Why did the opening of the Suez Canal increase competition for Eritrea’s Red Sea coast?

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 transformed the Red Sea into a vital maritime artery for global trade, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. This shift in international logistics drastically increased the strategic and commercial value of the region, turning the Red Sea coast into a focal point of intense rivalry among the world’s most powerful states.123

As global powers sought to secure influence and control over this newly critical waterway, the Eritrean coast became a target for colonial expansion. Between 1869 and 1880, the Italian Rubattino Navigation Company began acquiring stretches of the coast near Asseb, which were later transferred to the Italian state. By 1885, Italian troops had landed at Massawa and other locations, eventually leading to the formal proclamation of the Italian colony of Eritrea in 1890.23