Why was the Battle of Adwa fought in 1896?

The Battle of Adwa was fought in 1896 primarily due to a dispute over the Treaty of Wichale, signed in 1889 between Emperor Menilek II and Italy.12

The conflict arose from a critical mistranslation in Article XVII of the treaty. While the Amharic text was noncommittal regarding foreign relations, the Italian version implied that Ethiopia was required to use the Italian government for all foreign dealings, effectively declaring an Italian protectorate over the country. After Menilek II discovered this discrepancy and repudiated the treaty in 1893, tensions escalated.12

The situation worsened when Italy began military incursions, annexing portions of the Ethiopian province of Tigray in 1895. Menilek II mobilized his forces to defend Ethiopian sovereignty against this attempt at colonial dominion. The resulting battle on March 1, 1896, ended in a decisive Ethiopian victory, which forced Italy to abandon its claim to a protectorate and preserved Ethiopia's independence during the Scramble for Africa.132