Second Italo-Ethiopian War

Second Italo-Ethiopian War
Unknown, Ethiopia, 1936 · Public domain · source
Conflict	Ethiopian–Italian War
Date	3 October 1935 – 5 May 1936
Place	Ethiopia, Italian East Africa, Red Sea, Horn of Africa
Result	Italian Empire victory; annexation into Italian East Africa
Belligerents	Kingdom of Italy; Italian Eritrea; Italian Somaliland vs. Ethiopian Empire; Eritrean rebels; Arbegnoch
Commanders	Benito Mussolini; Pietro Badoglio; Emilio De Bono; Rodolfo Graziani; Gugsa Welle; Haile Selassie; Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu
Strength	Italy: modernized expeditionary forces; Ethiopia: imperial army, irregulars

Second Italo-Ethiopian War was a 1935–1936 conflict between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ethiopian Empire that culminated in Italian occupation and creation of Italian East Africa. It featured modern Regia Aeronautica airpower, mechanized units, and irregular Arbegnoch resistance against imperial Ethiopian forces led by Haile Selassie. The war reshaped interwar diplomacy involving the League of Nations, United Kingdom, France, and League sanctions debates.

Background and Causes

Italian ambitions in the Horn of Africa traced back to Scramble for Africa, Italo-Ethiopian Treaty of 1889, and the First Italo-Ethiopian War which included the Battle of Adwa. Italian expansion under Benito Mussolini sought consolidation with Italian Eritrea and Italian Somaliland to form Africa Orientale Italiana, leveraging grievances after the Walwal incident and disputes over the Treaty of Wuchale. Strategic objectives linked to Mediterranean influence, access to the Red Sea, rivalry with the United Kingdom and France, and domestic politics shaped Fascist foreign policy during the Interwar period.

Course of the War

The conflict opened with an Italian offensive from Italian Eritrea on 3 October 1935 led by Emilio De Bono, followed by a southern advance from Italian Somaliland under Pietro Badoglio and Rodolfo Graziani. Major engagements included the Battle of Amba Aradam, First Battle of Tembien, Second Battle of Tembien, and the decisive Battle of Maychew, with Ethiopian commanders such as Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu and Gugsa Welle opposing Italian columns. Italian use of aerial bombardment and chemical agents facilitated breakthroughs culminating in the capture of Addis Ababa on 5 May 1936, after Haile Selassie retreated to present testimony to the League of Nations at Geneva.

Military Forces and Tactics

Italian forces deployed units from the Royal Italian Army, Regia Marina, and Regia Aeronautica supported by colonial troops from Italian Eritrea and Italian Somaliland, employing tanks, motorized corps, and air transport doctrines influenced by Fascist Italy industrial policy. Ethiopian forces combined imperial Shewa levies, provincial nobles like Ras Imru Haile Selassie, and irregular Arbegnoch guerrillas with traditional weapons against modernized formations. Tactics contrasted blitzkrieg-like mechanized thrusts favored by Italian commanders and defensive massed charges by Ethiopian leaders at battles including Amba Aradam and Maychew, with terrain around the Ethiopian Highlands and logistical constraints shaping operational tempo.

Atrocities and Use of Chemical Weapons

Italian conduct involved documented massacres, reprisals, and use of prohibited agents; units under leaders such as Rodolfo Graziani and orders from Pietro Badoglio employed mustard gas and phosgene delivered by Regia Aeronautica and from aircraft bases in Asmara and Massawa. Incidents like the Yekatit 12 massacre and bombardments of civilian areas alongside summary executions of prisoners drew condemnation from observers including Eyre Crowe-style diplomats and journalists reporting to Foreign Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices. Chemical attacks targeted combatants and noncombatants at confrontations such as Gondar and the Ogaden theatre, aggravating humanitarian crises and prompting investigations by international commissions.

International Reaction and League of Nations

The League of Nations responded with debates, emergency sessions, and the imposition of limited sanctions influenced by the United Kingdom, France, and Soviet Union policy considerations. The Hoare–Laval Pact negotiations between Samuel Hoare and Pierre Laval attempted a diplomatic settlement but provoked public backlash in the United Kingdom and France, undermining collective security. The League's failure to enforce effective measures, divisions within the League Council, and the role of Germany and Japan in observing outcomes weakened interwar institutions, contributing to realignment in European diplomacy prior to the Second World War.

Aftermath and Consequences

Italian victory produced the formal annexation of Ethiopia into Italian East Africa proclaimed by Victor Emmanuel III, and installation of colonial administration under Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta and Viceroy Graziani. Haile Selassie embarked on exile in Bath and appealed to the League of Nations, preserving international legitimacy claims that fueled future resistance. Long-term effects included strengthening of anti-colonial movements, influence on Pan-Africanism debates, alignment shifts preceding World War II, and guerrilla warfare that persisted against Italian rule until liberation aided by British Empire and Eritrean forces. The episode left legal and moral legacies regarding war crimes and use of chemical weapons in interwar jurisprudence.

Category:Wars involving Italy Category:Wars involving Ethiopia