The Significance of Adwa Victory (1896)
In the Ethiopian context, nothing could be more empowering than Adwa. For Ethiopians, Adwa embodies so much more than a war or a military victory. It triggers the consciousness of Ethiopia. Bahru Zewde wrote,
The revival of European interest in the Ethiopian region was not a unique phenomenon. It was part of the general European penetration of Africa in the nineteenth century, and it was multifaceted. In essence, it had economic origins.[1]
African people’s intelligence and awareness were underestimated by European powers, that justified their political agendas in any way possible. Just as the Italians believed Ethiopia was “backward,” the country was thought to be easily conquered. The Amharic version of Article 17 implied cooperation between Ethiopia and Italy, whereas the original Italian version enforced Ethiopia’s obligation to and dependence on Italy. For more on the ambiguity of the Amharic translation, Emperor Menelik II actively resisted the Italians’ attempts to bring Ethiopia to heel through the backdoors. He added to his efforts to drive the enemy out of Ethiopia. Because Ethiopia refused to sign the treaty, the war could not be avoided. Suppose Menelik had ignored the false content of the original Italian version and trusted the Amharic version of Article 17. In that case, the essence of Ethiopia in the twentieth century and beyond could have been deplorable.
When Ethiopians commemorate the defining history of their victory at Adwa, the date 1st March 1896 garners even more attention. Stemming from a strong national and religious current that undermined foreign aggression, Adwa culminated the warrior ethos that Ethiopians have had in abundance since time immemorial. The long-standing combatting of alien invasion must have created levels of self-determination and nationalism. The Battle of Adwa is firmly etched in the national consciousness of Ethiopia.
Military victory has transformed Ethiopia from a so-called “isolated” African kingdom to a global icon and champion of the oppressed people. Ethiopia’s iconic status was owed mainly to this historical event that boosted national pride, sparked widespread euphoria, and established Ethiopia as a model of resistance to European colonialism.
Under Emperor Menelik II, Adwa also publicized the development of an independent and united Ethiopia on a global scale. It’s one of those pivotal moments in African independence that exemplified how inextricably Ethiopia has become associated with black pride in the popular imagination. Compared to other external aggressions, few events in African history would garner as much attention as this military victory — a turn of events that surprised, if not outraged, the then-absolute colonial powers.
Adwa gave the competing regional powers the impetus they needed to unite under Menelik II. Furthermore, Ethiopian nationalism was revitalized due to the resistance to Italian aggression, resulting in unity among Ethiopians of all ethnic groups. The fundamental core of this solidarity had transcended racial, religious, and cultural barriers. Adwa added a thick layer to Ethiopia’s meaning as a symbol of multi-ethnic cohesion and molded a historical consciousness that inspired future generations of Ethiopians’ collective identity. Ethiopia represents liberty and freedom for oppressed and colonized people worldwide, not just past glories.
Adwa was not just about a victorious indigenous military resistance defeating an invading foreign army; it was also a victory for indigenous political sovereignty over European cultural arrogance. Incorporating past glories of antiquity into contemporary history has added a peculiar dimension to the concept of Ethiopian independence. There must have been multiple layers of Ethiopian nationalism when it was at its most vibrant during wartime. The event served as a milestone in the historical connection between ancient Ethiopia, the land of “historic” Abyssinia, and modern Ethiopia. The stories and myths of the past may not have been enough to enhance the national pride generated by Adwa. As a historical episode marked by strong symbolism of liberty, freedom, and self-determination, Adwa looms large in the global memory and furthers the idea of an inextricable link between country and nationality with a profusion of distinct identities, all motivated by a shared set of political goals. Thus, the aftermath of the crisis was viewed by Ethiopians from the perspective of political unity and ethnic plurality. Far from serving as an example of being subject to foreign invaders, they sacrificed their lives to declare their belief in not allowing foreigners to define them. Adwa’s influence was widespread in the thinking of Ethiopians. “In terms of national psychology, however,” Bahru Zewde wrote, “the Adwa victory has continued to instill in successive generations of Ethiopians a deep sense of national pride and spirited national independence.[2]
The de facto colonial powers’ expectations did not match the meaning of the defining closure. For the Italians, the Adwa phenomenon has affected how they see the world, whereas it has shifted how the world sees them for the Ethiopians. As Ethiopians interpreted this historic victory as a sign of divine intervention, it lent a new layer of meaning to Ethiopia. This achievement became a unique symbol of Black potential in world history. The conviction inspired black pride that Ethiopians had taken a stand against Western arrogance, boosting anti-European colonialism agendas. Adwa’s defeat had a powerful impact on Italian public opinion. Without a doubt, it pressured the Italians to restructure their goals in the Horn of Africa. It compelled critics in the public and legislative bodies to request a halt to colonial endeavors that could not be reversed.[3]
Of course, the role of Menelik II is critical and irreplaceable in the context of Adwa’s victory. To commemorate this historical event without recognizing the undeniable iconic part of the Ethiopian emperor is more than debased, if not un-Ethiopian. It is not unwise to believe that the body of Dejazmach Balcha (1863–1936), one of Emperor Menelik II’s most distinguished warriors, would have rolled into the grave for being used as a symbolic tool for Ethiopia’s current unending ethnic-tinged melodrama.
The deniers of past Adwa’s commemorations were used to deconstruct the historical episode by painting Ethiopia as a client state for European colonialism. Presently, they have changed their strategies by owning the undeniable historical event and erasing the principal protagonist from the core of the narrative. However, Ethiopians and Friends of Ethiopia are watching, and do not let that happen.
Long live Ethiopia!
Notes
[1] Bahru Zewde, A History of Modern Ethiopia, 1855–1974 (London, England: Currey, 1991), 24.
[2] Zewde, 84.
[3] Giulia Barrera, “The Construction of Racial Hierarchies in Colonial Eritrea: The Liberal and Early Fascist Period (1897–1934),” in A Place in the Sun: Africa in Italian Colonial Culture from Post-Unification to the Present, ed. Patrizia Palumbo (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003), 83.
