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Italo-Ethiopian War of 1894-95
Italo-Ethiopian War of 1894-95
Italy like the United States and Germany who would go to war later in the year in a year that saw three different wars start was a late comer to the empire game. The Italians had only united their nation in 1861, and had only gained their capital nine years later in a lightly fought battle with the pope and the troops of the Papal States. Yet instead of a new day on the Italian Peninsula there were many problems left over from the unification of their nation which was causing a flood of people to leave Italy for the United States and elsewhere in the search of a better life. Rome was looking for something to unite the people, make it clear Italy was a great power, and take the people’s mind of the piss poor state of their nation and economy. Many in Rome viewed a colonial war as such an event that could keep Italians from flooring out of their nation for the greener pastures the United States and elsewhere offered, but also as proof Italy was a great power to their peers in the world.
Like so many things in Italian history Rome did not take the ease road for colonial gains. Instead of striking at the sickman of Europe in the Ottoman Empire which controlled Libya which was only a few hours sailing from Italian shores the Italians decided to have this short victorious colonial war in the Horn of Africa. Even through the Italians already had colonial outpost in the Horn of Africa this added to the logistical challenges in any war. Yet they had enjoyed British support in their efforts to build a colonial empire in the Horn of Africa and many in Rome believed it was time to double down in the region following the slight it had been given by the Ethiopians.
Italy had signed a treaty with the Ethiopians that in their view turned Ethiopia into an Italian Protectorate. The Ethiopians however disagreed with the Italian view on this treaty that had been signed five years prior. The problem was Menelik who was the emperor of Ethiopia had signed this treaty in both Italian and Amharic, however he could only read Amharic. In a moment like George Washington found himself in that started the French and Indian War or Seven Years War depending on where you lived, Menelik basically all but started a war because he signed a treaty in a language he didn’t understand. The only two nations that refused to play by the treaty as the Italians understood it was the Ottomans who were claiming that it was their territory and Russia. Russia didn’t want to see an Orthodox nation being placed under the boot of the Catholic Church.
Tensions between Rome and Addis Ababa worsen with every passing month. Italy started building up forces in Eritrea to crush the unruly Menelik and to gain total control of Eritrea. Finally in the summer of 1894, Menelik tore up the treaty he had signed with the Italians in the late-1880s. Italy started pushing back even harder against Menelik and was getting ready for war. At the same time the Italians decided to remove General Oreste Baratieri from his position in Eritrea before any war started. Baratieri was a political hack who may have been good at unrulily mob control, but the leaders in Rome were smart enough to understand that Ethiopia wasn’t an unrulily mob and was beyond Baratieri’s skills. They sent Antonio Baldissera who through had been born and trained in the Austrian Army before becoming an Italian National in the after 1866, and was a far more skill general.
Baldissera started the war on August 5th 1894 with the blessing of Rome. The Ethiopians knew this was coming and had mobilized a large force of over 200,000 men to face against the 21,000 men under the command of Baldissera. The only problem was the Ethiopian force wasn’t totally armed with firearms. Only just about half the force that Menelik brought together was armed with firearms of one kind or other. The rest was armed with spears or other blunt edge weapons. Menelik knew his best chance was to stop Italy was through force of numbers and support from Russia. Once the Italians had crossed into Ethiopia Menelik sent a team to St. Petersburg and asking for the support from their Orthodox brothers.
Over next few months there were only minor battles between Baldissera and Menelik who were feeling each other out. Menelik was still looking for a way out that was peaceful and allow him to maintain control of his nation. Yet a chance in early December gave Baldissera a chance to badly cripple Menelik and his army. This led to the Battle of Mek’ele. Where both sides brought almost their whole armies into play at this one battle, leading to the largest battle in Africa at the time when Mek’ele happened on December 4th.
At Mek’ele Baldissera had two columns that were able to perform a fairly well timed pincer movement against Menelik’s force. Over the next seven hours the two sides when at it. Menelik who came forward to see how the battle was going on saw to his horror the massive death and order his army to withdraw south. Baldissera’s own force was simply too exhausted to give chase and needed to regroup as well. Baldissera suffered just over 2,000 total casualties at Mek’ele. Whereas Menelik suffered just over 20,000 total casualties and loss of 19 critical artillery pieces which was just over 3/4s of his total artillery force. The main cause of the casualties on the Ethiopian side of the battle had been the number of machine guns used by the Italians in the battle.
Mek’ele was the biggest battle fought in Africa of all times by this point in time by total number of troops at the battle. Even against the battles in the Island War and Sino-Japanese War, Mek’ele was bigger than anything in either of those wars. The death toll also took many by surprise. For Rome it gave them pause in wondering if taking all of Ethiopia was worth the trouble as Menelik still hadn’t come to sue for terms. The Russians also started to put pressure on the Italians to end this war or they would enter the war and end it for them as news reached them in December.
The Italians played a strong front but it was decided to end the war as international finances were being strained by the fact three different wars were being fought in the winter of 1894-95. And the Italians knew their finances could bite them in the ass. This would lead to the Treaty of Asmara that was signed on March 11th 1895. Menelik ceded control of the Tigray and Ogaden Region of Ethiopia along with minor border adjustments along the Ethiopian-Italian Eritrea[1]. Ethiopia granted Italy most favored nation status along other economic perks that were clearly in favor of the Italians. The most important part of the treaty through was the fact the Italians was recognizing the Ethiopians as their own independent nation.
