alternatehistory.com

"The Lion of Judah hath prevailed."
- Unknown.

Atse Haile Selassie arrived at Quorom where preparations were underway for an Ethiopian counterattack against Italian forces rapidly advancing towards Maichew, the Imperial Guard arriving with him. Haile Selassie had previously informed Nigist Menen of his plans prior to leaving for Quorom, taking the advice of his foreign advisors that the Italians were intercepting Ethiopian radio messages. The Atse took advantage of this possibility, sending a message to Menen that he was planning to attack on St. George’s Day whereas he was planning to launch his counterattack earlier. Marshal Pietro Badoglio received this message and ordered his men to begin erecting defenses against the Ethiopian attack while Haile Selassie managed to successfully bribe the Azebu Oromos to attack the Italian flanks. The Oromos were sent against the Italians, attacking as guerrillas to prevent them from finishing their defenses as their reconnaissance yielded results to the Atse that the Ethiopian assault wouldn’t be able to break through the Italian defenses once they were completed. The Oromos also continually harassed Italian supply lines which hampered the Italians’ abilities to bring in more men and material to continue - the Italians had been suffering from guerrilla attacks behind their lines as the remnants of the Ethiopian Army and armed peasantry launched their own hit-and-run attacks.

The Battle of Maichew saw the Ethiopians launching a successful counterattack as Italian forces attempting to continue building their defenses were caught off-guard and under attack from the Oromos as well. The Ethiopian frontal assault all along the unfinished lines proved to be quite successful as they were overrun and the remaining Italian defenders fell back by command of Badoglio as Imperial Guardsmen under Ras Abebe Aregai destroyed the 2nd Eritrean Division before its commander could call in artillery bombardments on his position. The Italian commander was killed in this attempt, an irregular feudal soldier bayoneting him through the heart as the artillery strikes were prevented from stopping the Ethiopian advance. Ras Kassa managed to capture Meken Pass, forcing Eritrean forces off with fairly high casualties as loyalist Oromo cavalrymen were called in to continue harassing the Italians and inflicted more casualties amongst Italian forces. The success at Maichew had allowed for the northern Ethiopian armies to finally receive a boost in morale as they explored the Italian camps, enjoying their spoils of war in the form of supplies and arms. The decisive victory at Maichew lead to the southern Ethiopian armies’ resistance stiffening further as Graziani attempted to push further into the Ogaden so as to relieve pressure on Badoglio in the north. Atse Haile Selassie used this to play on Ethiopian nationalism throughout the country, somewhat successfully uniting the Ethiopian people behind him as guerrilla warfare in Italian-occupied regions intensified with news of the Battle of Maichew strengthening the guerrillas’ resolve.

The rains of July were quickly approaching, meaning that the roads of Ethiopia would turn into messes that the Italians could not use for their armor to proceed or for their airplanes to fly as weather got worse. Badoglio made a second attempt at retaking Maichew in hopes that it could be taken alongside Dessie but this failed as the Ethiopians managed to successfully utilize Imperial Guard artillery crews to shell the advancing Italians to hell and forced them to fall back. Haile Selassie planned to move his government to Gambela where British forces, backed by armored and aerial support, moved in to protect their economic interests at the border town it had invested in since the times of Atse Menelik II. While planning for a move of his government, the Atse worked alongside northern commanders to sufficiently reorganize the northern Ethiopian armies under a unified command and distribute the captured Italian equipment amongst the more feudal forces. Despite knowing Ethiopian forces would eventually collapse, the Atse just continued to organize the northern Ethiopian armies as Haile Selassie made contact with Ras Desta - commander of the southern armies - to order reorganization as well. On the southern front, small detachments of Imperial Guardsmen inspected the “African Hindenburg Line” alongside Ras Nasibu and Wehib Pasha as hasty modifications and improvements were made. It was slowly coming to look like a trench from the Great War as a few pieces of captured Italian artillery made it to the AHL to back the southern armies. At Gore, a Provisional Ethiopian Government was established with Wolde Tsadik-Goshu as a Chief Official and was in command of “Free Ethiopia” - whatever regions of Ethiopia the Italians hadn’t occupied.

Soon enough, Haile Selassie was on the move to Gambela to accompany his family but not before declaring Ras Imru the Prince Regent to rule in his place and as the new Commander-in-Chief. Haile Selassie had given the order to his northern commanders that they were to fight as guerrillas if the next defense of Maichew was not won and if the Italians managed to capture Addis Ababa, they were to withdraw to their respective provinces and raise new armies for the purpose of establishing guerrilla movements. The Ethiopian Royal Family had been moved to Gambela as talks with Khartoum began over if the British would be willing to help the Solomonic Dynasty in their move to Europe. London agreed as the Ethiopian Royal Family moved into Sudan with their assistance via an RAF plane as the northern commanders which left Imru as the Head of State of Ethiopia. However, the Ethiopians weren’t going to simply roll over and allow for the Italians to occupy their country without severe consequences . . .
Top