<sod>  |commander1=[[Ras Makonnen]]
 |commander2=[[Oreste Baratieri]]
 |strength1=about 120,000; artillery,<br> machine guns, cavalry; 20,000 were armed only with spears
|strength2=14,527 men,<br> 56 guns
|casualties1=10,000
|casualties2=5,900{{fact}}
 }}
 The '''Battle of Adowa''' (also known as ''Adwa'' or sometimes by the Italian name ''Adua'') was fought on [[March 1]], [[1896]] between [[Ethiopia]] and [[Italy]] near the town of [[Adowa]], Ethiopia, in [[Tigray Region| Tigray]]. It was the climactic battle of the [[First Italo-Abyssinian War]]. 
 
 By late February, [[1896]], supplies on both sides were running low. General [[Oreste Baratieri]], commander of the Italian forces, knew the Ethiopian forces had been living off 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  advance 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 [[Bersaglieri]] and Cacciatori units, a large proportion were inexperienced conscripts recently drafted from metropolitan 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.<ref>Richard Pankhurst has collected the various estimates for the Ethiopian forces, which range from a low of 80,000 to a high of 150,000. ''Economic History of Ethiopia'' (Addis Ababa: Haile Selassie University, 1968), pp. 555-557.</ref> 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.
 
 The remaining two brigades under Baratieri himself were outflanked and destroyed piecemeal on the slopes of Mount Belah. By noon, the survivors of the Italian army were in full retreat and the battle was over.
 
 == Aftermath ==
The Italians suffered about 5,900 casualties in the battle and subsequent retreat back into Eritrea, while the Ethiopian losses exceeded 10,000. Italian prisoners, who included General Albertone, appear to have been treated as well as could be expected under difficult circumstances, though about 200 died of their wounds in captivity.<ref>Chris Proutky notes that Albertone was given into the care of Azaj Zamanel, commander of Empress Taytu's personal army, and "had a tent to himself, a horse and servants". ''Empress Taytu and Menilek II'' (Trenton: The Red Sea Press, 1986), pp. 169f.</ref> However 800 captured askaris, regarded as traitors by the Ethiopians, had their right hands and left feet amputated. There does not appear to be any foundation for reports that some Italians were castrated and these may reflect confusion with the atrocious treatement of the askari prisoners.   
 
 Baratieri was relieved of his command and later charged with preparing an "inexcusable" plan of attack and for abandoning his troops in the field. He was acquitted on these charges but was descibed by the court martial judges as being "entirely unfitted" for his command.  The [[Francesco Crispi|Crispi]] government fell, and was replaced by a new administration with a policy of avoiding further colonial adventures.
 
 As a direct result of the battle, Italy signed the [[Treaty of Addis Ababa]], recognizing Ethiopia as an independent state. The humiliation remained with Italy for almost forty years, until [[1935]], when during the [[Second Italo-Abyssinian War]] Italy commenced a short-lived conquest of Ethiopia.
 
 == Significance ==
"The confrontation between Italy and Ethiopia at Adwa was a fundamental turning point in Ethiopian history," writes Paul B. Henze, who compares this victory to Japan's naval victory over Russia at [[Battle of Tsushima|Tsushima]]. "Though apparent to very few historians at the time, these defeats were the beginning of the decline of Europe as the center of world politics."<ref>Henze, ''Layers of Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia'' (New York: Palgrave, 2000), p.180.</ref>
 
 On a similar note, the Ethiopian historian [[Bahru Zewde]] observed that "few events in the modern period have brought Ethiopia to the attention of the world as has the victory at Adwa." However, Bahru Zewde puts his emphasis on other elements of this triumph: "The racial dimension was what lent Adwa particular significance. It was a victory of blacks over whites. Adwa thus anticipated by almost a decade the equally shattering experience to the whites of the Japanese victory over Russia in 1905."<ref>Bahru Zewde, ''A History of Modern Ethiopia'' (London: James Currey, 1991), p. 81.</ref>
 
 
 == References ==
 <references/>

== Further reading ==
* David Levering Lewis, "Pawns of Pawns: Ethiopia and the Mahdiyya" in ''The Race for Fashoda''. New York: Weidenfield and Nicholson, 1987. ISBN 1555840582
* Chris Prouty, "War with Italy: Amba Alage, Meqellle, Adwa" in ''Empress Taytu and Menelik II: Ethiopia 1883–1910''. Trenton: The Red Sea Press, 1986. ISBN 0932415113
 
 == See also ==
 *[[Second Italo-Abyssinian War]]
 <eod> <sod> |commander1=[[Ras Makonnen]]
 |commander2=[[Oreste Baratieri]]
 |strength1=about 120,000; artillery,<br> machine guns, cavalry; 20,000 were armed only with spears
|strength2=17,700 men,<br> 56 guns
|casualties1=11,000 (est.)
|casualties2=10,000
 }}
 The '''Battle of Adowa''' (also known as ''Adwa'' or sometimes by the Italian name ''Adua'') was fought on [[March 1]], [[1896]] between [[Ethiopia]] and [[Italy]] near the town of [[Adowa]], Ethiopia, in [[Tigray Region| Tigray]]. It was the climactic battle of the [[First Italo-Abyssinian War]]. 
 
