March of the Iron Will
Encyclopedia
The March of the Iron Will (Marcia della ferrea volontà), or the Iron-Will Column (Colonna della ferrea volontà), was a Fascist
propaganda
event staged during the final days of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. The goal of the march was to capture the Ethiopian capital in a show of force
.
From 26 April to 5 May 1936, an Italian
"mechanized column
" under the command of Marshal of Italy
(Maresciallo d'Italia
) Pietro Badoglio
advanced unopposed from the town of Dessie
to take Addis Ababa
. The march covered a distance of approximately 200 miles.
(Regio Esercito
) under General
Emilio De Bono
invaded the Ethiopian Empire
from staging areas in the Italian colony of Eritrea
on what was known as the "northern front". De Bono was the Commander-in-Chief
of all Italian armed forces in East Africa. In addition, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the forces invading from Eritrea, the "northern front." Forces based in Italian Somaliland
under General
Rodolfo Graziani
invaded Ethiopia on what was known as the "southern front." Ground forces on both fronts were amply supported by the Italian Royal Air Force
(Regia Aeronautica
).
Badoglio replaced De Bono in late 1935 and was immediately faced with the Ethiopian "Christmas Offensive."
On 26 December, Badoglio asked for and was given permission to use mustard gas and phosgene
. The Italians delivered the poison gas
by special artillery canisters and with bombers of the Royal Air Force. While the poorly equipped Ethiopians experienced some success against the more modern weaponry of the Italians, they did not understand the "terrible rain that burned and killed."
From early 1936, events on the field of battle did not go well for the Imperial Ethiopian Army
. On the southern front, Graziani eliminated a large Ethiopian army commanded by Duke
(Ras
) Desta Damtew
during the Battle of Genale Doria
using poison gas. Badoglio used poison gas to eliminate the Ethiopian northern armies one after another. He destroyed Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu
's army in the Battle of Amba Aradam
. He destroyed Ras Kassa Haile Darge
's army in the Second Battle of Tembien
. Finally, he destroyed Ras Imru Haile Sellassie's
army in the Battle of Shire
.
By 31 March, the last Ethiopian army on the northern front was commanded in battle by the Emperor
himself, Haile Selassie. His army included six battalions of Ethiopia's best troops, the Imperial Guard
(Kebur Zabangna
). The Emperor led an ill-fated counterattack
during the Battle of Maychew
which he could not realistically hope to win. The Emperor's army suffered heavy losses during costly frontal assault
s on prepared Italian defensive positions. But the bulk of his army was destroyed during the days immediately following the battle when poison gas was used to decimate the withdrawing columns.
On 20 April, Marshal Badoglio flew to the town of Dessie
in Wollo Province and made his headquarters there. He decided to advance from Dessie and take the Ethiopia
n capital of Addis Ababa
. Dessie is only two-hundred miles (320 km) from Addis Ababa. Except for a pitiful procession of refugees, the road to the capital was clear. The Italian Commander-in-Chief
faced no meaningful Ethiopian resistance.
" is a more appropriate term for Badoglio's column.
Thanks to the organizational genius of a Quartermaster-General
Fidenzio Dall'Ora, Badoglio's "mechanized column" came together in Dessie between 21 April and 25 April. Dall'Ora was able to organize the most powerful "mechanized" column to appear on an African road up to that time. In addition to 12,500 Fascist Italian toops, the column included 1,785 cars and trucks of all makes (Fiat
s, Lancia
s, Alfa-Romeos
, Fords, Chevrolet
s, Bedfords
, and Studebaker
s), a squadron of light tank
s (L3s
), eleven batteries of artillery
, and aircraft. Special vehicles carried 193 horses so that when the column arrived at the gates of Addis Ababa, the Marshal and his staff could leave their cars and ride in triumph on horseback.
On 24 April, Badoglio sent two columns of 4,000 Eritreans ahead by force march to protect his mechanized force as a precautionary measure. But the adversity the Eritreans and the march itself encountered was mainly caused by rain and mud. Badoglio's precautionary measure proved to be superfluous.
