To what extent did Menelik II influence the Ethiopian victory of the first italo-ethiopian war?
‘
The first Italo-Ethiopian war, where Italy attempted to gain control of Ethiopia, was to a large extent won through the skilled leadership of Emperor Menelik II.The Italians attempted to trick the emperor[1] into making Ethiopia be beholden to Italy but they failed and declared war, which in turn lead to their defeat at the battle of Adwa and Ethiopian independence. The Emperor played a key role in achieving this victory, displaying his shrewd political ability and understanding of the modern age. He did whatever he considered necessary to achieve his goals, and was a capable negotiator, allying with multiple other nations to fortify his position. …show more content…
A major reason European countries gave to their conquering of the African nation was to civilise their populace, both academically and religiously. This excuse could not be used for Ethiopia as it had already accepted Christianity during the 4th century. It quickly became the nation’s accepted faith, and was still so during the 19th century. This contributed to the Italian populace being disenchanted by the colonial agenda. In addition to this they lived under Francesco Crispi, who had become repressive and cruel, brutally crushing a socialist uprising in 1894. This malcontent among the populace meant that the colonial advances in Ethiopia were under incredible scrutiny and had to go well to placate those who were angry. The battle of Adwa was an absolute disgrace for the Italians. The casualty rate suffered by the Italians was the worst suffered of any major European battle of the 19th century, beyond even the napoleonic Waterloo. After the battle Menlik retired and waited for the news to hit Italy. The Italians were completely outraged. The Europeans viewed the African people as inferior and beneath them, the idea that they could be beaten by Africans was completely foreign to them. Riots hit the streets as the Italians raged over their disgrace, and within two weeks the Crispi Government collapsed. The instability of the Crispi government of Italy meant that the loss at Adwa was a complete defeat for Italy and no counter-attack would be mounted, giving Ethiopia
‘
The first Italo-Ethiopian war, where Italy attempted to gain control of Ethiopia, was to a large extent won through the skilled leadership of Emperor Menelik II.The Italians attempted to trick the emperor[1] into making Ethiopia be beholden to Italy but they failed and declared war, which in turn lead to their defeat at the battle of Adwa and Ethiopian independence. The Emperor played a key role in achieving this victory, displaying his shrewd political ability and understanding of the modern age. He did whatever he considered necessary to achieve his goals, and was a capable negotiator, allying with multiple other nations to fortify his position. …show more content…
A major reason European countries gave to their conquering of the African nation was to civilise their populace, both academically and religiously. This excuse could not be used for Ethiopia as it had already accepted Christianity during the 4th century. It quickly became the nation’s accepted faith, and was still so during the 19th century. This contributed to the Italian populace being disenchanted by the colonial agenda. In addition to this they lived under Francesco Crispi, who had become repressive and cruel, brutally crushing a socialist uprising in 1894. This malcontent among the populace meant that the colonial advances in Ethiopia were under incredible scrutiny and had to go well to placate those who were angry. The battle of Adwa was an absolute disgrace for the Italians. The casualty rate suffered by the Italians was the worst suffered of any major European battle of the 19th century, beyond even the napoleonic Waterloo. After the battle Menlik retired and waited for the news to hit Italy. The Italians were completely outraged. The Europeans viewed the African people as inferior and beneath them, the idea that they could be beaten by Africans was completely foreign to them. Riots hit the streets as the Italians raged over their disgrace, and within two weeks the Crispi Government collapsed. The instability of the Crispi government of Italy meant that the loss at Adwa was a complete defeat for Italy and no counter-attack would be mounted, giving Ethiopia