounded Italian officer, "a chief, a great man with spectacles and a watch, and golden stars".^[13]

The remaining two brigades under Baratieri himself were outflanked and destroyed piecemeal on the slopes of Mount Belah. By noon, the survivors of the Italian army were in full retreat and the battle was over.

Aftermath

The Italians suffered about 7,000 killed and 1,500 wounded in the battle and subsequent retreat back into Eritrea, with 3,000 taken prisoner, while Ethiopian losses have been estimated around 4,000-5,000, but with 8,000 wounded.^[14][15] In their flight to Eritrea, the Italians left behind all of their artillery and 11,000 rifles, as well as most of their transport.^[16] As Paul B. Henze notes, "Baratieri's army had been completely annihilated while Menelik's was intact as a fighting force and gained thousands of rifles and a great deal of equipment from the fleeing Italians."^[17] The 3,000 Italian prisoners, who included General Albertone, appear to have been treated as well as could be expected under difficult circumstances, though about 200 died of their wounds in captivity.^[18] However 800 captured askaris, regarded as traitors by the Ethiopians, had their right hands and left feet amputated. There does not appear to be any foundation for reports that some Italians were castrated and these may reflect confusion with the atrocious treatment of the askari prisoners.^[19]

Baratieri was relieved of his command and later charged with preparing an "inexcusable" plan of attack and for abandoning his troops in the field. He was acquitted on these charges but was described by the court martial judges as being "entirely unfitted" for his command. The Crispi government fell, and was replaced by a new administration with a policy of avoiding further colonial adventures. Francesco Crispi (October 4, 1819 – August 12, 1901) was a 19th century Italian politician. ...

One question much asked -- both then and long afterwards -- is why did Emperor Menelik fail to follow up his victory and drive the routed Italians out of their colony? Many answers have been offered. At the moment, Menelik claimed a shortage of cavalry horses to carry the fleeing soldiers with. Chris Proutky observes that "a failure of nerve on the part of Menelik has been alleged by both Italian and Ethiopian sources."^[20] Lewis believes that it "was his farsighted certainty that total annihilation of Baratieri and a sweep into Eritrea would force the Italian people to turn a bungled colonial war into a national crusade"^[21] that stayed his hand.

As a direct result of the battle, Italy signed the Treaty of Addis Ababa, recognizing Ethiopia as an independent state. The humiliation remained with Italy for almost forty years, until in 1936 a new campaign endorsed by Benito Mussolini utterly crushed the Ethiopian forces and gave Italy an opportunity for vengeance which proved a great success. Following the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, Italy commenced a short-lived occupation (1936-41) of Ethiopia, before eventually being driven out by British Empire forces, aided by Ethiopian patriots, during Britain's East African Campaign of World War II. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (July 29, 1883 – April 28, 1945) was the prime minister and dictator of Italy from 1922 until 1943, when he was overthrown. ... Combatants Italy Ethiopia Commanders Emilio De Bono Pietro Badoglio Rodolfo Graziani Haile Selassie Strength 130,000 Italian and Eritrean soldiers 350,000 (some ill-equipped) Casualties 8,000 250,000 (most of them civilians) The Second Italo–Abyssinian War lasted seven months in 1935–1936. ... The East African Campaign refers to the battles fought between British Empire and Commonwealth forces and Italy in Italian East Africa during World War II. This campaign is often seen as part of the North African Campaign. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military dead: 8,000,000 Civilian dead: 4,000,000 Total dead 12,000,000 World War II (abbreviated WWII), or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict...

Significance

"The confrontation between Italy and Ethiopia at Adwa was a fundamental turning point in Ethiopian history," writes Henze, who compares this victory to Japan's naval victory over Russia at Tsushima. "Though apparent to very few historians at the time, these defeats were the beginning of the decline of Europe as the center of world politics."^[22] Combatants Japan Russia Commanders Heihachiro Togo Zinovi Rozhdestvenski Nikolai Nebogatov Strength 4 battleships, 27 cruisers, in addition to destroyers and auxiliary vessels 8 battleships, 3 coastal battleships, 8 cruisers Casualties 117 dead, 583 injured, 3 torpedo boats sunk 4380 dead, 5917 injured 21 ships sunk, 7 captured, 6 disarmed The...

On a similar note, the Ethiopian historian Bahru Zewde observed that "few events in the modern period have brought Ethiopia to the attention of the world as has the victory at Adwa." However, Bahru Zewde puts his emphasis on other elements of this triumph: "The racial dimension was what lent Adwa particular significance. It was a victory of blacks over whites. Adwa thus anticipated by almost a decade the equally shattering experience to the whites of the Japanese victory over Russia in 1905."^[23]

This defeat of a colonial power and the ensuing recognition of African sovereignty became rallying points for later African nationalists during their struggle for decolonization.^{[citation needed]}

Notes and references

For the language, see Oromo language. ...

Films

• Adwa (1999). Directed by Haile Gerima.

Haile Gerima (* 1946) is an ethiopian filmmaker who came to the United States in 1968. ...

External links

• Historynet: Ethiopia's Decisive Victory at Adowa
• Adwa at the Internet Movie Database