For the first time
African forces had defeated a European power bent on forging an empire in
Africa. And once again in the history of Ethiopia, the victory was influenced
by a powerful Ethiopian woman, Empress Taitu. Also,
the question of racial superiority was beginning to affect western societies,
especially post-slavery America. Many were surprised that an African nation
could defeat a white colonial power such as Italy.
The heritage of the
victory at Adwa is felt deeply by the people of Ethiopia, because it sealed the
country’s fortune as the only African nation to have never succumbed to
European colonization. The Ethiopian Heritage Society of North America feels
especially charged to share and to keep alive the memory of the battle, not
only because of the turning point it marked in Ethiopian history, but also
because of the thrusting impact the victory had upon an already rapidly
changing world.
Carving Up Africa
During the latter part of the 19th century, the mighty
powers of Europe were intent on carving up Africa in their search for empires.
The British, the French, the Portuguese and even the Italians were among them
The Italians laid claim to Ethiopia. They were very interested because of the
proximity of the new Suez Canal and the prospects of increasing trade. They
were also interested in the wealth the land had to offer. Their first attempts
at colonization involved establishing a colony in Eritrea.
From that foothold they had their eyes on the rich Ethiopian lands
to the south. Emboldened by the success of other European powers in Africa, the
Italians had reason to believe that snatching the land as part of their empire
would require little effort. But their confrontation with Queen Taitu during discussions involving the Treaty of Wuchale should have given them warning.
From the House of Solomon to the Treaty of Wuchale
TaituBetul
was born around 1851 and traced her lineage back to the offspring of the
biblical Queen of Sheba and King Solomon of Judea, as did her husband, King Menelik of Shewa. (The two would
claim the positions of Emperor and Empress after the battle of Adwa.) Tradition
has it that the male offspring of that union was also named Menelik.
Tradition also connects
the Queen of Sheba with the “dark and lovely” companion of the
Jewish king in the biblical psalm, “The Song of Solomon.”
As queen, Taitu wielded considerable political power and she was a
key player in the heated negotiations over the Treaty of Wuchale.
Crafted by the Italians, the treaty was two-faced. One copy of the treaty gave
Ethiopia to the Italians; the other copy assured the Ethiopians that they could
maintain their autonomy. Queen Taitu held a hard line
for Ethiopia and the talks eventually broke down. At the negotiations she said,
“I am a woman. I do not like war. However, I would rather die than accept
your deal.” As a result, Italy turned to invade Ethiopia.
Ethiopia United by the King
King Menelik was ruler of the realm of Shewa in Ethiopia. A wise man and a skilled general, he had
noted that most of the defeats across the span of Africa were due to warring
ethnic factions being unable to unite against the white colonials. He vowed
that would not be the case for his country and warned every citizen from every
corner of Ethiopia about that possibility. He became the leader of a
unification of the peoples of Ethiopia and set out to train and equip a formidable army made up of all the Ethiopian
peoples.
Mekele summoned princes, their vassals, and other people from
every corner of the nation, and mustered a force of over 200,000 men. Queen Taitu herself rounded up 16,000. To provision his army, Mekele was able to gather 300,000 rifles, 5 million rounds
of ammunition, 6 thousand revolvers and 25,000 blades for lances. Ample
provisions for a formidable artillery force were secured as well. In fact,
Queen Taitu commanded some of the artillery forces.
Battles Before Adwa
Two battles occurred before Adwa, one at Mekele
and one at Ambalage. The battle at Mekele is certainly noteworthy as it involved the Queen and
her troops and their superb tactics. The Italians had themselves well-fortified
in formidable, hillside bunkers bristling with sharpened stakes and broken
glass. The area was raked with solid Italian machine gun fire. The queen sent a
spy to see if a weakness in the fortifications could be discovered. The spy
returned to tell her of the vulnerability of the Italians’ source of water.
Taitu ordered her soldiers to capture the water
supply. She told her army officials, “You were anxious to get involved in
this war. As you know, there is not enough space for all of the army; I do not
want lose any of you over friendly fire. Be on guard at the water supply down
in the valley. I hope you are not afraid to die for your country and honor. I
will give gifts for those who will come back alive. I will take care of the
families of those who die. Let God be with you!”
The Italians tried several times to regain their water supply, but Taitu’s soldiers held through each assault. She kept
the troops there well-supplied with food and ammunition. The troops were ready
to die for her, their country and their honor. They defended the water well for
15 days against the Italians. As a result, the Italians finally had to sue for
peace when King Menelik arrived on the scene.
The Battle of Adwa
When her husband marched forth to the north to meet the main body
of the enemy, Queen Taitu marched with him. She was
commander of an artillery battery during the Battle of Adwa. The Italian forces were made up of around 18,000
infantry and 56 artillery guns. Several thousand Italian troops were allocated
to supply duties and the rest included many inexperienced troops and some
Eritreans lead by Italian officers. Their equipment was poor and their morale
was low.
The battle was a nasty and bloody affair. The Italians fought
valiantly but they were out-numbered and out-smarted. One general’s brigade was
decimated by Ethiopian lancers and the general’s body was never found. Over
7,000 soldiers from each force died. The battle was a crushing and humiliating
defeat for Italy. The Ethiopians drove the retreating Italians to Eritrea and
ultimately ran them out of the area altogether. As a term of The Treaty of
Addis Abba, drawn on the 26th of October, 1896, Italy was forced to
recognize Ethiopian independence.
Empress Consort of Ethiopia
Because of their success in uniting the nation, on the 10th
of May in 1889, Taitu and her husband, Menelik, were crowned Emperor and Empress of Ethiopia. Just
as when she was queen, the empress wielded great power at court. Their reign
and their marriage could be seen as a “good cop – bad cop”
affair. Her husband would always prevaricate or postpone decisions and deign to
her rulings. As a result, her husband was much-liked, and she was not so
well-liked. But, she made all the tough decisions. Because of the colonial wars,
she had a great mistrust for anything European and defended Ethiopian
traditions and culture vehemently.
The Three Victories of Adwa and Empress Taitu
The world learned at least three lessons from the Battle of Adwa.
One, that it was possible for a united African nation such as Ethiopia to
defeat a large, European colonial power. Two, women such as Taitu
could lead in diplomacy and lead in battle just as could men. Long before women
could even vote in Western nations, the soldiers and citizens of Ethiopia
accepted Taitu’s leadership. Three, the notion of
white racial superiority had been taken down a notch or two and this had great
influence on societies around the globe, especially in America where the notion
of racial equality was just starting to bubble up through the culture.
