Second Italo-Ethiopian War

The Second Italo-Ethiopian War was a conflict where Italy attacked Ethiopia from October 1935 to May 1936. The Italians, led by leaders such as Benito Mussolini and Pietro Badoglio, wanted to control Ethiopia and add it to their empire. They began their attack with a large number of soldiers moving from places they already controlled nearby, like Eritrea and Italian Somalia.

Ethiopia fought back hard, but Italy had better weapons and used unfair tactics, like dropping harmful chemicals from airplanes. This made it very hard for Ethiopia to defend itself. Eventually, Italian forces captured the capital city, Addis Ababa, and Ethiopia became part of the Italian Empire.

This war was important because it showed the world that international rules meant little at the time. The League of Nations, which was supposed to keep peace, could not stop Italy. The conflict also hurt Italy's economy and helped push Italy closer to Germany, changing the shape of Europe before the Second World War.

Background

The Kingdom of Italy wanted to build colonies in the Horn of Africa starting in the 1880s. Their first try ended badly when they lost the First Italo-Ethiopian War and the Battle of Adwa in 1896. After that, Italy only controlled small areas like Italian Eritrea and Italian Somaliland. For many years, Italy and Ethiopia had peaceful relations.

In 1925, Italy made a secret deal with Britain to strengthen its control in the area. This made Ethiopia unhappy. As Italy’s leaders became more powerful, they pushed further into nearby lands. In 1934, a fight happened at a place called Walwal when Italian and Ethiopian soldiers met there. This incident caused tension and led to bigger problems later.

Other European countries like Britain and France were worried but did not stop Italy. Italy used this chance to move many soldiers to the area, getting ready to invade Ethiopia. Some countries, like Germany, sent small help to Ethiopia, hoping to keep the war long so it might help their own plans.

Armies

Ethiopian forces

Main articles: Ethiopian order of battle in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and List of Second Italo-Ethiopian War weapons of Ethiopia

When the war began, Ethiopia had a large army of between 350,000 and 760,000 soldiers. They had many modern rifles and about 150 rounds of ammunition for each soldier. Ethiopia tried to get more weapons from Europe before a ban was placed on it. Germany secretly sent some weapons to help Ethiopia.

Ethiopia had some machine guns, anti-aircraft guns, and a few tanks. The best Ethiopian troops were the emperor's Imperial Guard, who were well-trained and had better equipment. Ethiopia also had a small air force with just a few old airplanes.

Many foreigners joined to help Ethiopia, including pilots, doctors, and advisors from different countries.

Italian forces

Main articles: Italian order of battle for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and List of Second Italo-Ethiopian War weapons of Italy

Italy gathered a very large army for this war, with about 685,000 soldiers. They had many machine guns, artillery, tanks, and airplanes. Italy also used troops from its colonies in Eritrea, Somalia, and Libya. These included skilled Eritrean soldiers known as the Ascari.

Italy had support from volunteers living outside of Italy, from places like Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. Generals Emilio De Bono and Rodolfo Graziani led the Italian forces from Eritrea and Somalia, respectively.

Hostilities

Italian invasion

At dawn on October 3, 1935, Italian forces crossed the Mareb River and entered Ethiopia from Eritrea without warning. The Italian army was led by General De Bono and included several army corps and Eritrean troops. They faced few obstacles at first, capturing villages like Adigrat and Adwa, which had been left undefended.

As the invasion continued, the Italians struggled with poor roads and difficult terrain. Despite these challenges, they pushed forward, meeting little resistance initially. However, Ethiopian forces eventually mobilized, though slowly. The Italians continued their advance, capturing more territory and establishing control over key areas.

Second Italian advance

As the Ethiopian forces regrouped, the Italians prepared for another major push. They received reinforcements and new orders to continue their campaign. The Italians faced determined Ethiopian resistance in several battles, using their superior weapons and tactics to overcome the defenders.

Eventually, the Italian forces broke through Ethiopian lines in key battles, leading to the fall of important cities. The Ethiopians, facing overwhelming odds, retreated further and further, unable to stop the Italian advance.

Fall of Addis Ababa

In April 1936, Italian forces began a final push toward the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The Italian army, led by General Badoglio, advanced quickly, facing only light resistance. By early May, the Italians had reached the outskirts of Addis Ababa.

On May 5, 1936, Italian troops entered Addis Ababa, marking the end of major fighting. The Italian leader, Mussolini, announced the creation of an Italian Empire, celebrating the victory as a major achievement for Italy.

