Chapter 377: Progress in Italy
While East Africa discussed going to war against the Boers, Italy made the first move in its own invasion of the Empire of Abyssinia. Samuel led the Italian expeditionary force and captured the important eastern Abyssinian city of Dessie.
The flag of the Kingdom of Italy now flew over Dessie, triggering a new round of turmoil in the Abyssinian Empire. Nobles and ministers in the imperial capital blamed one another.
The Kingdom of Shoa declared, "It's the central government's incompetence that allowed those white Europeans to invade our imperial territory. Someone must pay for this disgraceful surrender!"
Tigray's rulers shot back, "You fools! You always oppose our every decision and only pretend to follow orders. That's why the enemy found an opening. You bear some responsibility for losing Dessie."
Abyssinia's main feudal territories are Tigray in the north and Shoa in the south, plus several major provinces like Gojjam, Wollo, and Semien, which also function independently.
Later, Tewodros II unified these areas, reestablishing centralized authority in the Empire of Abyssinia, but good times didn't last. Tewodros II was destroyed by the British.
After that, the regions became divided again. Prince Kassa of Tigray seized the throne in the ancient city of Axum, crowning himself Yohannes IV.
But his imperial title was largely hollow. He came to power by betraying Tewodros II and currying favor with the British, and although he was supposedly a descendant of the Solomonic line, he failed to earn genuine submission from all.
Moreover, he made enemies all around, both domestically and abroad—especially with the Kingdom of Shoa in the south. Additionally, he clashed frequently with Egypt.
In fact, Yohannes IV was quite capable, especially as a military commander. Historically, by this point, he should have already defeated the Kingdom of Shoa and subdued many local forces.
But East Africa's disruptive "spoiler" role changed history. The British had given Yohannes IV guns and ammo before leaving, but East Africa provided armaments to various powers inside Abyssinia, offsetting his advantage.
In particular, the southern tribes have now fallen into a stance of formally supporting the central government but refusing to follow any orders. Meanwhile, Shoa has reemerged as a serious contender, opposing him at every turn.
When the Italian expeditionary army attacked Dessie, all Abyssinian forces wanted to fight back, yet no one actually sent troops. Those who could have come to Dessie's aid—such as nearby warlords in the northeast or the Kingdom of Shoa—feared that if they marched out, Yohannes IV would stab them in the back. So, each side just watched from the sidelines.
Italy's victory came at the perfect time and place. First, under the Rubattino Company's coordination, cheap East African rice arrived at Assab Port via the Red Sea. Although it wasn't quite to the taste of Italian soldiers, it was inexpensive, so the expedition's already-limited military budget suddenly eased up.
Compared to flour, rice is easier to process and carry. Each soldier could carry some, and even if it got wet, it wouldn't instantly turn into a soggy paste like flour would.
With ample supplies, Samuel immediately mustered the troops for an offensive against Abyssinia.
From analyzing intelligence on the Abyssinian Empire, Samuel concluded that if Italy wanted to conquer Abyssinia at minimal cost, it should avoid the empire's strongholds in the north and focus on the southeastern regions.
Dessie was exactly the linchpin in Samuel's plan—the dividing line between north and south for Italy's invasion of Abyssinia. South of Dessie, stretching down to Addis Ababa, lies the empire's most vulnerable zone.
Dessie sits in the river valley on the eastern edge of the Ethiopian highlands. Due to the terrain, it is the strategic gateway from the empire's northeast to the south. By controlling Dessie, a small force could keep Abyssinia's main army in the north. For Samuel, whose own forces were limited, that was essential.
Samuel considered whether it was possible to hold Dessie, and he believed yes, because Abyssinia was still fragmented. In the north, Egypt continued to occupy the attention of the local warlords. The empire wouldn't be able to concentrate troops against his forces.
Samuel's plan also depended on the ethnic makeup of Abyssinia. Broadly, the empire is split into three parts: the Orthodox Christian region in the north; the Arabic Islamic region in the east; and the southern tribal areas bordering East Africa's Turkana Province.
Samuel's main strike targeted the Islamic region, whose people have long opposed the northern Orthodox area. Over the empire's thousand-year history, they've continually fought Arab groups. When they were strong, they controlled the Red Sea coast and even reached the Arabian Peninsula. When they were weak, they were driven back to the highlands. Right now, they are in a weakened state.
As for the southern tribal zone, historically it's been a vassal to the Abyssinian Empire, somewhat like "barbarians." After East Africa cleared out the Black African powers on the southern Ethiopian highlands, no fresh blood came to reinforce these tribes, greatly weakening them. They had always been an important source of slaves for Abyssinia.
Losing many slaves meant the southern tribes lost a major source of income, weakening their influence in the empire. However, East Africa's arms trade supported these southern tribes, forcing others to be cautious in dealing with them.
Compared to the north, the southern tribes' biggest disadvantage is that they are even more fragmented and have no single core authority. So they aren't very enthusiastic about participating in imperial affairs.
Samuel's choice to go for southeastern Abyssinia first is quite conservative, as this region has never been the empire's top priority. The empire has usually been more interested in the north and northeast: the north being Egypt, and the northeast the Red Sea. Abyssinia's ties with Egypt can be traced back to ancient Nubia. In the Eastern Roman Empire era, Axum—the predecessor of Abyssinia—was connected to Egypt and Nubia, and also adopted Orthodox Christianity as its main religion. In a sense, Ethiopia could be seen as one of Rome's successors in history. If it weren't for its long cultural heritage, unlike the Slavs, Western Europe, or the Turks, who sometimes lacked self-confidence in their lineage, Ethiopia might have tried to claim the title "Black Rome."
The Red Sea coast has always been on Abyssinia's mind. Every time they grew strong, they tried to reclaim the Red Sea from Arab control. Only by having the Red Sea under its authority could Abyssinia become a regional power—hence it has never stopped competing with Arab forces.
By contrast, the area Samuel seeks lies outside the empire's core regions—at least until Menelik II moved the capital to Addis Ababa, this place was never central to Abyssinia. The population there is sparse, and there's plenty of farmland, making it ideal for settling Italian immigrants.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10