UNIT FIVE

ITALO-ETHIOPIAN WAR (1935-41)

AND ITS AFTERMATH
5.1 Italo-Ethiopian Relations,1906-35
Following the battle of Adwa, international & domestic
crisis forced Italy to adopt a policy of friendly relationships
with Ethiopia. But there were signs of revival of Italian
colonial interests in Ethiopia. These includes:
A. Italy’s plan of building a railway connecting her colonies
of Eritrea & Somaliland as manifested in the Tripartite
Treaty of 1906.
B. Italy enter to WWI on the side of the Entente power in
1915.
C. The 1922 Fascist seized power in Italy. The leader of the
fascist party Benito-Mussolini revived the idea of Italian
colonial empire in Africa. He wanted to win mass support
by promising to avenge the defeat of Adwa in 1896 &
restoration of the glory of Roman Empire to Italy.
Cont.
D. By the 1925 Anglo-Italian Agreement Italy agreed to give a
diplomatic support to Britain plan to building a Dam on
Lake Tana.
Yet Italy made no official moves that openly antagonized
Ethiopia in the first three decade of the 20th c.
Italy tried her best to hide her colonial design by showing
friendly gesture to ward Ethiopia as with out giving up her
grand plans.
Italy gave diplomatic support to Ethiopia‘s membership in
the League of Nation (LN) IN 1923.
Ras Teferi’s European tour of 1924 included Italy.
Treaty of peace & friendship was signed in August 1928
b/n Ethiopia & Italy. But Italy used Eritrea & Somalia as
the base of military preparation & subversive activities
against Ethiopia.
Cont.
Italians had also sown seeds of internal division using d/t
individuals or groups who had one or another kind of grievance
against Haile Selassie &his gov’t.
They also sought to use class, religious, ethnic & dynastic
conflicts in Ethiopia for their own ends.
The autocratic state of Haile Selassie had antagonized many
hereditary regional rulers like Ras Hailu of Gojjam, Dejazmach
Ayalew Biru of Semen, Abba Jobir of Jimma, Dejazmach Haile
Selassie of Gugsa of Tigrai & others who later became
collaborators of Italy.
The Walwal Incident & the Reaction of the League of Nations
Walwal located in Ethiopia Ogaden land.
On December 5, 1934, Italian troops just waiting for a pretext
for war opened fire on Anglo-Ethiopian Boundary commission
in Walwal.
Cont.
This led to an armed clash, in which lost about thirty
soldiers. Ethiopian losses were about three-fold.
Italian demanded that Ethiopia should apologize & pay
reparations.
Ethiopia took the matter to the League of Nations seeking
arbitration & justice.
LNs failed to give just solution but, finally imposed sanction
on Ethiopia & Italy.
The LNs un able to take military action against aggressor &
lack the will & power to give just decision.
It became incapable of stopping aggressions in Europe &
Asia.
Encouraged by the diplomatic support from Britain &
France & the weakness of the LN Italy invaded Ethiopia,
using the Walwal incident as a pretext.
5.2 The Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935-36
On October 3, 1935, the Italians crossed the Mereb River &
started the war of invasion.
Italian invasion came from two directions, in the north from
Eritrea & in the south from the Italian Somaliland.
The Northern Italian army was at first commanded by Marshal
Emilio De Bono. But, as war progress, he was replaced by Petro
Badoglio.
The Italians used Eritrea as a base of their invasion on this
front. About 300 airplanes were ordered to shower the
internationally outlawed poison gas upon the Ethiopians on
this front.
In the south, the Italian army was under the command of
General Rudolf Grazziani. Italian invasion came from Italian
Somaliland. They also used around 100 airplanes for air attack.
Cont.
On the Ethiopian side, there was massive response to the
mobilization order of the state. However, Ethiopian’s
counter-offensive came very late. These were two reasons for
the delay.
1. Ethiopia trusted the League of Nations & the international
community & hoped fair justice.
2. Ethiopians wanted to stretch out Italy’s line of supplies by
allowing them to proceed deep in to the interior.
In the north, the Ethiopian army commanded by Ras Kasa
Hailu, fought in three directions or Fronts.
