(Book Review)
Forty years after Italy’s defeat in 1896 at the Battle of Adwa, Italian Fascist leader Mussolini sought revenge on Ethiopia by invading in 1936. This time, unlike during the Adwa era, the fascist army was equipped with warplanes, tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, and modern communication apparatus, giving them the upper hand on the battlefield. The ill-fed, ill-clothed, and ill-armed Ethiopian army, similar to the Adwa era, marched towards the battlefield on foot, carrying their traditional logistics on animal backs.
The author of the book, a volunteer fighter who came from Europe to fight alongside the Ethiopian army, details the challenges the Ethiopian army faced in the battlefield, the unbalanced war between the Ethiopian and Fascist forces in terms of weapons, logistics, and military leadership, and the ultimate fate of the Ethiopian fighters.
According to the book, in the eve of the war in 1936, a Cuban citizen, Captain Del Baye, who was in London, observed an announcement posted with a picture of the then Ethiopian Ambassador in London, Hakim Workineh Eshete, which explained that “volunteer foreign military officers interested in combatting fascists alongside the Ethiopian army could register.”
He then went to the Ethiopian Embassy, contacted Ambassador Hakim Workineh, discussed the matter with him, obtained his consent, signed an agreement to fight for Ethiopia, and prepared himself to come to Ethiopia.
Days later, he embarked on a ship to Djibouti via the Mediterranean Sea and Suez Canal.
In Djibouti, he contacted the Ethiopian Consulate General and, after a short stay, left for Addis Ababa.
According to the book, weeks later, Del Baye appeared before the court of Emperor Haile Selassie I and spoke with him. The emperor asked Del Baye why he showed interest in fighting alongside the Ethiopian army and in which combat unit he wanted to fight. He responded to the questions, expressed his desire to join the infantry division, and agreed to march towards the war front with the Army chief, Ras Mulugeta. Despite the Italians’ aggressive preparations for war against Ethiopia, as a member of the League of Nations and considering the collective security measures mandated by the league, Emperor Haile Selassie I paid little attention to resisting the invaders through military means.
Nevertheless, traders continued to smuggle armaments through caravan routes from the port of Djibouti and Berbera in Somaliland to Harar and Dire Dawa. Most of the weapons were manufactured in France, Belgium, Australia, and Czechoslovakia. Volunteer fighters armed themselves by exchanging their old weapons for new ones. Although rumors circulated that the Fascists would use Mustard gas, which is prohibited by international law, the emperor hesitated to prepare the army to withstand the chemical weapon. He believed that the mountainous landscape of the country would deter the Italians from using fighter planes. However, according to the book, the use of Mustard gas and warplanes played a pivotal role in changing the course of the war.
Unlike the era of Adwa, the Fascists intended to invade Ethiopia not only from the north but also from the east and southern parts, from Italian Somaliland. They had constructed roads to cross the borders for the final invasion. The emperor’s unresponsive stance caused public frustration. Soon, news spread that Fascist planes had begun bombing Adwa.
Days after receiving this information, Del Baye, also known as the Red Lion, met with Ras Mulugeta, the chief commander of the army. At that time, the commander had 96,000 troops under his command. The Ethiopian fighters had high morale and were awaiting orders from the commander to march to the war front.
Later, the emperor met Del Baye and informed him that he would march to the war front and fight for the cause.
In September, the march to the northern front began under the command of Ras Mulugeta. The army was composed of various ethnic groups gathered from different regions.
The army used animals to transport logistics, and women supported the army by preparing food and traditional liquor. After 15 days of marching on foot and on animals’ backs, the imperial army led by Ras Mulugeta reached Dessie town and settled 20 miles away from the town. The number of residents was estimated to be 10,000. Days later, the army left Dessie and settled again 80 kilometers away from the town in the north direction. According to the book, from the capital city to Dessie and Kobo, the geographical landscape was mountainous, stretching under the Shewa plateau with similar vegetation cover.
A week later, a message arrived from Ras Kassa and Ras Seyoum, urging the imperial army to come to them as much as possible to halt the rushing enemy troops that had crossed the Ethiopian border from Eritrea. When the army reached Lake Jakinear, a Fascist reconnaissance plane flew over the sky in the northwest direction at approximately 1,000 feet.