Aftermath

Subsequent events and operations, 1936–1937

Main article: Italian East Africa

After capturing Addis Ababa, Italian troops still faced many challenges. The rainy season made travel hard, and large parts of south-western Ethiopia were still not under Italian control. About 40,000–50,000 Ethiopian soldiers continued to resist. On 10 May 1936, Italian forces from the north and south met at Dire Dawa. An Ethiopian leader, Hailu Tekle Haymanot, surrendered to the Italians. Other Ethiopian forces under Imru Haile Selassie moved to Gore to organize further resistance. Though they struggled to lead, small groups kept fighting around the capital.

In June 1936, Italy combined Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia into Italian East Africa. An Italian leader was sent to Nekemte to convince a local chief to work with them. However, Ethiopian fighters attacked the Italians, destroying planes and killing several officials.

Life in Addis Ababa was tough for the Italians. Communication was difficult, and there was much unrest in the city. Italian troops feared attacks by Ethiopian fighters hiding nearby. In July, Ethiopian forces tried to take over Addis Ababa but were pushed back by Italian and Eritrean troops.

Later in 1936, Italian forces moved through western Ethiopia, capturing more areas and fighting Ethiopian soldiers. By the end of 1936, most of the remaining Ethiopian leaders had been captured or had surrendered. The last major battle happened in February 1937, where Ethiopian forces were defeated.

Addis Ababa massacre

Main article: Yekatit 12

On 19 February 1937, an attempt was made to kill an Italian leader in Addis Ababa. In response, Italian troops attacked the city’s people severely. Many Ethiopians were killed over several days. The event became known as “Yekatit 12” and is remembered in Ethiopia with a monument in Addis Ababa.

The new government of the Duke of Aosta, 1937–1940

In late 1937, a new Italian leader, the Duke of Aosta, was appointed. He focused on building roads, hospitals, and schools. However, Italy enforced strict racial laws and separated people by ethnicity. Some groups, like the Oromos and Somalis, were given more rights to weaken the ruling Amhara people. Italy also ended practices like slavery that had been common under previous rulers.

East African campaign, 1940–1941

Main article: East African Campaign (World War II)

When World War II began, Italy attacked British-held areas around Ethiopia. With support from Britain, Ethiopian leader Haile Selassie returned to help free Ethiopia. In 1941, Selassie and Allied forces retook Addis Ababa. After this, Italy officially recognized Ethiopia’s independence and agreed to pay for the damage caused during the war.

Casualties

The Second Italo-Ethiopian War had many casualties on both sides. Italian records from 1936 reported about 3,300 Italian and allied troops lost, but some historians believe the actual number was higher. Estimates of Ethiopian losses vary greatly. Some Italian sources suggest around 70,000 Ethiopian soldiers were killed in battle, while Ethiopian sources from later years reported much higher numbers, including many civilians affected by bombing and other hardships during the war. Historians continue to study these figures to better understand the full impact of the conflict.

War crimes

Use of chemical weapons

During World War I, Italy made a harmful gas called mustard gas. In the Second Italo-Ethiopian War from 1935 to 1936, Italy used this gas against Ethiopia. They dropped it from airplanes and fired it from guns. This broke international rules that banned such weapons. Many people, both soldiers and civilians, suffered and died because of this gas.

Dum-dum rounds and atrocities against prisoners of war

In this war, some Ethiopian soldiers used special bullets called dum-dum bullets, which were banned by international rules. There were also reports of very harmful treatment of captured soldiers, but these details are too upsetting to share here.

Ethiopian War Crimes Commission, 1946

After the war, Ethiopia created a group to look into the harmful actions done by Italy during the conflict. They wanted to hold important Italian leaders responsible. However, very few of these leaders were actually tried for their actions. Some Ethiopian veterans still hope for an apology and compensation from Italy for the terrible things that happened during the war.

Public and international reaction

Italy's victory in the war led to a boost in the popularity of Mussolini, who declared a new Italian empire in May 1936. He created a new top military rank and gave it to himself and the king.

Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia left his country and went to Britain to speak at the League of Nations. He asked for help to protect his country and criticized the world for not stopping Italy's actions. Many countries, including France and Britain, chose not to strongly oppose Italy's control over Ethiopia. Only a few nations, like Mexico and the Soviet Union, continued to support Ethiopia's independence. The war also inspired many people around the world to show support for Ethiopia, with demonstrations happening in places like New York City and Chicago. Leaders in India and South Africa also expressed their sympathy for Ethiopia, seeing the conflict as part of a larger struggle against colonial rule.

In popular culture

Filmography

Some movies were made about this time in history. Here are a few films from different years:

• 1936: The Great Appeal
• 1937: Sentinels of Bronze
• 1938: Luciano Serra, Pilot
• 1939: The Little Adventurers
• 1989: Time to Kill