In 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia, a move that nearly coincided with the start of World War II. The Italian Prime Minister at the time wanted to expand Italy’s territory, much like Germany was doing. He justified this by saying that Italy was only doing what other colonial powers had done in Africa.
Most of Africa was under European control, but Ethiopia was an independent nation. It bordered Italian territories, making it an attractive target for Italy’s expansion plans. The Italian government saw Ethiopia as the perfect place to start their military campaign.
On October 3, 1935, without warning, Italy invaded Ethiopia. Marshal Emilio De Bono led 200,000 Italian soldiers from Eritrea, while General Rodolfo Graziani led a smaller force from Italian Somaliland. Despite not declaring war, Ethiopia responded by declaring war on Italy.
Interestingly, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie ordered his commanders to pull back their troops from the border, which allowed the Italians to advance. Within days, the Italians captured key Ethiopian towns, but their progress soon slowed, frustrating the Italian Prime Minister.
As the Italians moved forward, they declared an end to slavery in Ethiopia, which forced many freed slaves to seek help from the Italians due to a lack of resources. The Italians then captured the ancient obelisk of Axum and continued their advance.
In response, Ethiopia launched the Christmas Offensive, aiming to split the Italian forces. Despite having a larger army, the Ethiopians faced challenges, including Italian air attacks and chemical warfare, which turned the tide in Italy’s favor.
Eventually, Italy claimed victory and annexed Ethiopia, declaring King Victor Emmanuel III as Emperor of Ethiopia. However, conflicts between local and Italian troops persisted until World War II began.
Italy’s invasion was partly driven by a desire to avenge their defeat in the Battle of Adwa during the First Italo-Ethiopian War. Additionally, a border skirmish in 1934 further fueled tensions. The Italian government also saw the annexation of Ethiopia as a way to boost their economy during the Great Depression by accessing mineral resources and creating jobs.
Italy’s control over neighboring territories like Italian Somaliland and Eritrea made the invasion logistically feasible, further motivating their expansionist ambitions.
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Research the key events leading up to, during, and after the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935. Create a timeline that includes at least ten significant events. Use visuals and brief descriptions to make your timeline engaging. This will help you understand the sequence of events and their impact on the historical context.
Participate in a class debate where you will be assigned a role as either an Italian government official, an Ethiopian leader, or a member of the League of Nations. Prepare arguments based on your role’s perspective regarding the invasion. This activity will help you explore different viewpoints and the complexities of international relations during that time.
Analyze a map of Africa from the 1930s and identify the territories controlled by European powers. Highlight Ethiopia and its neighboring Italian territories. Discuss with your classmates how geography influenced Italy’s decision to invade Ethiopia. This will enhance your understanding of the strategic considerations in historical conflicts.
Conduct research on the use of chemical warfare during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. Present your findings in a short report or presentation, focusing on the types of chemicals used, their effects, and the international response. This will provide insight into the ethical and humanitarian issues of warfare.
Write a fictional diary entry from the perspective of an Ethiopian soldier or civilian during the invasion. Describe your experiences, emotions, and hopes for the future. This creative exercise will help you empathize with individuals affected by historical events and understand the human side of history.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Technically, Italy narrowly missed the breakout of World War II with its invasion of Abyssinia, or modern-day Ethiopia. The Italian Prime Minister decided to adopt a new expansionist policy for his country, similar to the one taken by their soon-to-be Axis ally, the German Third Reich. The Prime Minister justified his new goals, particularly with his eyes set on Africa, by claiming he had no different intentions than any of the colonial powers that seized territory on the African continent or elsewhere.
Most of Africa was controlled by European powers, but one country in East Africa was independent and shared a border with other Italian territories in the region. Considering that Ethiopia wasn’t a territory of any foreign power and shared a border with Italian territories, the Italian government, which already had expansionist ideas, considered Ethiopia the best place to start their military actions.
What really happened when Italy invaded Ethiopia? The conflict came without warning and was accompanied by no declaration of war. At 5 a.m. on October 3, 1935, Marshal Emilio De Bono led 200,000 Italian soldiers into Ethiopia from the neighboring Italian territory of Eritrea. Simultaneously, a smaller group of troops was led by General Rodolfo Graziani from Italian Somaliland. As De Bono crossed the Marab River and began to advance onto Ethiopian soil, the victimized country declared war on their invader, despite the lack of such a statement from the Italians themselves.
Oddly, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie had ordered the commander of the Ethiopian army in Tigray, Ras Abebe, to pull his troops back roughly one day’s march away from the Marab River. Additionally, the Emperor instructed the commander of the Qatari forces, Ras Gugsa, to withdraw over 30 miles back from the Ethiopian border.
Two days into the campaign, the city of Adigrat fell to the Italian First Corps, and the following day, on October 6th, the Italian Second Corps seized the town of Adwa. The advance then slowed down slightly, which displeased the Italian Prime Minister when he was informed. The next major event occurred on October 11th, when Gugsa, who had pulled back from his position at the border with 1,200 men, surrendered to the Italians. In reality, less than one-tenth of Gugsa’s troops were willing to surrender with him, but Italian propaganda latched onto this moment and made the act of surrender by the Ethiopian forces widely known.
Three days later, on October 14th, De Bono utilized his newfound power after their initial success to proclaim an end to all slavery in Ethiopia. This move displayed how unhurried the Italian troops were to conquer more territory, but it also benefited the intruders. Slave owners were not required to feed or provide for their slaves, and given that a large amount of livestock and food had been sent south to support the Ethiopian army, many newly freed slaves had no choice but to approach the Italians for help.
