BY ALAZAR SHIFERAW
For Ethiopians or colored people for that matter the victory of Adwa that threw white supremacy into the dustbin of history affords a source of pride.
In the long history of Ethiopia, there were several events that punctuated nation’s history with bright spots that have a paramount significance for the present generation.
As a member of the present generation and also as an Ethiopian citizen Adwa for me is a source of pride for two things ; it is a victory that assured the inviolable sovereignty of my country and that rendered the history of this country peculiar as compared to other African countries, said Ethiopian Authority for Conservation, Research for Cultural Heritage Deputy Director General and Assistant Professor of history at Addis Ababa University, Abebaw Ayalew.
The assistant professor further said that there are a lot of lessons that this generation ion must draw from ADWA. The first one is that it rams home the sovereignty of the nation that surffed the tide of time intact. “In Adwa we repulsed colonial aggression and defended the sovereignty of Ethiopia. Sovereignty does not solely mean ensuring an independent government and state.
It is strongly related to the question of utilizing own resources or the right of calming something that belongs to oneself. When we come to Ethiopia’s case, for instance, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) comes to mind. Ethiopia is exercising its right to use its resources fairly and equitably without inflicting damage on its neighbors. This is like the victory of Adwa for me.”
The young generation should not ponder only on preserving sovereignty by fighting and winning battles. It should also think of winning diplomatic battles. Benefiting from Nation’s resources is one important lesson that the generation should learn.
On the other hand, the issue of unity; “Our unity and our harmony has been comcomized eroded by several things in the course of the last three decades. There are ultrarational feelings. There are historical issues that became controversial because of politicization of history and several many things.”
Now it is high time when this generation should seriously think about reinstating Ethiopia’s previous harmony and standing in unison to stand tall in front of the country’s historic enemies.
The generation should learn from the victory of Adwa that “United we stand and divided we fall.” This mentality must be inculcated in the mind of the present generation,” he said.
Of course, “There might be differences of course, but there must be harmony and unity. But this does not mean the presence of political or cultural homogeneity. However, despite cultural, ethic, slung, national and linguistic differences, we can still make a harmonious and unified nation.”
“Notably, the victory has enabled Ethiopia to be a standard-bearer in many African aspects. If you take the pan African movement, the liberation struggles of many African countries in the 1950s, 1960’s, Ethiopia has played a key role in assisting African brothers .
It is the victory of Adwa which gives Ethiopia primacy. That is why whenever I reminisce about Adwa, it tells me how much it rendered Ethiopia exemplary to many African brothers and also black people in the world at large,” he said.
Above and beyond, Adwa is one of the most amazing battles in the history of Africa. During the second half of the 19th century, many African nations, peoples had resisted colonialism. But none of them succeeded in maintaining their sovereignty.
Even if they won few battles, eventually they lost the war, in the case of Adwa, it was a total victory. That victory is the result of several factors which contributed to Ethiopians in favor of Ethiopia.
The overarching one is the unity of Ethiopian people. Unlike many African countries Ethiopia has this unique characteristic feature. During the 19th century as well as prior to that, Ethiopians were always unified in the face of aggression by a foreign power be it colonial or otherwise .
“We have repelled Ottoman Turkey and defeated Egyptian and Derbush invaders.”. That is the result of unity. During the battle of Adwa, the Ethiopian people unanimously made their priority fighting the Italian.
The fundamental factor that contributed to the victory is the unity of the Ethiopian peoples in several states, he underscored.
The second is the leaders of the battle of Adwa, that includes Emperor Menelik II and his generals, like, Fitaworari Gebyeyu, Ras Michael, Nigus Tekel Himanot, Ras Mengesha, Ras Alula among others. They outsmarted the Italians in military tactics. Members of that generation were one that grew up observing military prowess and taking training to the same effect.
European war tactics were at the tips of their fingers. They did possess European weapons. Utilizing a superb military strategy, they dragged their enemy into a place where they can easily annihilate it.
That was why they used the tactics in Ambalague and in the siege of Mekelle and finally at the Battle of Adwa. The Ethiopian side demonstrated an excellent mastery of military tactics and strategies.
Beyond that, in terms of weaponry too, the Ethiopian side was not that less than the Italians. Modern firearms were imported to Ethiopia at different occasions; including Italian weapons that were handed to Menelik II when they were in good terms. Also a lot of cannons and firearms, which were breech louder firearms, were captured from Italians, he said.
Abebaw further said Menelik II marched to the north with an army totaling over 100 thousand. Out of these, at least more than 60 thousand of Menelik’s soldiers were armed with modern breach louder firearms.
The Ethiopian sides had better firearms power than the Italians. For this reasons victory turned on Ethiopian side in the showdown held at Adwa.
However, the victory of Adwa is not one confined to Ethiopia’s perimeter only . It has a far reaching consequence than securing Ethiopian sovereignty. It fanned the fire for the black freedom movement be it in Africa or elsewhere in the world.
In the 1880s and 1890s around the time the battle of Adwa was held colonialism was at its height. Most African peoples did not have any hope of extricating themselves from colonial grip and oppression. Among many Africans there was a wrong belief that the white race is a superior race in-terms of technology , psychology, being a race that is given the privilege of imposing its rule on the blacks .
After all, it was a period of hopelessness. It was the victory of Adwa that kindled the first torch of freedom for many African countries. That is why many African brothers later on particularly, in early 20 century as well as the second half of 20th century, referred Ethiopian as a black nation that has its own freedom and a black nation that began to put down the curtain on colonialism. In that sense, Adwa had served an important source of inspiration and strength for African liberation struggle.
He further said that Adwa had an impact on black movements in the Caribbean Islands and America. In those parts of the world, it was thought that blacks do not have culture and their own states of government. Colored people were thought as races that could not civilize. As such they were oppressed and ruled by the whites.
That is why the news of Adwa’s victory resonated across Carrabin islands and America , it again stretched black movements that had already started. For example, following this the Americans started freedom movement against slavery in the 1840’s.
But still when slavery was abolished in 1860’s blacks did not have political, civil and many other rights. The news of Adwa in 1890’s strengthened blacks’ civil rights and political movements. Movements for equality of both the Americans and Caribbean’s got intensified, he said.
The Ethiopian Herald February 21/2021
