Adwa, 1896: The day Ethiopia stopped the Italian army

At the end of the 19th century, European powers were carving up Africa. Almost everywhere, African armies eventually gave way. Almost. On March 1, 1896, near the town of Adwa in northern Ethiopia, a European army was decisively defeated by an African army. The event resonated far beyond Ethiopia.

A treaty, two versions

It all began with a disagreement over a text. The Treaty of Wuchale, signed in 1889 between Emperor Menelik II and Italy, existed in two versions. Article 17, in its Amharic version, allowed Ethiopia to use Italy for its foreign relations. In the Italian version, it was an obligation, which amounted to making Ethiopia a protectorate. Menelik rejected this interpretation and denounced the treaty in 1893.

The 1895-1896 campaign

Ethiopia mobilized a considerable army, estimated at between 80,000 and 100,000 men, if not more. At the end of 1895 and the beginning of 1896, it crushed an Italian vanguard at Amba Alagi, then besieged the fort of Mekele. Empress Taytu played an important role: she was involved in the strategy of cutting off the fort's access to water, which forced its surrender.

The day of the battle

At Adwa, approximately 17,700 Italian and colonial soldiers, commanded by General Oreste Baratieri, faced a much larger Ethiopian army. The death tolls vary according to sources: more than 6,000 killed and several thousand prisoners on the Italian side, between 4,000 and 7,000 dead on the Ethiopian side. The result, however, was beyond doubt: it was an Ethiopian victory.

After the victory

In October 1896, the Treaty of Addis Ababa recognized Ethiopia's independence. Adwa became a symbol of resistance for many Africans and for pan-African movements. The story did not end there, however: Mussolini's Italy would invade Ethiopia again in 1935.

Key takeaways

Adwa is not just a battle. It is proof that Africa was not conquered without resistance, and that an African state was able to defeat a European power through diplomacy as much as through mobilization.