 Eastern Direction (the Battle of Amba Aradom) led by the
Minister of War, Ras Mulugeta Yegezu.
 At the Centre (Temben) front led by Ras Kasa & Ras
Seyoum Mengesha.
 Western Direction (Shire) led by Ras Imiru Haile Selassie.
Cont.
The Ethiopians won some battles in the western front.
Italians won victory at the battle of Tembien & Amba Aradom.
At the battle of Amba Aradom Ras Mulugeta Yigezu lost his
life.
The Ethiopian army scored minor victory only at the battle of
Shire in the western front.
 In the Southern front, the Italian army under General Rudolfo
Grazziani attacked Ethiopians using its superior weapons.
 In the Southern Front, the Ethiopian army was led by
Dejazmach Nassibu Zeamanuel, Dejazmach Desta Damtew,
Dejazmach Balcha Safo & Dejazmach Mekonnen
Endalkachew.
Ethiopian armies were finally routed & dispersed. Most of
Ethiopian troops evacuated the war front in the north.
Cont.
Finally, Ethiopians troops under Emperior Haile Selassie I
fought the Italians at the battle of Maichew on March 31,
1936. However, they were defeated at the end of the day.
Following this, Emperor Haile Selassie returned to Addis
Ababa in April 1936 & continued his diplomatic campaign
at the League of Nation.
On May 2, 1936 Haile Selassie & his family with some
notable left Addis Ababa for Europe Via Djibouti.
On May 5, 1936 Addis Ababa controlled by Italian army
commanded by Marshal Badoglio.
Harar was occupied by the Italian some day after fall of
Addis Ababa.
Thus Italo-Ethiopia war of 1935/36 concluded with the
victory of Fascist forces.
Cont.
Generally, on both fronts the Ethiopian forces suffered a
crushing defeated due to:
The war was unexpected from the Ethiopian side, but the
Italians were well prepared & armed.
Italian military superior in armament, especially in artillery &
airplanes. It also used the illegal poison gas.
The government of Ethiopia, with out a modern army, had
much of its trust in the League of Nation, which proved
incapable of stopping Italian aggression.
The Emperor failed to use capable military leaders. He
preferred landlords for military leadership, not the educated
ones. The landlords had no training for military leadership.
The policy of centralizations by emperor antagonize with
regional lords & many of them become collaborators of the
Fascist Italy.
5.3 Fascist Rule & Patriotic Resistance
1936-41
Italian control over Addis Ababa on May 5, 1936 marked
the beginning of Italian occupation. Ethiopian merged
with Eritrea & Somali colonies.
In 1936, Italy declared the establishment of Italian East
African Empire, by putting the three territories together.
The first governor (Viceroy) was Badoglio, later replaced
by Grazziani in May 1936. Amando Umberto D’Aosta
was the last Italian Viceroy, who is said to be relatively
liberal.
Cont.
The Italian East African Empire had 6 administrative
divisions, such as:-
1. Eritrea & Tigray from Asmera.
2. Amhara & Gondar from Gondar.
3. Shoa from Addis Ababa.
4. Oromo & Sidamo from Jimma.
5. Harar & Dire Dawa from Harar &
6. Ogaden & Somaliland from Moqadiso.
Fascist occupation was a military rule characterized by
racist, violent, &highly centralized. Their officials were
highly corrupt, inefficient & irresponsible. Their effective
were limited to towns due to the widespread of patriotic
resistance.
 Consequences of Italian Rule in Ethiopia
It caused great human &material destruction.
Young & educated Ethiopians were executed.
The establishment of new factories, huge investment on
road construction, expansion of hotels & prostitution.
They left several modern buildings, garages & different
technical services.
The linguistic influences is still to be seen in Italian loan-
words in many Ethiopian languages. For instance such
words like asquala, ospodela, bandira, pena, machina are
all Italian loan words to mean school, hospital, flag, pen,
car respectively.
The Patriotic Resistance Movement
 Italian occupation & rule faced nation wide patriotic
opposition. There were two stages of resistance.
 Cont.
