Italo–Ethiopian War: 1400 to 1900: Africa

Marco Demichelis

Italy became interested in the Horn of Africa in 1869, when a private company of Genoa (Rubattino) bought the Port of Assab. It was openly taken over by the Italian government in 1871–72. In 1885, Great Britain made no objections to the Italians' taking over Massawa when the Egyptians left it, much to Yohannes's anger. Yohannes IV was the emperor of Ethiopia (1872–89). From Massawa, the Italians began to advance farther. In January 1887, a small reinforcement close to the wells of the Saati's fortress was destroyed by Ras Alula at Dogali. The Emperor Yohannes of Ethiopia (1872–1889) attacked Saati in March 1888 while the Italians reinforced Massawa. A major clash was avoided as Yohannes withdrew to deal with other problems. When Menelik became emperor, the Italians at first welcomed him as an ally. In May 1889, they signed the Treaty of Wuchale, which ended the wars of 1887–88 and ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.