Battle of Adwa: Ethiopia defeats Italy, ending the First Italo-Ethiopian War

Background. By late 1895, Italian forces had advanced deep into Ethiopian territory and occupied much of Tigray. On 7 December 1895, Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael, Fitawrari Gebeyehu and Ras Mengesha Yohannes, commanding a larger Ethiopian group of Menelik's vanguard, annihilated a small Italian unit at the Battle of Amba Alagi. In April 1895, Crispi had withdrawn part of the Italian army from Ethiopia to save money, and on 22 February 1896 Umberto dismissed General Baratieri as commander of the expeditionary force, ordering him to remain in command until his successor arrived.

The Battle. On 1 March 1896, General Baratieri attacked a much larger Ethiopian force near Adwa. The battle took place in mountainous terrain north of the town. Ethiopian forces routed the Italian colonial army, securing Ethiopia's independence and full European recognition. The defeat was reported to Rome on 2 March 1896.

Political Consequences. Francesco Crispi served four times as Prime Minister of Italy, his final tenure running from 15 December 1893 to 14 June 1896. On 2 March 1896, Baratieri's telegram informed Crispi's government of the Italian defeat at Adwa. Earlier, on 25 June 1895, Crispi had refused a parliamentary inquiry into his role in the Banca Romana scandal, saying he felt "invulnerable" because he had "served Italy for 53 years".