Badoglio expected some show of resistance at Termaber Pass, and the mechanized column did halt there for two days, but all was quiet. The column stopped because a section of the road had been demolished and had to be repaired.
Once through Selva Sina, the Italians found themselves in one of the most beautiful and fertile regions of Shewa
Province. From the open trucks, the men, with rifles between their knees, gazed over the landscape spellbound at what they saw. At last Italy had a worthwhile colony
of its own. Many of the Italian soldiers looked forward to laying down their rifles when the war was over so that they could pick up farming implements and reap the rewards of this rich earth.
and their two sons, Crown Prince
Asfa-Wassan
, 19, and round-eyed Prince Makonnen
, 13, to leave the country. Ultimately they would go to the Copt
ic monastery in the British Mandate of Palestine, but he asked the French Minister whether the Royal Family could temporarily find refuge in French Somaliland
and was assured by Bodard that they could.
Haile Selassie then returned to his Palace and crowds gathered at the Palace steps. To the gathering throng, he said, "Ethiopia, will fight until the last soldier and the last inch! Let every man who is not wounded or sick take arms and enough food to last five days and march north to fight the invader!" The crowd roared back to their Emperor: "We will go!" With this, five thousand men, bravest remnant of the old Imperial Guard, shouldered their rifles again and marched away.
Forgetting the raw gas burns on his own arm, Haile Selassie retired into his Palace for a final conference with his chieftains. It was clear to him that the Government of the Ethiopian Empire would have to move from Addis Ababa. One possibility was for the government to relocate to Gore
in the southwest and he sought comment on this plan. Initially his bearded chiefs said nothing at all. But, when the chiefs did talk, they explained that the one effective Ethiopian army left was fighting for its life under Ras
Nasibu Emmanual
in the Ogaden
. This army was pitted against General Rodolfo Graziani
's relentless advance on Harar
. They added that the tribes to the west were in an ugly mood. One after another, the chiefs rose to tell how hopeless the situation was and to say that there was nothing for the Emperor to do but run for his life.
After his somber meeting with his chieftains, Haile Selassie visited Sir Sidney Barton at the British Legation. He spoke softly to Sir Sidney but to the point. Britain had encouraged him with fine words and had made many promises. However, Britain had provided Ethiopia with few guns for which the Ethiopians had paid cash. Haile Selassie stressed that he had risked his own life for Ethiopia but also for the League of Nations
. He asked Sir Sidney whether Britain would now come to his aid in this hour of direst need. Shortly afterwards Haile Selassie drove away, his mouth grim with disappointment.
Prior to his departure, Haile Selassie ordered that the government of Ethiopia be moved to Gore
, he ordered that the mayor of Addis Ababa maintain order in the city until the Italian arrival, and he appointed Ras Imru Haile Selassie as his Prince Regent
during his absence
Late on 2 May, after the Emperor left the city to go into exile, all hell broke loose. Only the dregs of Ethiopia's soldiery were left behind in the doomed capital. They promptly went completely wild, looted shops, screamed curses at foreigners, and fired rifles into the air. The new Palace, pride of Haile Selassie, was thrown open to the mob. Most foreigners found safety within the British compound. In twenty-four hours, the Ethiopian Empire went completely to pieces and all semblance of native law and order disappeared. Rioting in Addis Ababa grew worse by the hour. An attack was made on the Treasury's "gold house." A few loyal employes tried to save the remnant of Emperor's gold with machine guns, but sword-swinging looters rushed them and cut off their hands as they clung to their guns.
By the time the main column reached the capital at 4:00 pm on 5 May, the truck-borne Italians were almost delirious with joy. Few could foresee that the conflict in Ethiopia would go on for another five years and that the day that these soldiers could reap the rewards would never dawn.
