
BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
125 years ago, a well-organized army under the command and leadership of Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytu, decimated the Italian forces that were seeking to expand its territories, build up an empire and lift up Italian national prestige by colonizing one of the most ancient states of Africa – Ethiopia. However, both the invading forces and their circles had no any idea about the brave Ethiopians.
The valiant Ethiopian fighters did the unthinkable and made the invading forces tasted the bitterness of war. Ethiopian soldiers, by successfully vanquished them, made a history that surprised the whole world.
The victory, as many people agreed, has opened a new era and lifted up the spirit of many Africans and black people across the globe that had been under the influence of colonialism and racism, and laid the foundation to struggle for freedom from and overthrow white supremacy.
As historians wrote, the battle of Adwa is a victory secured over the white supremacy. It is also the turning point to uncover the ignorance of some colonists who consider themselves the only creature to reign and be master of humanity.
This piece writer approached Professor Ayele Bekri, Historian, to share readers about the Victory of Adwa and the hegemony aspiration towards the black society.
Professor Ayele noted that Ethiopia fought with Italians because of the system of subjugation mentality of the European interest, an object of conquest, domination and exploiting the African continent. This was combined with contempt and racism.
At that moment abhorrence was immense because the system was powerful and many wrote in favor of the domination. Such was the depth of arrogance that Hugh Trevor Roper, then Regis Professor of Modern History at Oxford, wrote contemptuously and arrogantly that African history did not exist and that, indeed, it had never existed.
In his book, titled, ‘The Rise of Christian Europe’, Professor Hugh Roper wrote that the African past has little more to offer than “the unrewarding gyrations of barbarous tribes in picturesque but irrelevant quarters of the globe.” He was not alone. Another European historian, Erik Sik, on ‘The History of Black Africa (1966), had said: “Prior to their encounter with Europeans, the majority of African people still lived a primitive barbaric life, many of them on the lowest level of barbarism.
Therefore it is unrealistic to speak of their history in the scientific sense of the word – before the arrival of Europeans.” Again, in the same vein, the French nobleman, Joseph Arthur de Robineau (1816-1879), who was the founder of the dubious pyramidal edifice of the different races, wrote, in his essay on the Inequality of the Human Races, which “Blacks were stupid and frivolous, yellows craved mediocrity, and the whites were strong, intelligent and handsome.”
He further noted that, this days approach is not as such raw rather rosy as well full of mesmerizing phrases that is covert to trap us in the name cooperation and agreements.
The Victory at Adwa blew apart the theoretical rationale which the colonial policy used for legitimizing the supposedly overall inferiority of the African, which became the historical cornerstone to justify the practice of racism and colonial rule in all its social and institutional forms in the economic, political and cultural life of Africa.
The Adwa Victory shattered the myth of European invincibility and superiority. Europeans were alarmed at the Victory of a black African state over a metropolitan European power.
Thanks to the leadership of Emperor Menelik II and the brave and valiant Ethiopian people. The Adwa Victory had a decisive impact on the psyche of black peoples in general. This sense of black pride became manifest in Marcus Garvey’s ‘Back to Africa movement and the development of Pan-Africanism’.
This eventually led to the independence of many African countries as well as the establishment of the former Organization of African Unity (OAU), and the current the African Union (AU).
On 1st March 1896, this African country defeated the Italian army at the Battle of Adwa. Literally the battle of mentality to subjugation vs the mentality not be subjugated. We should say Adwa marks the first Victory of Africa over the colonialists for number reasons.
The Victory clearly depicted and paved the way of thinking that Africans can fight and win mentality; and giving fellow freedom fighters a major psychological breakthrough for Africa and black people everywhere. It was also the beginning of the end of the myth of European superiority.
“To capitalize the values for further benefits, we should work on inculcating in the education system, and higher education and build facilities could usher the values of Adwa through exhibitions.”
He also noted that, Africa Union is showing high involvement in the celebration of Adwa; and this should be strengthen further and work hard to Africanize the Victory.
“I had first-hand experience that some nations like Ghana and Nigeria are offering education on Adwa as part history course, which should be well expanded to other African”, he noted.
“History is not static and could be the source of conflict. The only thing we should do is that to learn from it and proceed to the next chapter,” he remarked.
Adwa has great values that we could capitalize, the military science as the social aspect and the role of women at the place and the leadership quality.
The Ethiopian Herald March 3/2021