Ethiopia (Abyssinia) is an ancient African state that arose in the XII century and at the time of the apogee of its greatness included a number of now existing states of East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. This is the only country in Africa that not only retained independence during the colonial expansion of European powers, but also managed to inflict a number of serious defeats on them. So, Ethiopia withstood the onslaught of Portugal, Egypt and Sudan, Great Britain, and at the end of the XIX century, and Italy.
First war
The reason for the First Italo-Ethiopian war of 1895-1896. It was the desire of Italy to establish a protectorate over this country. Negus of Ethiopia, Menelik II, realizing that the conflict could not be resolved through diplomacy, went to break the relations. The fighting of the 1st Italian-Ethiopian war began in March 1895, when the Italians occupied Addi Grath, by October they had already controlled the entire province of Tigre. However, in the winter of 1895-1896. in the fighting there was a turning point - on December 7, 1895, several infantry battalions of the enemy were destroyed by Ethiopian troops near the city of Amba Alagi, on January 21, 1896, the Italians surrendered Mekele fortress.
After the class, Mekele Menelik initiated peace negotiations, which were supposed to establish a border along the Marebu and Belese rivers, as well as conclude a more favorable union treaty. Negotiations were interrupted by the advance of General Baratieri’s corps on Adua - poorly organized, it suffered a crushing defeat. The Italians lost up to 11,000 people killed, over 3,500 wounded, all artillery and many other weapons and military equipment.
The success in the First Italo-Ethiopian War of 1895-1896, which we briefly discuss in the article, largely determined the successful diplomatic move of Negus Menelik - the establishment of friendly relations with the Russian Empire, which helped to modernize the armed forces of Ethiopia, which was due to political to stop the British expansion in the region, and religious imperatives - the state religion of Ethiopia is Orthodoxy. As a result, on October 26, 1896, an agreement was signed in the capital of the victorious country, according to which Italy recognized the independence of Ethiopia and paid indemnities to the winners - “tributaries of Menelik” became the subject of ridicule throughout Europe.
The background of the second war
The reason for the Second Italo-Ethiopian war of 1935-1936. in fact, the imperialist ambitions of Mussolini, who dreamed of a renaissance of the Roman Empire, became a result, as a result the fascist party not only preserved, but also theoretically developed the colonial program. Now Rome planned to expand its possessions in Africa from Libya to Cameroon, and Ethiopia was the first to be included in the new empire. The war with the last independent state of the black continent did not threaten the aggravation of relations with the European powers, in addition, the backward army of Ethiopia was not perceived as a serious adversary.
The occupation of Ethiopia made it possible to unite the Italian colonies in East Africa, forming an impressive bridgehead from which it was possible to threaten British and French sea, rail and air communications in the region, in addition, this allowed under favorable circumstances to begin expansion into the British north of the continent. It is also worth noting the economic importance of this country, which is potentially capable of becoming a market for Italian products, in addition, part of the Italian poor could be resettled here, one cannot but take into account the desire of the Italian political and military establishment to wash away the shame of the defeat of 1896.
Diplomatic preparations for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War
The foreign policy situation also evolved in favor of the Italian dictator's militaristic plans - although Great Britain could not welcome Italy’s strengthening in Africa, her government was already preparing to start a new global war. In order to create one more of its centers, Ethiopia could be “handed over” in order to receive political dividends in the future. As a result, the opposition of the British and French governments did not go beyond diplomatic declarations. This position was shared by the US government, which declared its neutrality and forbade the supply of arms to both sides - since Italy had its own military industry, the actions of the American Congress hit mainly Ethiopia. Mussolini’s German allies were also satisfied with his plans - they allowed to distract the world community from the planned Anschluss of Austria and the militarization of Germany, and also for some time ensured Italy’s non-participation in the pre-war division of the “European pie”.
The USSR became the only country that vigorously defended Ethiopia, however, the proposals of the People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs Litvinov to complete the blockade of the aggressor country in the League of Nations did not pass, it sanctioned only partial economic sanctions. They were not joined by the allies of Italy - Austria, Hungary, Germany, as well as the United States - it can be stated that the leading members of the League of Nations were indifferent to the Italian aggression in Ethiopia or even supported it economically.
According to Mussolini himself, Italy has been preparing for this war since 1925, the fascist government conducted an information campaign against the government of Ethiopia. Accusing the negus Haili Selassie I of the slave trade, he demanded that the country be expelled from the League of Nations and, within the framework of Western traditions, transfer to Italy exclusive powers to “establish order in Abyssinia”. At the same time, the Italian regime did not at all seek to attract mediators to resolve disputes in Italian-Ethiopian relations.
Infrastructure and technical preparations for war
Since 1932, preparations for war were actively conducted, in the Italian dominions of Eritrea, Somalia and Libya, they built military infrastructure, built and reconstructed naval and air bases, arranged weapons depots, equipment and fuel and lubricants, and laid communications. 155 transport ships with a total displacement of about 1,250,000 tons were to provide the actions of the Italian expeditionary army. Italy increased purchases in the United States of arms, aircraft, engines, spare parts and all kinds of raw materials, Renault tanks were purchased in France. After a series of local military calls and the mobilization of civilian specialists, Italy began to transfer this contingent to its African colonies. In the three years preceding the invasion, some 1,300,000 troops and civilians were transported.
