<sod>  the land, and once the supplies of the local peasants were exhausted, Menlik's army would begin to melt away. However, his govenment insisted that General Baratieri act, and he accordingly took the initiative with a  advancee on the night of [[February 29]] hoping to suprise the Ethiopians. 
 
 == The battle ==
The Italian army comprised four brigades totalling approximately 20,000 troops, with fifty-six artillery pieces. One brigade under General [[Matteo Albertone]] was made up of Italian officered [[askari]] (native infantry) recruited from Eritrea. The remaining three brigades were Italian units under Generals [[Vittorio Dabormida]], [[Giuseppe Ellena]] and Baratieri. While these included elite [[Bersegalieri]] and Cacciatori units, a large proportion were inexperienced conscripts recently drafted from metropoliton regiments in Italy into newly formed battalions for service in Africa.
 
 The Ethiopian forces under Menelik outnumbered the Italians by an estimated five or six times. The four Italian brigades advanced separately towards Adowa over narrow mountain tracks. However, the three leading Italian brigades had become separated during their overnight march and at dawn on [[1 March]] were spread across several miles of very difficult terrain.
 
 <eod> <sod> the land, and once the supplies of the local peasants were exhausted, Menlik's army would begin to melt away. However, his govenment insisted that General Baratieri act, and he accordingly took the initiative with a  advancee on the night of [[February 29]] hoping to suprise the Ethiopians. 
 
 == The battle ==
The Italian army comprised four brigades totalling approximately 18,000 troops, with fifty-six artillery pieces. One brigade under General [[Matteo Albertone]] was made up of Italian officered [[askari]] (native infantry) recruited from Eritrea. The remaining three brigades were Italian units under Generals [[Vittorio Dabormida]], [[Giuseppe Ellena]] and Baratieri. While these included elite [[Bersegalieri]] and Cacciatori units, a large proportion were inexperienced conscripts recently drafted from metropoliton regiments in Italy into newly formed battalions for service in Africa.
 
 The Ethiopian forces under Menelik outnumbered the Italians by an estimated five or six times. The four Italian brigades advanced separately towards Adowa over narrow mountain tracks. However, the three leading Italian brigades had become separated during their overnight march and at dawn on [[1 March]] were spread across several miles of very difficult terrain.
 
 <eod>