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Battle of Adwa
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Illustration from Le Petit Journal showing King Menelik II in a red cloak and headdress riding a white horse as he surveys Ethiopian troops at the Battle of Adwa. Engraving depicting Ethiopian forces attacking Italian soldiers led by Brigadier General Vittorio Emanuele Dabormida during the Battle of Adwa, with chaotic close combat and smoke.
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Illustration from Le Petit Journal showing King Menelik II in a red cloak and headdress riding a white horse as he surveys Ethiopian troops at the Battle of Adwa.
Battle of Adwa Ethiopian Emperor Menilek II surveying his troops at the Battle of Adwa on March 1, 1896, in which Ethiopia defeated Italy, from Le Petit Journal, November 10, 1898.

Battle of Adwa

Italy-Ethiopia [1896]
Also known as: Battle of Adowa, Battle of Adua
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Battle of Adwa, (March 1, 1896), military clash at Adwa, in north-central Ethiopia, between the Ethiopian army of Emperor Menilek II and Italian forces. The Ethiopian army’s victory checked Italy’s attempt to build an empire in Africa. The victory had further significance for being the first crushing defeat of a European power by African forces during the colonial era. From the mid-19th century, Ethiopia was an aggregate of semi-independent kingdoms, which were presided over by...

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