The First Stage:- was the continuity of the major war & it lasted
up to early 1937. It led by members of the upper nobility like Ras
Imiru Haile Selassie: designated Viceroy of the emperor in exile
after 1936 in Gore & become leader of Black Lion Organization.
This organization was formed in 1936, consisted of graduates of
the Holeta Military Academy & other civilians
Ras Imiru Haile Selassie led the patriots on the first planed
attempt to liberate Addis Ababa in 1936. However, the forces
under the Ras were defeated near River Gojeb in Kaffa by an
Italian army before they reached Addis Ababa. Ras Imiru was
caught & deported to Italy. Some other participants were
detained.
The second attempt to liberate Addis Ababa was carried out in
the summer of 1936 & planned to attack Italian from d/t
direction at the same time.
 Cont.
The operation was organized by the two sons of Ras Kasa
Hailu. Dejazmachs Abera & Asfawossen Kasa, Dejazmach
Balcha Safo; Balambaras (later Ras) Abebe Aregay; &
Dejazmach Fikremariam.
The plan lacked proper coordination & Italian easily
crushed. Abune Petros was caught & executed in the capital.
The Kasa brothers were later on persuaded to surrender, but
executed in the end. Dejazmach Balcha continued his active
involvement in the resistance in the south, until his death in
1937.
On February 19, 1937 two young Ethiopians namely Moges
Asgedom & Abraham Deboch made an attempt to
assassinate Italian Viceroy-Grazziani was seriously wounded
while some other officials were killed.
 Cont.
Following this Italian carried out a wholesale massacre of
Ethiopians in the city. With in 3 days about 30,000
Ethiopians killed. This incident known as the February or
Grazzani Massacre.
This event led to the Second Stage of patriotic resistance.
This stage was led by the nobility & local notables. It
assumed guerrilla warfare & largely centered in rural areas.
 It was mainly strong in the regions of Shoa, Gojjam &
Begemidir. Many renowned guerrilla leaders fought the
enemy at d/t battles.
 Haile Mariam Mamo, Abebe Aregay, Geresu Duki, & Bekele
Woya in Shoa, & Belay Zeleke in Gojjam & Amoraw
Wubineh in Gonder, were some of the renowned patriotic
leaders.
 Cont.
The patriotic fighters attacked on enemy forces, camps,
vehicles & broke enemy line of communication.
Another significant contribution to the patriotic resistance
came from Yewust Arbegnoch (“inner patriots’’). They
lived & often worked with the Italians in the towns but
passed on useful information to the patriots. They also
collected arms, medicine, food & intelligence report
secretly & sent them to the patriotic fighters.
The most prominent women were Shewareged Gedle of
Addis Alem, Kebedech Seyoum of Shoa, (grand daughter
of imperor Yohannis), Shewanesh Abera of Lasta,
Abbebech Cherqos of Gondar & Lekyelesh Beyan of Jirru.
Cont.
Problems of Ethiopian patriots were
Shortage arms, food, clothing, & medicines.
Personal conflict among patriotic leaders.
Lack of proper coordination &
They had no strong uniting political organization.
5.4 The Second World War & the Liberation of Ethiopia
It was fought b/n the two major military blocs known as
the Allied & Axis Powers.
It was fought in the years b/n 1939 to 1945.
The Allied Powers:- consisted mainly of France, the
USSR, the Britain & USA (from December 1941).
The Axis Power:- was made up of Germany, Japan & Italy
(after June 1940).
 Main causes of WWII
I. Germany
 Withdrew from the League of Nations.
 Sent its army to the demilitarized zone of the Rhineland
which guaranteed France from sudden attack.
 Forcefully, she annexed Austria & demanded from
western Czechoslovakia called Sudetanland were about
three million Germans lived.
 In Sept. 1938, Britain, France & Germany signed the
Munich Deal. The agreement allowed Germany to take
part of Czechoslovakia inhabited by German speaking
Sudetans.
 Introduced compulsory military service in 1935.
 II. The Rise of Fascist Forces & their Aggressive
Moves against League of Nations. (this refers to
Germany, Italy & Japan )
 Fascism was totalitarianism, where by the state was an absolute
end in itself.