Mussolini provocations and inaction of the League of Nations
When everything was ready for the 2nd Italo-Ethiopian war, Mussolini proceeded to provoke military clashes on the Ethiopian borders in order to have a reason to fulfill the “civilizational mission”. On December 5, 1934, as a result of one of the provocations, a serious clash of Italian and Ethiopian troops took place. Negus Selassie appealed to the League of Nations for protection against fascist aggression, however, all the activities of the organization’s member countries were reduced to the creation of a commission of leading European powers aimed at studying the problems in relations between the two countries and developing an algorithm for peaceful resolution of the conflict. Such a passive position of world leaders once again demonstrated to Mussolini that no one intends to actively intervene in the African affairs of Italy.
Disposition of the parties and the beginning of hostilities
As a result, on October 3, 1935, without declaring war, the Italian armed forces attacked the troops of Ethiopia. The main blow was delivered northward along the so-called imperial road - the dirt track from Eritrea to Addis Ababa. Up to 2/3 of the entire Italian invasion army under the command of Marshal de Bono took part in the attack on the capital of Ethiopia. The troops of General Graziani acted in the southern direction, this secondary offensive was intended only to delay the troops of Ethiopia from decisive hostilities in the north of the country. The central direction - through the Danakil Desert to Dessie - was supposed to protect the flanks and support the northern front during the storming of Addis Ababa. In total, the invasion forces totaled up to 400,000 people, they were armed with 6,000 machine guns, 700 guns, 150 tankettes and the same number of aircraft.
On the very first day of the enemy invasion, the Negus Haile Selasie issued a decree on general mobilization - the strength of the Ethiopian army was about 350,000, but hardly half of them had full military training. The military rulers of the race who commanded this medieval army practically did not submit to the power of the emperor and only sought to preserve their "estates." Artillery was represented by two hundred obsolete guns, anti-aircraft guns of various calibers there were up to fifty barrels. There was practically no military equipment. The supply of the army was organized very primitively - for example, the transportation of equipment and ammunition was the duty of slaves or even wives of servicemen. However, to the surprise of the whole world, Italians could not easily take revenge for the defeat in the first war.
The most combat-ready troops of Ethiopia, under the command of the race Seyum, were deployed near the city of Adua. The troops of the Guksa race were supposed to cover the northern direction, holding Makkale - the capital of the northern province of Tigre. They were to be assisted by the forces of the race of Burr. The southern direction was covered by the troops of the Neshibu and Dest races.
In the very first days of the invasion, under the pressure of technically superior fascist troops, the Seyum group was forced to leave the city. This was also due to the betrayal of the race of Guks, primitively bribed by the enemy and overrun by the Italians. As a result, the line of defense in the main direction of the advance of the troops of Marshal de Bono was seriously weakened - the Ethiopian command tried to rectify the situation by transferring the troops of the Mulugeta race near Makkale, the troops of the Imru race to the region of Axum, and parts of the Kassa race from Gondar to the south of Adua. These troops acted inconsistently, communications were one of the weakest points of the Ethiopian army, but the mountainous terrain combined with effective guerrilla tactics determined some success in their operations.
Ethiopia's stubborn resistance
According to military literature, the Second Italo-Ethiopian war began to drag out, for six months the Italians advanced an average of 100 kilometers from the border, while they constantly suffered losses from ambushes and sabotage raids of the enemy - this situation was observed in all sectors of the front. It is also worth noting that the war exposed all the shortcomings of the Italian army - in particular, the high level of corruption of officials and poor supply of troops. The news of the failures from the Abyssinian front infuriated the fascist dictator, who demanded decisive action from Marshal de Bono. However, this experienced military man, trying to adapt his troops to local conditions, simply ignored the directives of Rome, for which he paid for his place when, in December 1935, the troops of the races of Imru, Kasa and Syyum launched a series of counterattacks, ending in the capture of the city of Abbi Addi.
An attempt to make peace
It is worth noting that at the end of 1935, Great Britain and France offered their belligerents their mediation in the conclusion of peace in accordance with the so-called Choir-Laval plan. It was assumed that Ethiopia would cede Italy to the province of Ogaden, Tigre, Danakil, provide a number of economic benefits, and also take on the service of Italian advisers, in return Italy would have to cede Ethiopia to the Assaba coast. In fact, this was a veiled invitation to the parties to leave the war “saving face”, it is worth noting that since it came in the period of some successes of Ethiopian weapons, it can be assumed that the British and French thus offered help to the “white brothers”. The government of Haile Selassie rejected the Choir-Laval plan as clearly disadvantageous for the country, this forced Mussolini to take a series of decisive steps.
