The History of The Battle and Victory of Adwa (Minilik Salsawi)
Dear Sir , Welcome to adwa 125 Years victory celebration and African History Month. I would like to thank you to the United States of Africa that present this discussion and I am so glad to be a part of this discussion and invition to present this paper on Adwa victory. Let us see from the Bignning to the End of the war and the sagnificence to Africa and panafricanism.
- The History of The Battle and Victory of Adwa 125th By Minilik Salsawi
The Ethiopian forces defeated the Italian invading force on Sunday 1 March 1896, near the town of Adwa. The decisive victory thwarted the campaign of the Kingdom of Italy to expand its colonial empire in the Horn of Africa.The outcome of this battle ensured Ethiopia’s independence, making it the only African country never to be colonised. Adwa turned Ethiopia into a symbol of freedom for black people globally. It also led to a change of government in Italy.125 years ago, Ethiopian men and women defeated the Italian army in the Battle of Adwa. … Adwa turned Ethiopia into a symbol of freedom for black people globally. It also led to a change of government in Italy. The town of Adwa is located in Northern Tigray, closer to the southern border of Eritrea. Ethiopia was among the first independent nations to sign the Charter of the United Nations, and it gave moral and material support to the decolonization of Africa and to the growth of Pan-African cooperation.
Menelik II was most responsible for the Ethiopian victory. Menelik II was the cause of their victory. He played Italy, France, and Britain all against each other. While this was happening, he gathered weapons from France and Russia and used these weapons to fend off the “invaders”. Menelik declared war after misinterpreting the treaty that he agreed to that came from Italy. He thought they were only claiming a tiny portion of Ethiopia but really they claimed all of Ethiopia as a protectorate,Menelik was the first to declare war.
The European nightmare that ended with the great victory of Adwa
The Europeans set their sights on Africa in 1884 at a conference in Berlin. However, the invasion of Africa began in 1870. When they invaded Africa that year, they occupied only 10 percent of Africa’s land, but in 1914, when they were supposed to end their colonial rule, 90% of Africa’s land was under European control. At that time, the only two African countries that were free were Ethiopia and Liberia.
- When did the idea of colonization come about?
In 1884, at the request of Portugal, German leader Ottoman Bismarck called on powerful powers to strengthen their agreement with Africa and resolve their disputes. The invited countries were Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, France, Belgium, Sweden, Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Turkey, and the United States.
Among these fourteen countries were Portugal, Britain, France, and Germany, which at the time were major participants in the conference and occupied much of Africa at the time. One of the main reasons for this was our desire to control political power in Europe.
This is a great way to show their superiority over the rest of the world, including Africa. Another reason is the growing social crisis in Europe following the new capitalist ideology (famine, migration, unemployment, housing crisis, etc.).
Believing that the key to overcoming all these problems is to take control of Africa, the fourteen countries mentioned above agreed to divide Africa at a German-sponsored conference at the invitation of Portugal. According to the treaty, they began to send troops to take control of Africa, under the guise of missionaries, under the guise of “preaching to you religion,” medical and road surveyors, advising governors. Africans who believed in their deception, “We will teach you civilization and religion,” began to live in slavery on their own land.
- How did the colonization take place in such a short time?
One of the reasons why the European colonists took over Africa in such a short period of time was the lion’s share of power among the local rulers. The Europeans took full advantage of this African gap. Persuading one of the missionaries to attack one another; On the other hand, they took up arms and killed each other before going to war.
The second reason is the severe famine of 1895, the enormous locusts that followed Africa, and the extinction of cattle by Europeans. All of this, with its problems and moral decay, the Africans easily surrendered to their European colonists.
All blacks are dominated by the “Take the mind keep the body” system used by the whites during their rule; The people fell under the yoke of oppression until they were liberated in the 1960s by the liberation movement, which was believed to be a white loser in the victory of Adwa.
At the time, Italy, which had been eyeing our country under the auspices of colonialism, had been providing arms to Emperor Menelik II since the reign of Emperor John IV. After the death of the emperor and the reign of Menelik II, they tried to use their power to divide and conquer other African countries through their spies.
They traveling north, south, east, and west of Ethiopia and gathering the Governers who have a problem against Menelik and they said How does Menelik admin you? Pretending to be compassionate,Those who did not disagree with Menelik intended to side with him by using power and various deceptions (including Menelik’s fleshly relatives). Our forefathers, who seemed to be divided on a safe day, stood together on a bad day and defeated the invading army, leaving no room for the enemy.