A heavy rain fell as Badoglio's forces entered the city and restored order. The rioting that started after Haile Selassie left lasted until order was restored with the arrival of the Italians. White flags were displayed everywhere as Badoglio made his triumphal entry into the city of the "King of Kings
." Many city residents fled south or tried to take refuge in the foreign compounds which they had been attacking.
A detachment of Ethiopian customs guards presented arms as Badoglio's car drove past them. Further on, an Italian guard of honor
, which accompanied the advance guard for this very purpose, paid Badoglio the same courtesy. There was no question now of stopping to allow Badoglio to use the horses brought for this occasion. The car and truck bound procession continued.
When Badoglio's entourage pulled up in front of the Italian legation
at 5:45 pm, the tricolor
of the Kingdom of Italy was hoisted. Then followed three cheers for Italy's King Victor Emmanuel
and three cheers for Italy's Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini
. After the cheering, Badoglio turned to a senior member of the Italian Royal Air Force and said:
The fall of Addis Ababa had been expected in Italy, but when the news reached Rome during the evening of 5 May, there were scenes of wild excitement. Mussolini was called back ten times by the jubilant crowds at the Palazzo Venezia
.
Significantly, the march was completed in only ten days across difficult terrain and in bad weather. It was an achievement that demonstrated the offensive potential of motorized forces in securing bold advances. However, encountering no Ethiopian opposition, the Italian "March of the Iron Will" turned out to be little more than a logistics exercise
. In the words of an anonymous journalist at the time:
and Governor-General
of Italian East Africa
and the former Italian Legation was now his headquarters. Kirchholtes provided the first recognition by any foreign government that the conquest of Ethiopia was an accomplished fact.
Meanwhile, one of Marshal Badoglio's staff officers, Captain Adolfo Alessandri, visited in turn every foreign legation in Addis Ababa. Clicking his heels ceremoniously, Alessandri politely explained to each envoy that they would enjoy "every diplomatic privilege until the time of your departure." This was Italy's first official notification to the world that occupied-Ethiopia would not even be considered to be on the same footing as the Japanese Empire's
puppet state
of Manchukuo
. The former Ethiopian Empire was to be an out and out colony
of the Kingdom of Italy. Giuseppe Bottai
was named as the first Governor of Addis Ababa
and Haile Selassie's former Palace became his residence.
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
event staged during the final days of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. The goal of the march was to capture the Ethiopian capital in a show of force
Show of force
Show of force is a military term for an operation intended to warn or intimidate an opponent and to showcase one's own capability or will to act if provoked...
.
From 26 April to 5 May 1936, an Italian
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
"mechanized column
Mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....
" under the command of Marshal of Italy
Marshal of Italy
Marshal of Italy was a rank in the Italian Royal Army . Originally created in 1924 by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini for the purpose of honoring Generals Luigi Cadorna and Armando Diaz, the rank was granted to several other general officers from 1926 to 1943...
(Maresciallo d'Italia
Marshal of Italy
Marshal of Italy was a rank in the Italian Royal Army . Originally created in 1924 by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini for the purpose of honoring Generals Luigi Cadorna and Armando Diaz, the rank was granted to several other general officers from 1926 to 1943...
) Pietro Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio, 1st Duke of Addis Abeba, 1st Marquess of Sabotino was an Italian soldier and politician...
advanced unopposed from the town of Dessie
Dessie
Dessie is a city and a woreda in north-central Ethiopia. Located on the Addis Ababa - Asmara highway in the Debub Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region, this city has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation between 2,470 and 2,550 meters above sea level.Dessie has postal service , and telephone...
to take Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
. The march covered a distance of approximately 200 miles.
Background
On 3 October 1935, elements of the Italian Royal ArmyRoyal Italian Army
The Regio Esercito was the army of the Kingdom of Italy from the unification of Italy in 1861 to the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946...
(Regio Esercito
Royal Italian Army
The Regio Esercito was the army of the Kingdom of Italy from the unification of Italy in 1861 to the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946...