[1] Map coming up shortly.
Italy like the United States and Germany who would go to war later in the year in a year that saw three different wars start was a late comer to the empire game. The Italians had only united their nation in 1861, and had only gained their capital nine years later in a lightly fought battle with the pope and the troops of the Papal States. Yet instead of a new day on the Italian Peninsula there were many problems left over from the unification of their nation which was causing a flood of people to leave Italy for the United States and elsewhere in the search of a better life. Rome was looking for something to unite the people, make it clear Italy was a great power, and take the people’s mind of the piss poor state of their nation and economy. Many in Rome viewed a colonial war as such an event that could keep Italians from flooring out of their nation for the greener pastures the United States and elsewhere offered, but also as proof Italy was a great power to their peers in the world.
Like so many things in Italian history Rome did not take the ease road for colonial gains. Instead of striking at the sickman of Europe in the Ottoman Empire which controlled Libya which was only a few hours sailing from Italian shores the Italians decided to have this short victorious colonial war in the Horn of Africa. Even through the Italians already had colonial outpost in the Horn of Africa this added to the logistical challenges in any war. Yet they had enjoyed British support in their efforts to build a colonial empire in the Horn of Africa and many in Rome believed it was time to double down in the region following the slight it had been given by the Ethiopians.
Italy had signed a treaty with the Ethiopians that in their view turned Ethiopia into an Italian Protectorate. The Ethiopians however disagreed with the Italian view on this treaty that had been signed five years prior. The problem was Menelik who was the emperor of Ethiopia had signed this treaty in both Italian and Amharic, however he could only read Amharic. In a moment like George Washington found himself in that started the French and Indian War or Seven Years War depending on where you lived, Menelik basically all but started a war because he signed a treaty in a language he didn’t understand. The only two nations that refused to play by the treaty as the Italians understood it was the Ottomans who were claiming that it was their territory and Russia. Russia didn’t want to see an Orthodox nation being placed under the boot of the Catholic Church.
Tensions between Rome and Addis Ababa worsen with every passing month. Italy started building up forces in Eritrea to crush the unruly Menelik and to gain total control of Eritrea. Finally in the summer of 1894, Menelik tore up the treaty he had signed with the Italians in the late-1880s. Italy started pushing back even harder against Menelik and was getting ready for war. At the same time the Italians decided to remove General Oreste Baratieri from his position in Eritrea before any war started. Baratieri was a political hack who may have been good at unrulily mob control, but the leaders in Rome were smart enough to understand that Ethiopia wasn’t an unrulily mob and was beyond Baratieri’s skills. They sent Antonio Baldissera who through had been born and trained in the Austrian Army before becoming an Italian National in the after 1866, and was a far more skill general.
Baldissera started the war on August 5th 1894 with the blessing of Rome. The Ethiopians knew this was coming and had mobilized a large force of over 200,000 men to face against the 21,000 men under the command of Baldissera. The only problem was the Ethiopian force wasn’t totally armed with firearms. Only just about half the force that Menelik brought together was armed with firearms of one kind or other. The rest was armed with spears or other blunt edge weapons. Menelik knew his best chance was to stop Italy was through force of numbers and support from Russia. Once the Italians had crossed into Ethiopia Menelik sent a team to St. Petersburg and asking for the support from their Orthodox brothers.
Over next few months there were only minor battles between Baldissera and Menelik who were feeling each other out. Menelik was still looking for a way out that was peaceful and allow him to maintain control of his nation. Yet a chance in early December gave Baldissera a chance to badly cripple Menelik and his army. This led to the Battle of Mek’ele. Where both sides brought almost their whole armies into play at this one battle, leading to the largest battle in Africa at the time when Mek’ele happened on December 4th.
At Mek’ele Baldissera had two columns that were able to perform a fairly well timed pincer movement against Menelik’s force. Over the next seven hours the two sides when at it. Menelik who came forward to see how the battle was going on saw to his horror the massive death and order his army to withdraw south. Baldissera’s own force was simply too exhausted to give chase and needed to regroup as well. Baldissera suffered just over 2,000 total casualties at Mek’ele. Whereas Menelik suffered just over 20,000 total casualties and loss of 19 critical artillery pieces which was just over 3/4s of his total artillery force. The main cause of the casualties on the Ethiopian side of the battle had been the number of machine guns used by the Italians in the battle.
Mek’ele was the biggest battle fought in Africa of all times by this point in time by total number of troops at the battle. Even against the battles in the Island War and Sino-Japanese War, Mek’ele was bigger than anything in either of those wars. The death toll also took many by surprise. For Rome it gave them pause in wondering if taking all of Ethiopia was worth the trouble as Menelik still hadn’t come to sue for terms. The Russians also started to put pressure on the Italians to end this war or they would enter the war and end it for them as news reached them in December.
The Italians played a strong front but it was decided to end the war as international finances were being strained by the fact three different wars were being fought in the winter of 1894-95. And the Italians knew their finances could bite them in the ass. This would lead to the Treaty of Asmara that was signed on March 11th 1895. Menelik ceded control of the Tigray and Ogaden Region of Ethiopia along with minor border adjustments along the Ethiopian-Italian Eritrea[1]. Ethiopia granted Italy most favored nation status along other economic perks that were clearly in favor of the Italians. The most important part of the treaty through was the fact the Italians was recognizing the Ethiopians as their own independent nation.
[1] Map coming up shortly.
- Jim Smitty
- Word Count: 1.2k