After the Adwa victory, the dream of colonialism in Berlin came to an end. No country was invaded after the Adwa victory. Professor Raymond Jonas explains this … Adwa’s victory is the first in the history of modern Africa and Ethiopia has proved to be a superpower. But more than that, any European country dream of colonizing has turned into a nightmare
The attention of the greatest in the world of political power will not be lost for a moment. The ancient Europeans did not try to dispossess our ancestors. The geo-political touch of the region, especially from the Horn of Africa to the Red Sea, is unique in all four directions.
For many, the Horn of Africa is the first to be remembered by Ethiopia.
Unparalleled age-old freedom, beautiful and attractive culture of the rest of the hemisphere, differences of opinion based on tolerance and respect, unity in diversity, original language and values have made it easy for many to perish: Ethiopia.
Ethiopia: Blood Builder Ethiopianness is the edge of beauty. Her landscape is beautiful, her virginity, her virginity, and the bones and blood of her children.
Every year in February, the month of World History is marked by the balance of the struggle for black freedom. Adwa was the dome of the black liberation movement of that time. Adwa is a victory in which the backbone of the colonialists is shattered and the whole world is glorified.
Realizing that Africa was at war, the invaders created another diplomatic context in order not to leave the region and liberate Africans.
- Adwa
Adwa was the climactic battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Ethiopian forces defeated the Italian invading force on Sunday 1 March 1896, near the town of Adwa. The decisive victory thwarted the campaign of the Kingdom of Italy to expand its colonial empire in the Horn of Africa. By the end of the 19th century, European powers had carved up almost all of Africa after the Berlin Conference; only Ethiopia, Liberia and the Dervish State still maintained their independence.Adwa became a pre-eminent symbol of pan-Africanism and secured Ethiopia’s sovereignty until the Second Italo-Ethiopian War forty years later.
In 1889, the Italians signed the Treaty of Wuchale with then Negus[nb 5] Menelik of Shewa. The treaty ceded territories previously part of Ethiopia, namely the provinces of Bogos, Hamasien, Akele Guzai, Serae, and parts of Tigray. In return, Italy promised Menelik II continued rule, financial assistance and military supplies. A dispute later arose over the interpretation of the two versions of the document. The Italian-language version of the disputed Article 17 of the treaty stated that the Emperor of Ethiopia was obliged to conduct all foreign affairs through Italian authorities. This would in effect make Ethiopia a protectorate of the Kingdom of Italy. The Amharic version of the article however, stated that the Emperor could use the good offices of the Kingdom of Italy in his relations with foreign nations if he wished. However, the Italian diplomats claimed that the original Amharic text included the clause and that Menelik II knowingly signed a modified copy of the Treaty.
The disagreement of the treaty; the Amharic version stated that Ethiopia could use Italy for foreign relations with Europe. The Italian version stated that Menelik had to have Italy’s permission for foreign exchanges. When Italy declined Menelik’s request to change that statement Italy refused, resulting in Menelik declining the entire treaty.
Difference: Italians tried to claim all of ethiopia; Italy wanted all foreign exchanges to run through them.
Same: Both states that Menelik’s confusion on the statements.
The Italian government decided on a military solution to force Ethiopia to abide by the Italian version of the treaty. As a result, Italy and Ethiopia came into confrontation, in what was later to be known as the First Italo-Ethiopian War. In December 1894, Bahta Hagos led a rebellion against the Italians in Akele Guzai, in what was then Italian controlled Eritrea. Units of General Oreste Baratieri’s army under Major Pietro Toselli [it] crushed the rebellion and killed Bahta. The Italian army then occupied the Tigrayan capital, Adwa. In January 1895, Baratieri’s army went on to defeat Ras Mengesha Yohannes in the Battle of Coatit, forcing Mengesha to retreat further south.
By late 1895, Italian forces had advanced deep into Ethiopian territory. On 7 December 1895, Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael, Ras Welle Betul and Ras Mengesha Yohannes commanding a larger Ethiopian group of Menelik’s vanguard annihilated a small Italian unit at the Battle of Amba Alagi. The Italians were then forced to withdraw to more defensible positions in Tigray Province, where the two main armies faced each other. By late February 1896, supplies on both sides were running low. General Oreste Baratieri, commander of the Italian forces, knew the Ethiopian forces had been living off the land, and once the supplies of the local peasants were exhausted, Emperor Menelik II’s army would begin to melt away. However, the Italian government insisted that General Baratieri act.