) under General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Emilio De Bono
Emilio De Bono
Emilio De Bono was an Italian General, fascist activist, Marshal, and member of the Fascist Grand Council . De Bono fought in the Italo-Turkish War, World War I, and the Second Italo-Abyssinian War.-Early life:De Bono was born in Cassano d'Adda...
invaded the Ethiopian Empire
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire also known as Abyssinia, covered a geographical area that the present-day northern half of Ethiopia and Eritrea covers, and included in its peripheries Zeila, Djibouti, Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia...
from staging areas in the Italian colony of Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
on what was known as the "northern front". De Bono was the Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of all Italian armed forces in East Africa. In addition, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the forces invading from Eritrea, the "northern front." Forces based in Italian Somaliland
Italian Somaliland
Italian Somaliland , also known as Italian Somalia, was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy from the 1880s until 1936 in the region of modern-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th century by the Somali Sultanate of Hobyo and the Majeerteen Sultanate, the territory was later acquired by Italy through various...
under General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Rodolfo Graziani
Rodolfo Graziani
Rodolfo Graziani, 1st Marquis of Neghelli , was an officer in the Italian Regio Esercito who led military expeditions in Africa before and during World War II.-Rise to prominence:...
invaded Ethiopia on what was known as the "southern front." Ground forces on both fronts were amply supported by the Italian Royal Air Force
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
(Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
).
Badoglio replaced De Bono in late 1935 and was immediately faced with the Ethiopian "Christmas Offensive."
Ethiopian Christmas Offensive
The Ethiopian Christmas Offensive took place during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The Ethiopian offensive was more of a counteroffensive to an ever slowing Italian offensive which started the war.-Background:...
On 26 December, Badoglio asked for and was given permission to use mustard gas and phosgene
Phosgene
Phosgene is the chemical compound with the formula COCl2. This colorless gas gained infamy as a chemical weapon during World War I. It is also a valued industrial reagent and building block in synthesis of pharmaceuticals and other organic compounds. In low concentrations, its odor resembles...
. The Italians delivered the poison gas
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
by special artillery canisters and with bombers of the Royal Air Force. While the poorly equipped Ethiopians experienced some success against the more modern weaponry of the Italians, they did not understand the "terrible rain that burned and killed."
From early 1936, events on the field of battle did not go well for the Imperial Ethiopian Army
Army of the Ethiopian Empire
Armies of the Ethiopia have existed since earliest times. Ethiopia maintained a sizable contingent of her forces in her Sabbean Garrisons which expanded out to project power over colonies in Yemen and to protect Caravans or trade routes....
. On the southern front, Graziani eliminated a large Ethiopian army commanded by Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
(Ras
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
) Desta Damtew
Desta Damtew
Ras Desta Damtew was an Ethiopian noble, an army commander, and a son-in-law of Emperor Haile Selassie I.-Biography:...
during the Battle of Genale Doria
Battle of Genale Doria
The Battle of Genale Doria was a battle on the "southern front" fought during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The battle consisted almost entirely of air attacks by the Italian Royal Air Force against an advancing and then withdrawing Ethiopian army under Ras Desta Damtu...
using poison gas. Badoglio used poison gas to eliminate the Ethiopian northern armies one after another. He destroyed Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu
Mulugeta Yeggazu
Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu, was an Ethiopian government official. He served as Imperial Fitawrari, Commander of the Mahel Sefari of the Ethiopian Army during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War.-Biography:...
's army in the Battle of Amba Aradam
Battle of Amba Aradam
The Battle of Amba Aradam was a battle fought on the northern front of what was known as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. This battle consisted of attacks and counterattacks by Italian forces under Marshal of Italy Pietro Badoglio and Ethiopian forces under Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu...
. He destroyed Ras Kassa Haile Darge
Kassa Haile Darge
Ras Kassa Haile Darge GCVO, GBE , was a Shewan nobleman, the son of Haile Wolde Kiros of Lasta and Tisseme Darge, and grandson of Ras Darge Sahle Selassie the brother of Menelik II's father....
