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Battle of Adowa
Part of the First Italo-Abyssinian War
Date: March 1, 1896 Location: Adowa, Ethiopia Result: Ethiopian victory; end of First Italo-Abyssinian war Casus belli: {{{casus}}} Territory changes: {{{territory}}}
Combatants
Ethiopia	Kingdom of Italy
Commanders
Ras Makonnen	Oreste Baratieri
Strength
about 120,000; artillery, machine guns, cavalry; 20,000 were armed only with spears	14,527 men, 56 guns
Casualties
10,000	5,900

The Battle of Adowa (also known as Adwa or sometimes by the Italian name Adua) was fought on March 1, 1896 between Ethiopia and Italy near the town of Adowa, Ethiopia in Tigray. It was the climactic battle of the First Italo-Abyssinian War.

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, landlocked kingdom of Ethiopia, bordering 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 First Italo-Abyssinian War, with the two armies at a standoff in Tigray.

By late February, 1896, supplies on both sides were running dangerously low. Succumbing to pressure from the Italian government, General Oreste Baratieri made the first move on the night of February 29. He did not calculate the rough terrain, however, and his army was divided into small pockets of troops without contact with each other. This was observed by the Ethiopian commander Ras Makonnen (father of Emperor Haile Selassie), who ordered his troops to attack. By morning, troops belonging to Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytu Betul joined the forays.

The Italians were heavily outnumbered by the Ethiopians by 14,527 to as much as 120,000, and the Italian army was encircled and routed. Further casualties ensued during heavy skirmishing as the Italians retreated to their bases. The Italians took 5,900 casualties, while the Ethiopians had about 10,000.

As a direct result of the battle, Italy signed the Treaty of Addis Ababa, recognizing Ethiopia as independent state. Responsibility for the fiasco fell on Baratieri, and he was relieved of his command. The humiliation remained with Italy for almost forty years, until 1935, when the Second Italo-Abyssinian War started the short-lived Italian rule over Ethiopia.

The defeat of a colonial power and ensuing recognition of African sovereignty would be rallying points for later African nationalists during the struggle for decolonization.

Bibliography

• David Levering Lewis, "Pawns of Pawns: Ethiopia and the Mahdiyya" in The Race for Fashoda. New York: Weidenfield and Nicholson, 1987. ISBN 1555840582
• Chris Prouty, "War with Italy: Amba Alage, Meqellle, Adwa" in Empress Taytu and Menelik II: Ethiopia 1883-1910. Trenton: The Red Sea Press, 1986. ISBN 0932415113

See also

• Second Italo-Abyssinian War

External link

• Historynet: Ethiopia's Decisive Victory at Adowa

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