On March 1, 1896, a massive Ethiopian army routed Italian forces at the Battle of Adwa. The battle marked the largest military triumph of an African state over a European army in the 19th century and helped Ethiopia retain its independence during Europe’s “scramble for Africa.” In this lesson students read three different textbook accounts of the battle – two American and one Ethiopian – to investigate the question: How did Ethiopia defeat Italy at the Battle of Adwa?
Image: 1895 Illustration from French newspaper depicting the Battle of Amba Alage. From the Wikimedia Commons.