's army in the Second Battle of Tembien
Second Battle of Tembien
The Second Battle of Tembien was a battle fought on the northern front of what was known as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. This battle consisted of attacks by Italian forces under Marshal Pietro Badoglio on Ethiopian forces under Ras Kassa Haile Darge and Ras Seyoum Mangasha...
. Finally, he destroyed Ras Imru Haile Sellassie's
Imru Haile Selassie
Leul Ras Imru Haile Selassie was an Ethiopian noble, soldier, and diplomat. He was also the cousin of Emperor Haile Selassie.-Biography:...
army in the Battle of Shire
Battle of Shire
The Battle of Shire was a battle fought on the northern front of what was known as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. This battle consisted of attacks and counterattacks by Italian forces under Marshal of Italy Pietro Badoglio and Ethiopian forces under Ras Imru Haile Selassie...
.
By 31 March, the last Ethiopian army on the northern front was commanded in battle by the Emperor
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
himself, Haile Selassie. His army included six battalions of Ethiopia's best troops, the Imperial Guard
Kebur Zabangna
Kebur Zabagna or Zebenya was the Ethiopian Imperial Guard. Also known as the First Division, this unit served the dual purposes of providing security for the Emperor of Ethiopia, and being an elite infantry division...
(Kebur Zabangna
Kebur Zabangna
Kebur Zabagna or Zebenya was the Ethiopian Imperial Guard. Also known as the First Division, this unit served the dual purposes of providing security for the Emperor of Ethiopia, and being an elite infantry division...
). The Emperor led an ill-fated counterattack
Counterattack
A counterattack is a tactic used in response against an attack. The term originates in military strategy. The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy in attack and the specific objectives are usually to regain lost ground or to destroy attacking enemy units.It is...
during the Battle of Maychew
Battle of Maychew
The Battle of Maychew was the last major battle fought on the northern front during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The battle consisted of a failed counterattack by the Ethiopian forces under Emperor Haile Selassie making frontal assaults against prepared Italian defensive positions under the...
which he could not realistically hope to win. The Emperor's army suffered heavy losses during costly frontal assault
Frontal assault
The military tactic of frontal assault is a direct, hostile movement of forces toward the front of an enemy force . By targeting the enemy's front, the attackers are subjecting themselves to the maximum defensive power of the enemy...
s on prepared Italian defensive positions. But the bulk of his army was destroyed during the days immediately following the battle when poison gas was used to decimate the withdrawing columns.
On 20 April, Marshal Badoglio flew to the town of Dessie
Dessie
Dessie is a city and a woreda in north-central Ethiopia. Located on the Addis Ababa - Asmara highway in the Debub Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region, this city has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation between 2,470 and 2,550 meters above sea level.Dessie has postal service , and telephone...
in Wollo Province and made his headquarters there. He decided to advance from Dessie and take the Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n capital of Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
. Dessie is only two-hundred miles (320 km) from Addis Ababa. Except for a pitiful procession of refugees, the road to the capital was clear. The Italian Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
faced no meaningful Ethiopian resistance.
The mechanized column
Because of the lack of resistance between Dessie and Addis Ababa, Badoglio risked a spectacular advance with a "mechanized column" for propaganda purposes. In 1936, "mechanized" meant infantry transported in a variety of commercial cars and trucks. "Motorised infantryMotorised infantry
In NATO and most other western countries, motorised infantry is infantry which is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers, infantry combat vehicles, or infantry fighting vehicles...
" is a more appropriate term for Badoglio's column.
Thanks to the organizational genius of a Quartermaster-General
Quartermaster general
A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...
Fidenzio Dall'Ora, Badoglio's "mechanized column" came together in Dessie between 21 April and 25 April. Dall'Ora was able to organize the most powerful "mechanized" column to appear on an African road up to that time. In addition to 12,500 Fascist Italian toops, the column included 1,785 cars and trucks of all makes (Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
s, Lancia
Lancia
Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...
s, Alfa-Romeos
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
, Fords, Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
s, Bedfords
Bedford Vehicles
Bedford Vehicles, usually shortened to just Bedford, was a subsidiary of Vauxhall Motors, itself the British subsidiary of General Motors , established in 1930; and constructing commercial vehicles. Bedford Vehicles was a leading international truck manufacturer, with substantial export sales of...