- The landscape of Adwa
On the evening of 29 February, Baratieri, about to be replaced by a new governor, General Baldissera, met with his brigadier generals Matteo Albertone, Giuseppe Arimondi, Vittorio Dabormida, and Giuseppe Ellena, concerning their next steps. He opened the meeting on a negative note, revealing to his brigadiers that provisions would be exhausted in less than five days, and suggested retreating, perhaps as far back as Asmara. His subordinates argued forcefully for an attack, insisting that to retreat at this point would only worsen the poor morale.Dabormida exclaimed, “Italy would prefer the loss of two or three thousand men to a dishonorable retreat.” Baratieri delayed making a decision for a few more hours, claiming that he needed to wait for some last-minute intelligence, but in the end announced that the attack would start the next morning at 9:00am His troops began their march to their starting positions shortly after midnight.
The Battle of Adwa in 1896 also had two fateful consequencesthe preservation of Ethiopia’s independence from Italian colonization, and the confirmation of Italy’s control over the part of the country Italy had named Eritrea in 1890. Both consequences had repercussions throughout the twentieth century. Italy experienced her defeat at Adwa as intensely humiliating, and that humiliation became a national trauma which demagogic leaders strove to avenge. It also played no little part in motivating Italy’s revanchist adventure in 1935. On the other hand, Italy’s continued occupation of Eritrea gave her a convenient springboard from which to launch that invasion. A generation later, tensions stemming from the protracted division of historic Ethiopia into two partsone under European governance, one under the Ethiopian Crownculminated in a long civil war, and the eventual secession of Eritrea as an independent state in 1993. In addition to these actual historic consequences, the Battle of Adwa was historic because it acquired symbolic significance of many kinds. In some instances this symbolism itself came to exert a certain influence on the course of events.
- Adwa’s Symbolism in Other Countries
Donald N. Levine wrote …. In Europe, the short-term symbolic significance of the Ethiopian defeat of Italy in 1896 was that it served to initiate a process of rethinking the Europeans’ image of Africa and Africans. During the nineteenth century Africa had come to be viewed in increasingly pejorative terms, as a continent of people so primitive they were fit only for European rule. Ethiopia did not escape such swipes. British officers called Ethiopia a nation of savages and Italian officials described it as “a nation of primitive tribesmen led by a barbarian.” The British Foreign Office supported the provocative move of ceding Zula to Italy, expecting that Yohannes would protest by attacking them and then easily be punished for imagining that Ethiopians were equal to white men. Kaiser Wilhelm responded to Emperor Menelik’s announcement of his accession to the throne with insulting language. The stunning victory at Adwa required Europeans to take Ethiopia and Africa more seriously. It not only initiated a decade of negotiations with European powers in which nine border treaties were signed, it made Europeans begin to reconsider their prejudices against Africans. It came to symbolize a rising awareness among Europeans of African political resources and yearnings and an increasing recognition of indigenous African cultural accomplishments.
In Japan, Ethiopia became appreciated as the first non-Caucasian power to defeat Europeans, an achievement the Japanese were to duplicate in warfare against Russia in 1904. This appreciation led to a sense of affinity that bore fruit for decades thereafter. Ethiopian intellectuals looked to Japan as a model for modernizing their ancient monarchy; the Meiji Constitution served as a model for the Ethiopian Constitution of 1931. When Italy invaded Ethiopia again in the mid-thirties, many Japanese citizens (if not the regime formally) expressed solidarity with Ethiopians, sending shipments of many thousands of swords to help Ethiopians in their plight. In Africa, the Battle of Adwa inspired other kinds of symbolism. For a number of colonized Africans, the Ethiopian victory at Adwa symbolized the possibility of future emancipation. Black South Africans of the Ethiopian Church came to identify with the Christian kingdom in the Horn, a connection that led South African leader James Dwane to write Menelik for help in caring for the Christian communities of Egypt and Sudan. The victory at Adwa made Ethiopia visible as a beacon of African independence, a position that inspired figures like Nnamdi Azikiwe in Nigeria, Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana, and Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya in the early years of the African independence movement, as well as leaders in the West Indies like George Padmore and Marcus Garvey from Jamaica.