 By late February, [[1896]], supplies on both sides were running low. General [[Oreste Baratieri]], commander of the Italian forces, knew the Ethiopian forces had been living off 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  advance on the night of [[February 29]] hoping to suprise the Ethiopians.
 
 == The battle ==
The Italian army comprised four brigades totalling 17,700 troops, with fifty-six artillery pieces.<ref>David Levering Lewis, ''The Race for Fashoda'' (New York: Weidenfield and Nicholson, 1987), pp. 116f. ISBN 1555840582 He breaks down their numbers into 10,596 Italian and 7,104 Eritrean officers and soldiers.</ref> 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 [[Bersaglieri]] and Cacciatori units, a large proportion were inexperienced conscripts recently drafted from metropolitan 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.<ref>Richard Pankhurst has collected the various estimates for the Ethiopian forces, which range from a low of 80,000 to a high of 150,000. ''Economic History of Ethiopia'' (Addis Ababa: Haile Selassie University, 1968), pp. 555-557.</ref> 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.
 
 The remaining two brigades under Baratieri himself were outflanked and destroyed piecemeal on the slopes of Mount Belah. By noon, the survivors of the Italian army were in full retreat and the battle was over.
 
 == Aftermath ==
The Italians suffered about 10,000 killed or wounded in the battle and subsequent retreat back into Eritrea, and the Ethiopian losses have been estimated as slightly more -- but not much more. As Paul B. Henze notes, "Baratieri's army had been completely annihilated while Menelik's was intact as a fighting force and gained thousands of rifles and a great deal of equipment from the fleeing Italians."<ref>Henze, ''Layers of Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia'' (New York: Palgrave, 2000), p.170.</ref> Italian prisoners, who included General Albertone, appear to have been treated as well as could be expected under difficult circumstances, though about 200 died of their wounds in captivity.<ref>Chris Proutky notes that Albertone was given into the care of Azaj Zamanel, commander of Empress Taytu's personal army, and "had a tent to himself, a horse and servants". ''Empress Taytu and Menilek II'' (Trenton: The Red Sea Press, 1986), pp. 169f. ISBN 0932415113</ref> However 800 captured askaris, regarded as traitors by the Ethiopians, had their right hands and left feet amputated. There does not appear to be any foundation for reports that some Italians were castrated and these may reflect confusion with the atrocious treatement of the askari prisoners.   
 
 Baratieri was relieved of his command and later charged with preparing an "inexcusable" plan of attack and for abandoning his troops in the field. He was acquitted on these charges but was descibed by the court martial judges as being "entirely unfitted" for his command.  The [[Francesco Crispi|Crispi]] government fell, and was replaced by a new administration with a policy of avoiding further colonial adventures.
 
 As a direct result of the battle, Italy signed the [[Treaty of Addis Ababa]], recognizing Ethiopia as an independent state. The humiliation remained with Italy for almost forty years, until [[1935]], when during the [[Second Italo-Abyssinian War]] Italy commenced a short-lived conquest of Ethiopia.
 
 == Significance ==
"The confrontation between Italy and Ethiopia at Adwa was a fundamental turning point in Ethiopian history," writes Henze, who compares this victory to Japan's naval victory over Russia at [[Battle of Tsushima|Tsushima]]. "Though apparent to very few historians at the time, these defeats were the beginning of the decline of Europe as the center of world politics."<ref>Henze, ''Layers of Layers of Time'', p.180.</ref>
 
 On a similar note, the Ethiopian historian [[Bahru Zewde]] observed that "few events in the modern period have brought Ethiopia to the attention of the world as has the victory at Adwa." However, Bahru Zewde puts his emphasis on other elements of this triumph: "The racial dimension was what lent Adwa particular significance. It was a victory of blacks over whites. Adwa thus anticipated by almost a decade the equally shattering experience to the whites of the Japanese victory over Russia in 1905."<ref>Bahru Zewde, ''A History of Modern Ethiopia'' (London: James Currey, 1991), p. 81.</ref>
 
 
 == References ==
 <references/>
 
 == See also ==
 *[[Second Italo-Abyssinian War]]
 <eod>