, and Studebaker
Studebaker
Studebaker Corporation was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the...
s), a squadron of light tank
Light tank
A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major...
s (L3s
L3/35
The L3/35 or Carro Veloce CV-35 was an Italian tank used before and during World War II. Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless configuration, weight and firepower make it closer to contemporary tankettes....
), eleven batteries of artillery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
, and aircraft. Special vehicles carried 193 horses so that when the column arrived at the gates of Addis Ababa, the Marshal and his staff could leave their cars and ride in triumph on horseback.
The march
Imperial highway
Badoglio's mechanized force advanced along the "Imperial Highway" between Dessie and Addis Ababa. The Italian Commander-in-Chief was to uncharitibly refer to this road as "a bad cart track."Badoglio expected some show of resistance at Termaber Pass, and the mechanized column did halt there for two days, but all was quiet. The column stopped because a section of the road had been demolished and had to be repaired.
Once through Selva Sina, the Italians found themselves in one of the most beautiful and fertile regions of Shewa
Shewa
Shewa is a historical region of Ethiopia, formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire...
Province. From the open trucks, the men, with rifles between their knees, gazed over the landscape spellbound at what they saw. At last Italy had a worthwhile colony
Italian Empire
The Italian Empire was created after the Kingdom of Italy joined other European powers in establishing colonies overseas during the "scramble for Africa". Modern Italy as a unified state only existed from 1861. By this time France, Spain, Portugal, Britain, and the Netherlands, had already carved...
of its own. Many of the Italian soldiers looked forward to laying down their rifles when the war was over so that they could pick up farming implements and reap the rewards of this rich earth.
Addis Ababa before the arrival of the Italians
In Addis Ababa, Emperor Haile Selassie visited the French Legation. After explaining to French Minister Paul Bodard that further defense of the capital was impossible, he explained that it was best for Empress Menen AsfawMenen Asfaw
Empress Menen Asfaw was the wife and consort of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. Empress Menen was the daughter of Asfaw, Jantirar of Ambassel...
and their two sons, Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
Asfa-Wassan
Amha Selassie of Ethiopia
Amha Selassie, GCMG, GCVO, GBE was the last Emperor of Ethiopia. First proclaimed Emperor during the unsuccessful coup attempt by the Imperial Guards against his father Haile Selassie I in December 1960, he initially went along with this proclamation under duress. The coup collapsed within days...
, 19, and round-eyed Prince Makonnen
Prince Makonnen
Prince Makonnen Haile Selassie, Duke of Harar was the second son, and second youngest child, of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and Empress Menen Asfaw...
, 13, to leave the country. Ultimately they would go to the Copt
Copt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
ic monastery in the British Mandate of Palestine, but he asked the French Minister whether the Royal Family could temporarily find refuge in French Somaliland
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
and was assured by Bodard that they could.
Haile Selassie then returned to his Palace and crowds gathered at the Palace steps. To the gathering throng, he said, "Ethiopia, will fight until the last soldier and the last inch! Let every man who is not wounded or sick take arms and enough food to last five days and march north to fight the invader!" The crowd roared back to their Emperor: "We will go!" With this, five thousand men, bravest remnant of the old Imperial Guard, shouldered their rifles again and marched away.