 Fascism advocates national chauvinism, glorification of violence
& imperialism.
 Fascism first emerged in Italy where it seized power in 1922.
 The Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler controlled power in
Germany in 1933.
 Hitler (1889-1995) was born in Austria & lived there. He came to
Germany, joined the German army & fought in WWI. In 1919 he
joined the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers’
Party)
 Cont.
 He strengthened the party & became its leader in due time.
 In November, 1923 Hitler attempted a coup d’etat with his army
named “Brown Shirts”
 The coup was aborted & Hitler was imprisoned. In prisons
Hitler wrote book entitled Meine Kampf (My Struggle) which
presents his philosophy & future plan.
 the Nazi believed that the Germans were a superior race &
ought to rule the world.
 The Nazis charged that the Versailles Treaty at the end of the
WWI was a dictatorial imposition up on its sovereignty.
 Italy under the Fascist party subscribed to national
chauvinism. Led by Bento Mussolini, the Italians believed that
they had to build a great Italian empire in Africa.
 Militarist Japan planned to expand the Japanese empire
throughout conquest.
III. Worldwide Economic Crisis known as the Great
Depression (1929-1933) Cause of the Depression in
the USA
Over production
Credit policies
Unequal distribution of purchasing which was caused by
unequal earnings.
Decline in international trade –US export exceed the import.
However, the new elected President, F.D Roosevelt,
inaugurated the new deal with principle of the three Rs:
Relief, Recovery & Reform.
V. Policy of Appeasement
Was followed by Britain, France & the League of Nations.
It served the interests of Fascist powers.
 Cont.
USA preferred to allow isolation (not to ally with any power)
Japan invaded Manchuria, a northern provinces of China, in
1931. The LNs condemned her aggression, she withdrew from
LNs in May 1933 & she started the Sino-Japanese war (1937-
1945) for the total subjugation of China.
German withdrew from the LNs in October 1933 & in March
1936, reoccupied the Rhineland. The Rhineland was a
demilitarized zone in line with the terms of the Versailles
Treaty.
Italy invaded Ethiopia in October 1935. The invasion of
Ethiopia exposed the weakness of the LNs.
VI. The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
Started when the democratically elected republican gov’t of
Spain was challenged by the rebel Spanish nationalist force
under General Franco.
 Cont.
An international voluntary military force & tried to support the
republican government.
Germany & Italy gave material support to the nationalist party
which became victorious. This was a threat to the principle of
non-intervention.
The Immediate Cause of WWII
 In August 1939, USSR & Germany signed the Nazi-Soviet non-
aggression pact.
 WWII started when Germany invaded Poland on 1 Sept., 1939
 On Sept. 3,1939, Britain & France declared war on Germany
The Course of the WWII & the Liberation of Ethiopia
Poland was not able to withstand German air & ground attacks.
The whole of Poland had been overrun by the German army
with in three weeks.
 Cont.
The German called their campaign as Blitzkrieg (lightning war).
German annexed western Poland.
The eastern provinces of Poland were invaded by Russia that had
territorial claims over this country.
b/n 1939-40 Russia also annexed the Baltic countries of Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania as well as Finland, German expansion thus faced
the competition of Russia.
Despite the Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact of 1939, the Nazis
invaded Russia in June 1941.
In the west, the German army invaded France in May 1940 by
going through the territory of neutral of neutral Holland &
Belgium.
The Nazi force thus by passed the Franco-German border with its
mountainous terrain & French defensive fortification, the Maginot
line. They easily defeated the Allied defenders in France. The
British retreated to Dunkirk. The French resistance collapsed.
Cont.
The Germans occupied over half of France.
In unoccupied France, the Nazi formed a puppet gov’t
headed by Marshal Petain, at Vichy, in southern France.
General Charles de Gaule formed a French gov’t in
England, & determined to continue a war of liberation.
Hitler launched an attack on Britain but repulsed by
Britain.
USA opposed the Japanese expansion in Far East. Then
Japan attacked the USA Naval Base at Pearl Harbour on
the Pacific Islands of Hawawii in December 1941 & USA
declared war on Japan.