- Adwa as a Symbol of Ethiopia’s Tradition of Independence
Within Ethiopia itself, Adwa symbolized many things, some of which had positive consequences for her development while others did not. Internally, as abroad, it symbolized Ethiopia’s proud commitment to freedom from foreign domination. Of the many emblems of Ethiopia’s historic independence, Adwa is perhaps the most visible and the most dramatic. The spirit of Ethiopians’ defiant protection of their land from outsiders manifests itself in many forms. There is the apocryphal story of Emperor Tewodros, who is said to have ordered the boots of some visitors washed before they embarked on a ship back to Europe, saying: “Far more precious than jewels is a single drop of Ethiopian soil.” There was the refrain I used to hear young braves chant at festive times, jabbing dula (stick) up and down as they danced and sang:
Min alle, Teqel min alle? Ageren le sew, ageren le sew, alsetim alle!
(What did Teqel [Haile Selassie’s horse name] say? I won’t give my country to foreigners, he said.)
With respect to Menelik’s reputation, it partly overcame the resentments he had stirred up by ceding Bogos to Italy in exchange for help against his competitors in Tigray. As a historic assertion of Ethiopia’s independence, Adwa also reverberated with memories of Ethiopia’s experience as a long-lived independent polity. Its symbolism thereby encompassed a layer of meaning that alluded to the historic depth of the Ethiopian nation. It revived memories of earlier achievements and yearnings. At the same time, Adwa may have served to give Ethiopians a false sense of confidence about their position in the modern world. In showing themselves and the world that they could defeat a European invader with their own resources, the 1896 campaign may have led them to think that their traditional resources could be adequate in an era in which war would be waged with tanks and airplanes. It gave encouragement to isolationist and conservative strains that were deeply rooted in Ethiopian culture, strengthening the hand of those who would strive to keep Ethiopia from adopting techniques imported from the modern Westresistances with which both Menelik and Ras Teferi/Haile Selassie would have to contend.
- Adwa as a Symbol of Multi-ethnic Cooperation
The symbolism of multi-ethnic collaboration evoked by the Battle of Adwa has been less visible than its role in symbolizing Ethiopia’s tradition of independence. Yet in some ways the former was the most remarkable and meaningful aspect of the entire episode.
Although members of different ethnic, religious, and regional groups had been interacting regularly in Ethiopia for more than 2,000 years through trading, intermarriage, common ritual observances, pilgrimages, and political competition from the perspective of Ethiopian history, Adwa offers the most dramatic instance of multi-ethnic collaboration before the 20th century. This is because it gave expression to a great outpouring of national patriotism, foreshadowing the great patriotic struggles of 1935–41.
Even from the perspective of modern world history, Adwa represented a relatively rare struggle for national independence waged by a coalition of diverse ethnic groups. Twenty-five years earlier, Adwa had been the scene of a protracted battle between Dejazmatch Kasa, who would become Emperor Yohannes IV, and the reigning emperor, Tekle Giorgis II, formerly Wag Shum Gobeze. What the 1871 Battle of Adwa symbolized was the age-old struggle among different regional and ethnic groups for dominance. Yohannes, like Tewodros II before him, came to the throne determined to reunify the empire, which had been fragmented following the invasion of Ahmed Gragn and subsequent divisive developments. Although Yohannes did not live to see it, the 1896 Battle of Adwa was a tribute to his vision and to the thoughtfulness and determination with which he sought to unify Ethiopia while respecting the local jurisdiction of regional kings and lords so long as they remained faithful to the national crown. Those who would deny Ethiopia’s long existence as a multi-ethnic society must be embarrassed by the facts of the Adwa experience. If the empire consisted of nothing but a congeries of separate tribal and regional groups, how then account for the courageous collaboration of 100,000 troops from dozens of ethnic groups from all parts of the country? How then explain the spirited national patriotism of such diverse leaders as Ras Alula, Ras Mengesha, and Ras Sibhat of Tigray, Dejazmatch Bahta of Akale Guzae, Wag Shum Guangul of Lasta, Ras Mikael of Wollo, Negus Tekle-Haymanot of Gojjam, Ras Gobena and Dejazmatch Balcha of the Mecha Oromo, Ras Wole of the Yejju Oromo, Fitawrari Tekle of Wollega, Ras Mekonnen of Harer, as well as Ras Gebeyehu (who died fighting at Adwa) and Ras Abate of Shoa? Of course, deeply rooted antagonisms and persistent rivalries among different factions beset Ethiopia throughout the 19th century. And yet, as historian Sven Rubenson has written, “at the crucial moment, Menelik commanded the loyalty of every important chief in the country.” The Battle of Adwa became and remains the most outstanding symbols of what, a half-century later, a British colonel would describe as the “mysterious magnetism” that holds Ethiopia together.