Forgetting the raw gas burns on his own arm, Haile Selassie retired into his Palace for a final conference with his chieftains. It was clear to him that the Government of the Ethiopian Empire would have to move from Addis Ababa. One possibility was for the government to relocate to Gore
Gore, Ethiopia
Gore is a town in southwestern Ethiopia. Located south of Metu in the Illubabor Zone of the Oromia Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2085 meters....
in the southwest and he sought comment on this plan. Initially his bearded chiefs said nothing at all. But, when the chiefs did talk, they explained that the one effective Ethiopian army left was fighting for its life under Ras
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
Nasibu Emmanual
Nasibu Emmanual
Nasibu Emmanual, also Nasibu Zamanuael, was an army commander of the Ethiopian Empire. Along with his brother Wasane, historian Bahru Zewde groups Nasibu "among the most colourful of the first-generation intellectuals" of Twentieth-century Ethiopia...
in the Ogaden
Ogaden
Ogaden is the name of a territory comprising the southeastern portion of the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia. The inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Somali and Muslim. The title "Somali Galbeed", which means "Western Somalia," is often preferred by Somali irredentists.The region, which is...
. This army was pitted against General Rodolfo Graziani
Rodolfo Graziani
Rodolfo Graziani, 1st Marquis of Neghelli , was an officer in the Italian Regio Esercito who led military expeditions in Africa before and during World War II.-Rise to prominence:...
's relentless advance on Harar
Harar
Harar is an eastern city in Ethiopia, and the capital of the modern Harari ethno-political division of Ethiopia...
. They added that the tribes to the west were in an ugly mood. One after another, the chiefs rose to tell how hopeless the situation was and to say that there was nothing for the Emperor to do but run for his life.
After his somber meeting with his chieftains, Haile Selassie visited Sir Sidney Barton at the British Legation. He spoke softly to Sir Sidney but to the point. Britain had encouraged him with fine words and had made many promises. However, Britain had provided Ethiopia with few guns for which the Ethiopians had paid cash. Haile Selassie stressed that he had risked his own life for Ethiopia but also for the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. He asked Sir Sidney whether Britain would now come to his aid in this hour of direst need. Shortly afterwards Haile Selassie drove away, his mouth grim with disappointment.
Prior to his departure, Haile Selassie ordered that the government of Ethiopia be moved to Gore
Gore, Ethiopia
Gore is a town in southwestern Ethiopia. Located south of Metu in the Illubabor Zone of the Oromia Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2085 meters....
, he ordered that the mayor of Addis Ababa maintain order in the city until the Italian arrival, and he appointed Ras Imru Haile Selassie as his Prince Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
during his absence
Late on 2 May, after the Emperor left the city to go into exile, all hell broke loose. Only the dregs of Ethiopia's soldiery were left behind in the doomed capital. They promptly went completely wild, looted shops, screamed curses at foreigners, and fired rifles into the air. The new Palace, pride of Haile Selassie, was thrown open to the mob. Most foreigners found safety within the British compound. In twenty-four hours, the Ethiopian Empire went completely to pieces and all semblance of native law and order disappeared. Rioting in Addis Ababa grew worse by the hour. An attack was made on the Treasury's "gold house." A few loyal employes tried to save the remnant of Emperor's gold with machine guns, but sword-swinging looters rushed them and cut off their hands as they clung to their guns.
Arrival of the Italians
During the evening of 4 May, elements of the I Eritrean Brigade reached the outskirts of Addis Ababa. They reached the city before Badoglio's mechanized column and they managed to accomplish this feat on foot. Meanwhile Badoglio's motorized column, pushing on as fast as possible, drew closer and closer. Italian aircraft reconnoitred over the city.By the time the main column reached the capital at 4:00 pm on 5 May, the truck-borne Italians were almost delirious with joy. Few could foresee that the conflict in Ethiopia would go on for another five years and that the day that these soldiers could reap the rewards would never dawn.
A heavy rain fell as Badoglio's forces entered the city and restored order. The rioting that started after Haile Selassie left lasted until order was restored with the arrival of the Italians. White flags were displayed everywhere as Badoglio made his triumphal entry into the city of the "King of Kings
King of Kings
King of Kings is a title that has been used by several monarchies and empires throughout history. The title originates in the Ancient Near East. It is broadly the equivalent of the later title Emperor....
." Many city residents fled south or tried to take refuge in the foreign compounds which they had been attacking.