Germany & Italy declared war on USA. In 1942
Germany, Italy & Japan were at the height of their
success in WWII.
 Cont.
Germany conquered vast territories in Europe. Japan become
master of mach of the Far East & Pacific Island.
In Europe USSR made strong resistance against Germany &
scored victory at the battle of Stalingrad & Kursk in 1942/43.
This was the beginning of Allied counter offensive in Europe. It
also extended to Africa.
In June 1940 Italy entered WWII on the side of Germany. This
led the military intervention in the Liberation of Ethiopia.
The British military support came from Sudan & Kenya.
The British troops under General William Platt attacked the
Italians in Eritrea.
The two British officers, Major General Orde Charles Wingate
& Brigader General Daniel Sandford, led a joint army known as
the Gedeon Force with Emperor Haile Selassie, that entered
Gojjam in April 1941.
Cont.
The British commander Lieutenant General Sir Allan
Cunningham entered Ethiopia through British East Africa
(Kenya) & his army controlled Addis Ababa on 6 April,
1941.
Emperor Haile Selassie re-entered his Addis Ababa on
5 May, 1941 & officially hoisted the Ethiopian flag.
In May 1943 Britain, France & the USA finally drove
German & Italian forces out of North Africa.
From 1943-1945- the Allied powers were victorious over the
Axis in Africa, Europe & Asia
In 1943 Allied invasion of Italy hastened overthrow of
Mussolini from power. In 1944, France liberated & overrun
much of Italy.
Russia liberated her last provinces in 1943-1944.
 Cont.
On April, 30, 1945 Adolf Hitler committed suicide.
Mussolini was also murdered by Italian Communist in
1945.
Germany unconditional surrendered. USA, New Zealand &
Austria reoccupied Pacific Islands since 1943.
On August 6, & 9, 1945 the USA dropped atomic bombs on
Japanese cities Hiroshima & Nagasaki, respectively.
The USSR invaded Manchuria. USA forces occupied
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, on 2 Sept. 1945. Japan
unconditionally surrendered.
The WWII ended with the victory of Allied Power.
Consequences of WWII
Socio-Economic Effects
 Cont.
 About 50 million peoples, fighters & civilian lost their lives.
 Millions of families were broken & children left orphans.
 Holocaust was the attempt at mass extermination of the Jews by
Germany under the leadership of Adolf Hitler.
Political Effects
The rise of Soviet Union & the USA as two super powers.
The birth of United Nations.
Destruction the three Axis powers.
It enhanced the prestige of the communist dictatorship of Russia &
enabled it to spread its control all over east & central Europe as well as
Asia. However, democracy held its way over western Europe. Thus two
blocs emerged:
A. The Capitalist bloc of Great Britain, the USA & their allies.
B. The Communist bloc of the Soviet Union & her satellites.
 A number of fighters became handicapped.
 Material losses on infrastructures, factories, roads, & buildings.
 The war hastened the process of decolonization in Asia & Africa.
 Cont.
 The bloodless diplomatic & political competitions & conflict
b/n the two powers & their respective allies known as the Cold
War.
5.5 Restoration of the Monarchy & British Domination Over
Ethiopia
In 1941 Emperor Haile Selassie reinstated to his former position.
British setup the Occupied Enemy Territory Administration
over Ogden & Eritrea.
In 1942 the Anglo-Ethiopian Treaty was allowed British to
exercise considerable authority in Ethiopia & made Ethiopia
dependent.
British took the position of administrative hierarchy, advisory,
controlled the financial system.
In 1944, the Second Anglo-Ethiopia Treaty was signed, to restore
Ogden to Ethiopia.
 Cont.
 British allowed Ethiopia to use Djibouti Addis Ababa
railway, British agreed to train Ethiopian military forces
Ogden stayed under British up to 1954.
 Eritrea under British Administration from 1941 to 1952.
 Eritrea become the federate in 1952 by the resolution of the
UN General Assembly.
 The first Woyane Rebellion break out in 1943, led by Blata
Haile Mariam Rede but crushed by joint Anglo-Ethiopian
air strike & ground attack.