- The Battle of Adwa as a “Historic” Event
Donald N. Levine wrote There are three reasons why we commonly refer to some happening as a historic event: either it occurs for the first time; it has significant consequences; or it is symbolically important. As a first time event, Emperor Menelik’s cession of the Bogos highlands to Italy in 1889 has been described as historic, as the first time that an Ethiopian ruler ever voluntarily ceded territory to a foreign power. In the same vein, Abebe Bikila’s victory in the marathon race in the 1960 Olympics at Rome was historic, as the first time that an Ethiopian won a gold medal. We also designate events as historic when their consequences significantly alter the shape of subsequent history. The conversion of King Ezanas to Christianity in the middle of the fourth century was historic in this sense because it redirected Ethiopia’s entire cultural development. Similarly, the protection given to disciples of the Prophet Mohammed by the Ethiopian king in the seventh century was a historic event. It led Mohammed to advise his followers to spare Ethiopia from the jihad of Islamic expansion that took place soon after. Likewise, the killing of Emperor Yohannes IV by Sudanese Mahdists in 1889 was historic because it opened the way to the ascendancy of an emperor from Shoa. Even when events have no significant direct consequences, we tend to call them historic when they symbolize important national or universal human ideals. The suicide of Emperor Tewodros II had little political consequencehis rule was over, whether or not he was captured alive by the Britishbut it came to symbolize a sentiment of preferring death over demeaning captivity. The speech of Emperor Haile Selassie to the League of Nations in 1937 is often called a historic address, even though it did nothing to change the course of history, because it came to symbolize the moral weakness of Western democracies in the face of fascist expansionism and the need for a stronger world organization empowered to provide collective security. The Battle of Adwa in 1896 qualifies as an historic event in all three senses of the term. As a historic “first,” it represented the first time since the beginning of European imperial expansion that a non-white nation had defeated a European power.
The Empress Taytu Betul is the beloved and influential wife of Emperor Menelik II, who played a significant role during the Battle of Adwa. Although often overlooked, thousands of women participated in the Battle of Adwa alongside men. Some were trained as nurses to attend to the wounded, while others mainly cooked and supplied food and water to the soldiers and comforted the wounded.
- The sagnificence to Africa and panafricanism
Adwa’s victory is a wake-up call for Africans .Adwa is not only a day for Ethiopians to gain their independence, but a victory that has revived the struggle of all Africans for liberation. The fact that Ethiopians have won the Adwa war is due to the fact that Ethiopians from different parts of the county have strengthened their unity and solidarity. The Battle of Adwa is a wake-up call not only for Ethiopians’ Independence Day but also for Africans against colonilization
Adwa’s victory is a demonstration that Africans can solve their problems on their own with the strong unity they create .The victory of Ethiopians not only enabled Africans to fight for their own freedom, but also showed the strength of Africans together. If Ethiopia achieves Adwa victory in one day, we Africans can work together to strengthen our unity and overcome the interference of other countries and reach the tower of prosperity.
As the colonial boundaries must be removed, the African Union flag does not have a line that separates one country from another, which signifies unity. In order to realize the African Renaissance, it is important to create a free movement for Africans by strengthening regional ties through peace building, trade, tourism and investment. We must achieve our agenda, which is Africa’s biggest development agenda, by stepping aside our civil strife and strengthening our unity for growth and prosperity. Congratulations on the 125th anniversary of the victory of Adwa. Victory must be repeated by Africans overcoming poverty.
Africans must learn the transformation of this victory .They must strengthen their unity by supporting each other, respecting each other and creating mutual benefits. Africans need strong care and support to solve their problems on their own without interference.
Minilik Salsawi with United States of Africa