A detachment of Ethiopian customs guards presented arms as Badoglio's car drove past them. Further on, an Italian guard of honor
Guard of honour
A guard of honour is a ceremonial event practice in military and sports as a mark of respect.-Military:In the military a guard of honour is a ceremonial practice to honour visiting foreign dignitaries, or the fallen in war, or a ceremony for public figures who have died.The commander is three paces...
, which accompanied the advance guard for this very purpose, paid Badoglio the same courtesy. There was no question now of stopping to allow Badoglio to use the horses brought for this occasion. The car and truck bound procession continued.
When Badoglio's entourage pulled up in front of the Italian legation
Legation
A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
at 5:45 pm, the tricolor
Flag of Italy
The flag of Italy is a tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical pales of green, white, and red, with the green at the hoist side...
of the Kingdom of Italy was hoisted. Then followed three cheers for Italy's King Victor Emmanuel
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
and three cheers for Italy's Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
. After the cheering, Badoglio turned to a senior member of the Italian Royal Air Force and said:
- "We've done it! We've won!"
The fall of Addis Ababa had been expected in Italy, but when the news reached Rome during the evening of 5 May, there were scenes of wild excitement. Mussolini was called back ten times by the jubilant crowds at the Palazzo Venezia
Palazzo Venezia
The Palazzo di Venezia is a palazzo in central Rome, Italy, just north of the Capitoline Hill. The original structure of this great architectural complex consisted of a modest medieval house intended as the residence of the cardinals appointed to the Church of San Marco...
.
Significantly, the march was completed in only ten days across difficult terrain and in bad weather. It was an achievement that demonstrated the offensive potential of motorized forces in securing bold advances. However, encountering no Ethiopian opposition, the Italian "March of the Iron Will" turned out to be little more than a logistics exercise
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
. In the words of an anonymous journalist at the time:
- "Far more of a sports event than a page in military historyMilitary historyMilitary history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
."
Aftermath
During the week following Marshal Badoglio's entry into Addis Ababa, Dr. Johann Hans Kirchholtes, the German Minister to Ethiopia, visited what at one time had been the Italian Legation in the Ethiopian capital city. Badoglio was now ViceroyViceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
and Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
of Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
and the former Italian Legation was now his headquarters. Kirchholtes provided the first recognition by any foreign government that the conquest of Ethiopia was an accomplished fact.
Meanwhile, one of Marshal Badoglio's staff officers, Captain Adolfo Alessandri, visited in turn every foreign legation in Addis Ababa. Clicking his heels ceremoniously, Alessandri politely explained to each envoy that they would enjoy "every diplomatic privilege until the time of your departure." This was Italy's first official notification to the world that occupied-Ethiopia would not even be considered to be on the same footing as the Japanese Empire's
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
puppet state
Puppet state
A puppet state is a nominal sovereign of a state who is de facto controlled by a foreign power. The term refers to a government controlled by the government of another country like a puppeteer controls the strings of a marionette...
of Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
. The former Ethiopian Empire was to be an out and out colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of the Kingdom of Italy. Giuseppe Bottai
Giuseppe Bottai
Guiseppe Bottai was an Italian lawyer, economist, journalist, and member of the National Fascist Party of Benito Mussolini.-Fascism:...
was named as the first Governor of Addis Ababa
Italian Governors of Addis Ababa
-List of Italian Governors of Addis Ababa:- See also :*Ethiopia*Lists of office-holders...
and Haile Selassie's former Palace became his residence.
See also
- Second Italo-Abyssinian WarSecond Italo-Abyssinian WarThe Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...
- Timeline of the Second Italo–Abyssinian WarTimeline of the Second Italo–Abyssinian WarThe following is a timeline relating to the Second Italo–Abyssinian War to the end of 1936. A number of related political and military events followed until 1942, but these have been omitted.-1930:...
- Achille StaraceAchille StaraceAchille Starace was a prominent leader of Fascist Italy prior to and during World War II.-Early life and career:Starace was born in Gallipoli in southern Italy near Lecce. He was son of a wine and oil merchant....