With this new success, the Italians, commanded by De Bono, moved on to capture the ancient obelisk of Axum. There was now a lull in progress, which further agitated the Italian Prime Minister when he learned that it was not until November 8th that the Italian First Corps teamed up with the Eritrean Corps to take the city of Makale. After the new expansion, the line of supply had been lengthened by roughly 56 miles, and the roads in Ethiopia were not great to begin with, prompting De Bono to suggest that a new road from Makale be created before he and his men advanced further.
Eight days later, De Bono was promoted and received the honorable rank of Marshal of Italy but was replaced in Ethiopia only a month later due to the leisurely pace of his campaign. Next came an initiative known as the Christmas Offensive. The goal of the Ethiopians was to attack the Italians in the north using a multi-pronged offensive split into left, center, and right groupings. The Ethiopians aimed to divide the Italian troops into two groups, clashing the Ethiopian right with the Italian left and right, and then pushing their way into Eritrea with the Ethiopian left.
The counter-offensive was to be carried out by Ras Imru Haile Selassie, Ras Kassa, Ras Mulugeta, and Ras Seyum. In total, the Ethiopian forces numbered around 190,000 men, compared to approximately 125,000 Italians and Eritreans. The goal was to split the Italian forces, separating the Italian First and Third Corps from one another. Ras Mulugeta would then work to defeat both isolated Italian groups simultaneously, while Ras Imru’s army would rush to retake Adwa and cross the Eritrean border.
However, the plan did not go as the Ethiopians had hoped. First, the Army of Gazam was bombed at the very start of their advance, staggering the Ethiopian troops and causing many to abandon the cause. Ras Imru and the remainder of his men then met up with another Ethiopian force led by Ayalu Beru and began to advance together toward the Tekaze River. Ras Imru sent a small group of men to the northwest, which the Italians followed and attacked from the air, as he had predicted, while the rest of Beru and Imru’s men were led northeast.
During the night, the Ethiopians made progress after crossing the river on December 15th. The Italian defensive was weak, and Ethiopian morale began to soar as they repeatedly beat back their invaders. The Italians struggled to put up a solid defense for some time, but finally, on December 26th, Pietro Badoglio received the go-ahead to use chemical warfare, specifically mustard gas, as the Italians rained it down on their opponents using air force bombers and special artillery canisters. They also began to gain momentum with their more modernized weaponry, such as machine guns, compared to the Ethiopians. The tide of battle turned in Italy’s favor as more men from the Italian Third and Fourth Corps joined the fight at the start of the new year.
Eventually, the Italian government announced the official annexation of Ethiopia, and the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III was named the Emperor of Ethiopia. While Italy claimed authority over the region, conflicts between local and occupying troops continued right up to the start of World War II.
Why did Italy want to attack Ethiopia to begin with? The main reason may have stemmed from an earlier conflict between the two sides that the Italian Prime Minister had never been able to forget. The Battle of Adwa, which occurred during the First Italo-Ethiopian War at the close of the 19th century, had been an embarrassing defeat for the Italians. The Ethiopians had managed to outnumber their opponents and had weaponry supplied by both Russia and France, leading to a crushing defeat for the Italians, who had hoped to launch a new campaign of colonial expansion.
The current Italian administration was likely inspired not only by old plans for expansion but also by a thirst for redemption after that earlier humiliation. Furthermore, in December of 1934, a border skirmish broke out along the Ethiopian and Italian Somaliland border, resulting in a total of 200 casualties. Both Italy and Ethiopia were exonerated after the conflict, but the Italian Prime Minister was extremely displeased and believed that the Ethiopians should have been held accountable for the deaths.
Additionally, the annexation of Ethiopia had the potential to help Italy counteract the effects of the Great Depression by providing an abundance of mineral resources and job opportunities for unemployed Italians. This combination of influences likely provided a strong justification in the mind of the Italian government for a renewed attempt at colonial expansion, particularly in Ethiopia. Italy already controlled Italian Somaliland and Eritrea, making it easier for them to make a new move toward occupation on the African continent.
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This version removes any inappropriate or sensitive content while maintaining the overall context and information from the original transcript.
Italy – A country in Southern Europe known for its rich history and cultural heritage. – During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Italy sought to expand its influence by acquiring territories in Africa.
Ethiopia – A country in the Horn of Africa with a long history of resisting foreign invasions. – Ethiopia successfully resisted Italian colonization during the Battle of Adwa in 1896.
Invasion – An instance of entering a country or region with an armed force to conquer or occupy it. – The invasion of Poland by Germany in 1939 marked the beginning of World War II.
Territory – An area of land under the jurisdiction of a ruler or state. – The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 doubled the territory of the United States.
Colonial – Relating to or characteristic of a colony or colonies. – The colonial powers of Europe established vast empires across Africa and Asia during the 19th century.
Emperor – A sovereign ruler of great power and rank, especially one ruling an empire. – Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia played a crucial role in modernizing his country and resisting Italian aggression.
Resistance – The refusal to accept or comply with something; the attempt to prevent something by action or argument. – The French Resistance was a movement that fought against Nazi occupation during World War II.
Resources – Materials or assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function effectively. – The discovery of natural resources like gold and diamonds in Africa attracted European colonial powers.
War – A state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country. – The Civil War in the United States was fought over issues including states’ rights and slavery.
Expansion – The action of becoming larger or more extensive. – The expansion of the Roman Empire brought many different cultures under its control.
