The treaty would later be the trigger for the battle of Adwa. The treaty was written in Amharic and Italian. The Italians eventually signed the Treaty of Wuchale with Menelik in May 1889.
It sought to divide and conquer Ras Mangasha of Tigray and Nigus Menelik of Shoa. This period is regarded as Kifu Ken, evil days. Famine and disease wiped out a third of the population between 18. Italy’s expansion across Ethiopia was facilitated by the devastation caused by rinderpest – an infectious viral disease – that killed up to 90% of the country’s livestock. Italy suffered heavy defeats but this didn’t deter them. From Massawa, Italy moved slowly inland, leading to a number of clashes with locals, which culminated in the battle of Adwa. With British support, Italy took control of the port city of Massawa in 1885. Italy expanded its presence in the Red Sea, an area that had become important since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. At the Berlin Conference, European colonial powers agreed that Italy could take over Ethiopia as its future colony. Italy had a colonial possession over Assab port since 1882. Before the conference, only about 10% of Africa was controlled by Europeans the remaining 90% was ruled by indigenous and traditional rulers. At the Berlin Conference of 1884-5, 14 European countries divided Africa among themselves. The road to AdwaĪ decade before the Battle of Adwa, European powers had decided the fate of Ethiopia. In the 19th century, the three successive kings, namely Emperor Tewodros of Gondar, Yohannes of Tigrai and Menelik of Shoa, sought to centralize power. Muslim immigrants were welcomed and protected by the Christian king in the seventh century. The Kebra Nagast, the national epic that elaborates this belief, provided the basis for the emergence of a Solomonic dynasty that incorporates diverse lands and cultures into one country. From the fourth century, an indigenous Christianity, Orthodox Tewahido, developed through the synthesis of belief in the Ark of the Covenant, the gospel and ancient traditional practices. The people spoke an Afrasian language, which is the origin of almost all languages currently spoken in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.Įthiopians developed the Geez or Ethiopic writing system. Regarded as the origin of humankind, it was, according to Harvard professor Ephraim IsaacĪbout 10,000 years ago, one single nation or community of a single linguistic group.
Europeans ended up ruling the native peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia.Įthiopia stood as the antithesis of the colonial worldview. Since the beginning of slavery and colonialism in the 16th century, similar battles had occurred around the world. Davey, used under a Creative Commons license. “Battle of Adwa” (detail), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They are able to score a decisive victory against global colonialist forces. The battle between Ethiopia and Italy took place in the mountainous terrain of the area.Īdwa still stands as witness to what ordinary Africans can do when they come together as farmers, pastoralists, women and rural people, workers and artists. Yeha, the capital of Ethiopia’s ancient empire from 980-400 BC, and the monastery of Aba Garima, which was founded in the sixth century AD, are located near the town. The town of Adwa is located in Northern Tigray, closer to the southern border of Eritrea. It also led to a change of government in Italy. Adwa turned Ethiopia into a symbol of freedom for Black people globally. The outcome of this battle ensured Ethiopia’s independence, making it the only African country never to be colonized.
On the first day of March 124 years ago, traditional warriors, farmers and pastoralists as well as women defeated a well-armed Italian army in the northern town of Adwa in Ethiopia. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
0 kommentar(er)