The plane was flying at 150 miles per hour. At that moment, Captain Del Baye, also known as the Red Lion, fired five anti-aircraft bullets consecutively, and the plane was shot down.
Three Fascist troops who had dived out of the plane while in the air were killed by the troops on the ground. For his courageous actions, Captain Del Baye won the respect of Ras Mulugeta.
When the army reached Kobo, about 3,000 armed Tigrian forces joined the army, and they marched to the Tigray region by crossing Mount Alamata. Upon reaching Mychew, they received a second message from Ras Kassa and Seyoum to reach them as soon as possible. Meanwhile, on their way, they encountered ambushes by local rebels fighting against the emperor, resulting in many army members being killed.
While marching northward, the Fascist warplanes were observed flying overhead. Anticipating the negative consequences of the enemy’s intentions, Captain Del Baye frequently advised Ras Mulugeta to halt the army’s movement during the daytime. However, Ras Mulugeta rejected his appeal, stating, “I do not fear the enemy; I will accept whatever happens.” Later, when the army was marching up the mountain, twelve airplanes flew over the army and began bombing. According to the book, the disastrous consequences were severe, with seven hundred men and many pack animals losing their lives.
The Ras Kassa army, numbering 15,000, was deployed 25 kilometers south of Mekele Town.
When Ras Mulugeta left with four kilometers to reach the Ras Kassa army, his army settled in a fortified place. In the morning, Ras Mulugeta, accompanied by Captain Del Baye, went to Ras Kassa’s court and met with him and Ras Seyoum to discuss how to repel the enemy forces. Ras Seyoum was angered by the Italians’ actions and was eager to counter-offend the enemy. “The emperor made a mistake. He showed reluctance when the enemy army marched towards Mekele and captured the town. They invaded us without firing a single bullet,” said Ras Seyoum.
Defending the emperor’s actions, Captain Del Baye asserted that the emperor had his own war strategy, similar to other country leaders. “Such measures enable us to detract the enemy’s attention so that we can take countermeasure actions,” Captain Del Baye stated. Ras Kassa also supported this idea by nodding his head.
Later, the three Rases agreed to counter the enemy from three directions and take vital positions for their operations. Ras Mulugeta’s forces occupied the Ambaradom Mountain south of Mekele, as well as the small towns of Hintalo and Melkt. Ras Kassa was assigned to occupy Tenben town, and Ras Seyoum was tasked with occupying the mountainous place of Gerata. Compared to the others, Ras Seyoum effectively accomplished his mission.
One morning, bad news was heard. Dejazmach Haile Selassie Gugsa, who had married one of the daughters of Emperor Haile Selassie I and had 3,000 soldiers, defected and surrendered to the enemy. In order to fulfill their mission, the army led by Ras Mulugeta marched towards the enemy’s position. Once again, Captain Del Baye advised that it would be better to move at night to avoid being targeted by enemy airplanes. However, Ras Mulugeta adamantly rejected this advice.
Similar to the previous day, the army encountered enemy plane bombardments, resulting in many casualties.
When the army approached the enemy trench, they faced artillery and automatic machine gun fire, and were unable to withstand the attack. The fighting was unbalanced in terms of manpower, weapons, and logistics. The enemy had also recruited thousands of Eritreans familiar with the battlefield’s geographical terrain, boosting their morale. The death of Ras Mulugeta further weakened the army’s fighting morale.
Throughout their movement from Shewa, the imperial army faced various challenges, including combatting local rebels, enemy plane bombardments, a decline in the army’s numbers, food and water shortages, and fading morale. The utilization of the enemy’s fighter planes and mustard gas changed the course of the war and forced the army to retreat.
The book also reveals that while the army was marching southward, the enemy warplanes continuously bombarded their position, resulting in many casualties. A week later, Captain Del Baye met Emperor Haile Selassie I at his trench in Korem, and in the presence of some war officials, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel.
Days later, while the army continued to fight the enemy, the emperor left the country with his family for Europe. Weeks later, the enemy occupied the capital. Readers can draw lessons from the book: while some local people served the enemy by defecting from their country, foreigners like Colonel Del Baye fought against injustice and chauvinism.
Book: Red lion (Key Anbessa)
Author Colonel Alhendro Del Baye
Translator: Tesfaye Mekonen Bayleygn
Number of pages: 317
Published in 1936
BY ABEBE WOLDEGIORGIS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 26 DECEMBER 2024