The onset of Marshal Badoglio and the use of gases
Marshal Badoglio was appointed to the post of commander of the Italian forces in Ethiopia, to whom the fascist dictator personally ordered the use of chemical weapons, which was a direct violation of the 1925 Geneva Convention, which was also signed by the Duce itself. Both the military and the civilian population of Ethiopia suffered from gas attacks , it is also worth noting the contribution to the humanitarian catastrophe of General Graziani, who directly demanded that his subordinates destroy and destroy everything that was possible. In pursuance of this order, Italian artillery and the Air Force deliberately bombarded civilian objects and hospitals.
In the last decade of January 1936, the Italians went on a general offensive in a northerly direction, they were able to separate the forces of the races of Kas, Syum and Mulugetta for their subsequent defeat. The troops of the Muluget race were defending in the mountains of Amba Ambrad. Using the overwhelming technical superiority and riot in the rear of the units of the Mulugetta tribe of the Oromo-Azebo, Italians almost completely destroyed this group. Since the Kas and Syum races, due to a breakdown in communication between Ethiopian forces, did not find out about this in time, the Italians were able to get around their positions from the west. The races, although they were shocked by the unexpected appearance of enemies on the flank, were able to withdraw their troops to Semien and for some time the front line stabilized.
In March 1936, in the battle of Shire, the troops of Ras Imru were also defeated, also forced to retreat to Semien. At the same time, Italians used gases, since the Negus troops did not have chemical defense means, the consequences were dire. So, according to the testimony of Haile Selasie himself, almost all the forces of the Seyum race were destroyed by gases in the Takeze Valley. The thirty thousandth group, the Imru race, lost up to half of its composition. If the Ethiopian warriors could somehow resist the enemy’s technique, then against weapons of mass destruction they were completely powerless.
Ethiopian army counterattack attempt
Obviously, the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe deprived the Ethiopian command of a sober look at the course of events, at the Negus headquarters they decided to abandon the maneuver war and proceed to decisive action - on March 31 the offensive of the Ethiopian troops in the area of Lake Ashenge began. Given the fact that the strength of the Italians was only fourfold superior to the Ethiopian forces and had a complete technical advantage, this looks like an act of despair.
In the early days of the offensive, the Negus forces were able to seriously push the enemy, but on April 2, using the technical factor, Badoglio's troops went on the counterattack, as a result of which the Ethiopian army ceased to exist as an organized force. Fighting continued only the garrisons of the cities and individual groups that switched to guerrilla tactics.
Prophecy of Negus Selassie and the end of hostilities
Soon Negus Selassie appealed to the League of Nations for help, his speech contained prophetic words that if the nations of the world do not provide assistance to Ethiopia, they will face the same fate. However, his call to preserve a collective security system in the world was not heard - in this context, the subsequent excesses characteristic of the Second World War and the Holocaust look like a logical continuation of the humanitarian catastrophe in Ethiopia.
On April 1, 1936, the Italians captured Gonder, in the second decade of this month - Dessie, many close neguses recommended giving battle to Addis Ababa, and then proceeding to partisan actions, but Selassie far-sightedly preferred political asylum in Great Britain. He appointed the race Imra as head of the government and evacuated to Djibouti, Addis Ababa fell three days later. The fall of the capital of Ethiopia on May 5, 1936, although it became the final chord of the active phase of hostilities, but the guerrilla war continued - the Italians were physically unable to control the entire territory of the country.
The results of the Italo-Ethiopian war
Italy officially annexed Ethiopia on May 7, two days later King Victor Emmanuel III became emperor. A new colony was included in Italian East Africa, which gave Mussolini an occasion to deliver another pompous speech about the greatness of the restored Italian empire.
Aggression of Italy has been condemned by a number of countries and international organizations. So, the Executive Committee of the Comintern did this immediately, as did the Italian emigrants who left the country, which became a hotbed of fascism. The League of Nations condemned Italian aggression on October 7, 1935, and soon economic sanctions were imposed against the Mussolini regime, which were already lifted on July 15, 1936. Ten days later, Germany recognized the annexation of Ethiopia; in 1938, Britain and France also did this.
The guerrilla warfare continued in Ethiopia until May 1941, until the British offensive through Somalia during World War II forced the Italians to leave the country. On May 5, 1941, the Negus Haile Selassie returned to Addis Ababa. Assessing the statistics of the losses of this war, it is necessary to state the death of 757,000 citizens of Ethiopia, of which 273,000 as a result of the use of chemical warfare agents. The rest died both as a result of hostilities, and as a result of the repressive policies of the invaders and the consequences of the humanitarian catastrophe. The total economic damage caused to the country, not counting the actual costs of the war, amounted to about 779 million US dollars.
According to official statistics from Italy, its casualties amounted to 3,906 military, both Italian and colonial soldiers, in addition, 453 civilian specialists died due to various reasons, both military and man-made. The total costs of warfare, including the construction of infrastructure and communications, amounted to 40 billion lire.
Historical lessons of the Italo-Ethiopian conflict
The Italo-Ethiopian war of 1935-1936, which we briefly discuss in the article, actually became the dress rehearsal of the fascist aggressors, demonstrating that frankly criminal methods of warfare are the norm "for imperialist invaders. Since both Italy and Ethiopia were members of the League of Nations, the war between them showed the organization’s inability to resolve disputes between the states belonging to this organization or to effectively counter the fascist regimes.