Abyssinia - Italian pretentions & aggression

After France occupied Tunisia, Italy laid the basis of an Italian East African Empire in Eritrea by 1885. In 1889 Italy added Asmara. In the same year she appropriated the large southern coastal strip of Somaliland and claimed a protectorate over the African kingdom of Abyssinia. But in 1896 the Italian forces suffered a great defeat at Adowa. After this defeat Italy had to recognise Abyssinian independence.

By 1935 Mussolini was facing grave unemployment problems at home. In October some 300,000 men were called up for military service. This lowered the figures of unemployment. Expenditure on the war served as another form of public work. The Fascists regarded the Abyssinian war as a revolution. It quelled discontent at home.

Abyssinia, like Italy, was a member of the League of Nations. Under its native Emperor Haile Selassie, Abyssinia was the only remaining independent state in East Africa. It lay between Eritrea and Italian Somaliland, so could be attacked from both north and south. Once conquered it could be used to "complete" the Italian East African Empire. According to Italian Fascist propaganda, Abyssinia's resources ranged from pineapples to platinum.  Italy had already certain rights there, though her earlier attempt to make it a protectorate had been decisively defeated at the Battle of Adowa in 1896. In 1928 Italy made with Abyssinia a pact of friendship, conciliation and arbitration. In December 1934 there was a serious clash between Italian and Ethiopian troops at the oasis of Walwal, near the border between British and Italian Somaliland. A dispute arose whether the oasis lay in Abyssinian or Italian territory. Italy occupied the oasis, losing thirty soldiers in the battle.

Italy demanded apologies and compensation. Abyssinia appealed to the League under Article 11. Mussolini unleashed his troops on October 3rd. Operating from Eritrea, Italian forces captured Adowa. On 7th October the Council of the League of Nations declared Italy the aggressor; on 11th October sanctions were imposed on Italy, but these excluded coal and oil. Austria, Hungary, Albania and Switzerland refused to apply the sanctions. In may 1936 the Italians captured Addid Ababa and proclaimed King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy as Emperor of Ethiopia. Mussolini formed the ITALIAN EAST AFRICA which included Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somaliland. Marshal Badaglio was made viceroy. The Council of the League abandoned sanctions in July.

During the Second World War, in January 1941 two British columns advanced against Italian East Africa from the Sudan and Kenya. The attack surprised the Italians. One British column conquered Eritrea and advanced into Abyssinia, the other took Italian Somaliland and also entered Abyssinia. In May the two columns joined forces and defeated the Duke of Aosta, at Amba Alagi. The East African Empire was lost to Mussolini forever.

At the Paris Peace Conference (July 1946) after the Second World War Italy had to forfeit the whole Italian African Empire which included 1,200,000 square miles of territories in Libya, Eritrea, Italian Somaliland and Abyssinia. (see map)