Battle
A night march separates the Italian brigades before a large, well-armed Ethiopian army.
Military history
On 1 March 1896, Baratieri’s brigades emerge separately in the mountains east of Adwa. Albertone has advanced too far; Dabormida moves into another valley. Menelik’s contingents, armed with many rifles and supported by artillery, concentrate their attacks on these separated positions. Albertone is defeated, then the Italian centre gives way; Dabormida holds out longer before a costly retreat. The Ethiopian victory opens negotiations that abolish the protectorate claimed by Italy.
Differences between the Italian and Amharic versions of the Treaty of Wuchale fuel the conflict. Italy claims the right to control Ethiopia’s foreign relations; Menelik rejects this protectorate. The fighting at Amba Alagi and Mekele precedes the concentration around Adwa.
By late February, both armies are short of food. The Ethiopian army brings together provincial contingents with their own leaders and services. Baratieri hesitates between retreat and advance; the brigade commanders he consults favour an offensive.
The 29 February order calls for three columns and a reserve, with communications maintained. The night march and confusion over the name Kidane Meret disrupt the arrival. Albertone reaches a position much farther away than Baratieri expected; Dabormida then separates from the centre.
Ethiopians use many purchased or captured rifles, including Gras, Remington and Vetterli models. Italian infantry and askari also carry a variety of weapons. Fire causes heavy losses; concentration of forces and access to positions matter as much as the presence of a modern weapon.
Military history
Effectifs et ravitaillement ; déposition d’Ellena ; ordre du jour n°87 du 29 février 1896.
Decision to advance and prescribed deployment; distinguishes cited records from Melli’s nationalist interpretation.
View ↗Chapitre « Battaglia d’Adua » : ordre de bataille, marche, Albertone, centre, Dabormida, pertes.
Course of the battle and topography; colonial rhetoric and counterfactuals not adopted. Casualty counts explicitly attributed.
View ↗Début du chapitre : missions de paix, conventions Nerazzini et prisonniers.
Abolition of Wuchale, Ethiopian independence and the continuing border dispute.
View ↗Osprey 2011, pp.13–21 ; carte p.16 examinée ; tenues p.35 et notices B, D, G pp.44–47.
Tactical cross-check, column topography and depictions of the three groups of soldiers.
View ↗Revue des Deux Mondes, tome 135, sections I–V : mobilisation et provenance des armes.
Rifles, shields and mobilization; indirect testimony. French bias and racial categories in the text are not adopted.
View ↗Chapitre 4, pp.170–172 : traité du 26 octobre 1896 et limites territoriales de la victoire.
Date and diplomatic significance; only this passage is used, without the chapter’s counterfactuals.
View ↗