Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896

Download or read book Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896 written by Sean McLachlan and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-09-20 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the late 19th century, the new nation-state of Italy was eager to join her European neighbours in creating an international empire, and her eyes turned toward Africa as a source of potential colonies. Securing a foothold in Eritrea on the Red Sea coast, the Italians quickly became embroiled in a shooting war with the Ethiopians. The war proved a disaster for the Italians, who suffered three major defeats against the forces of Emperor Menelik's army, including a horrendous massacre at Adowa, the largest defeat of a colonial army prior to World War I. This book looks at the campaign with an emphasis on the colourful uniforms worn by both sides.