BATTLE OF ADOWA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22210, 10 September 1935, Page 12

BATTLE OF ADOWA

ITALY AND ABYSSINIA STORY OF THE DISASTER SOME EARLIER EVENTS CAUSES OF THE CONFLICT Having "missed her chances" in Korth Africa, particularly Eirypt, Italy first appeared on the Med Sen littoral in 1881, when the Government took over from an Italian company the May of Assah, where a colony was established, .find four years later occupied Massnwa, which led to the colony of Eritrea being founded in 1891. Almost immediately Italy was involved in conflict with the Mahdi. whoso power in the Sudan at that time ivas supreme. The Kgyptian army of Hicks ]'asha had been annihilated in 1883 in the sarin 1 year that of Slatin Pasha had surrendered, and in 188-1 Osnian Dirga. the Mahdi's Amir in rho Bed Sea regions, had defeated an Kgyptian force At Suakin. Gordon had then been sent to arrange for the military evacuation of the parts of the Sudan the hgyptians still held. The Mahdist movement swept northward. Khartoum was invested and captured in January, 188.), Gordon was killed and within six months Dongola was evacuated and Kassala capitulated.

Italy and the Dervishes When he had practically completed the destruction of Egyptian power, the Mahdi died, and he was succeeded by his chief lieutenant, Abdullah, against whom Italy was compelled to take action to defend its foothold on the Red Sea. Incidentally, King John of Abyssinia was engaged against the dervishes. He had been unable to relieve Kassala, but bis forces had inflicted a t-liarp defeat on Isman Dunga at Kufit in 1885. Two years later the dervishes had sacked Gondar, north of Lake Tsana, and in 1889 the Abyssinian nrniy defeated the Mahdist forces; in n great battle at Gallabat, but King John was fatally wounded by a strav bullet and the' Abyssinians decided to retire.

Menelek ascended the throne with Italy's support and the friendly treaty of Uccialli was promptly concluded. '.While Italian influence and provisional boundaries were being extended Italian forces under General Baratieri were fighting the dervishes in East Sudan. The battle of Agordat was fought and won in 1892 and Kassala was occupied in 1894. It was Italy's proud boast that her troops bad defeated the dervishes in line formation, though British troops had always used the square. Clouds 0! Conflict The clouds of conflict between Italy and Abyssinia began to gather m 1893, when Menelek, apprehensive of the increasing friendliness between the Italians and Mangasha and 1 igre, powers in the north of the country, wrote denouncing the Uccialli lreatv, which differed in the Italian and Amharic versions, the former making Italy the channel of communication with other {lowers and the latter leaving 1 optional. „ , Friendship with Mangasha was short-lived, however. General Baratieri found that he was intriguing with the dervishes and had actually crossed the frontier with a large army. In January, 1895, the Italian commander gave battle at Koatit and Senafe and had complete victories. Menelek marched with a largo fore, to assist Mangasha and meeting the Italian troops, which had been pushed, •unsupported, too far south, won successes lit Amba Alagi and Macalle and forced them to retire. • Reinforcements arrived from Italy, amd in February, 1896, General Baratieri took the field with 13,000 mon against Menelek, who- with an army estimated at 90,000 Occupied a strong position near Adowa. Menelek held favourable ground in broken country, he-had the advantage of numbers, but his troops were largely armed with "junk," excepting, of course, their swords and spears. Rush to Disaster

Baratieri first tried the waiting game, endeavouring to draw his enemy to ground more suitable for his operations, but Menelek merely watched from a score of vantage points. One history states that the Italian lost patience, being convinced of the power of his superior equipment, to say nothing of morale, which was high, particularly in view of the victories over the wild dervishes. Mr. Wickham Stead, however, has recently stated that the reason why General Baratieri launched his "precipitate" attack on March 1 was that he had received news that he was to be superseded by General Baldissera, whom the Government regarded as a more competent and vigorous soldier. The disaster of Adowa was attributed to the fact that one of thfe four brigades of the attacking was pushed too far forward; indeed, the rapidity of the Italian advance was remarkable. The leading brigade was met by overwhelming numbers and cut to pieces, the others being similarly doalt with in turn by tho encompassing Gallas and Dankalis as they came up in support. The fight ended in a bloody hand-to-hand carnage. Only a fraction of the Italian force, part European and part native, escaped death or capture. It is recorded that the white prisoners were exceedingly well treated. General Baldissera advanced to nvenge the defeat, but the Abyssinians, who were desperately short of supplies, bad already retired and no further fighting took place

Consequences ol Adowa Although the flccialli treaty was annulled as a result of his victory, Mcnelek did not explo't it in the matter of territory and consented to tho Italian provisional boundary remaining, notwithstanding Italy's offer to withdraw from part of the high plateau area. The following year, according to Signor A. Lesson a, present Italian "Under-Secretary for the Colonics, Kaspala was "yielded" to the British. By that time, however, Britain was again in the Sudan and it is doubtful indeed if Italy wanted Kassala.

The Adowa disaster was damaging not only to Italian prestige; European prestige suffered, and it is a matter of historical interest that the Dongola Expedition, which started "Kitchener's campaign,'' was announced 10 flays «fter Adowa.

At that moment the dervishes were Kassala and the British Foreign Secretary announced that besides safeguarding Egypt the expedition would, be a timely diversion that would help Italy. Synchronising with the British action in Egypt there were operations by Belgium against the dervishes on the Upper Nile. Possibly another repercussion of the Abyssinian victory was the rising before the month was out of the Matabeles in South Africa.

Russian sympathy was with the Abyssinians in their war with Italy. To-day it is with Abyssinia perhaps for the same reasons. When Britain proceeded to reconquer the Sudan, Russia and France strongly opposed her