How did Italian forces fight during the conquest of Ethiopia?

During the 1935–1936 invasion of Ethiopia, Italian forces, led by Generals Rodolfo Graziani and Pietro Badoglio, utilized a combination of conventional military superiority and brutal, inhumane tactics to overcome the Ethiopian army.1

While the Italian military was initially ill-prepared for the campaign, they maintained a steady advance against the poorly trained and ill-armed Ethiopian forces. To accelerate the conquest and break Ethiopian resistance, Benito Mussolini explicitly instructed Marshal Badoglio to employ "whatever means necessary," which included the use of terror bombing and the deployment of poison gas.12

These actions represented a clear violation of ethical principles and international norms regarding the conduct of war. The Italian strategy relied on overwhelming force and the deliberate targeting of non-combatants and the environment to secure a swift victory, ultimately leading to the fall of Addis Ababa in May 1936 and the exile of Emperor Haile Selassie.1