How Italy Was Defeated In East Africa In 1941
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-ital ... ca-in-1941
In October 1935 Italian troops invaded Ethiopia – then also known as Abyssinia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Empire – forcing the country's Emperor,
Haile Selassie,
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205203478 into exile. Ignoring protests from the League of Nations, the Italian dictator
Benito Mussolini https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205124763 proclaimed a new Italian empire in East Africa, comprising Ethiopia and the pre-existing territories of Italian Somaliland and Eritrea.
Following early successes
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-germ ... -world-war by Italy's ally, Germany, in the Second World War,
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/second-world-war Mussolini declared war on Britain in June 1940. This meant that British possessions in East Africa, as well as British-controlled Egypt and the vital supply route of the Suez Canal, were now threatened.
The Italians attacked border posts in Kenya and Sudan, and captured British Somaliland in August. The Italian Viceroy, the Duke of Aosta,
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205153877 then ordered his troops to halt, allowing the initiative to pass to the British.
General
Archibald Wavell,
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205193528 British Commander-in-Chief Middle East, planned a three-pronged counter-offensive to dismantle Italy's East African Empire. His force was outnumbered, but he had air support
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205208830 from the Royal Air Force (RAF).
In January 1941 Lieutenant General
William Platt https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205239879 led forces from Sudan into Eritrea. The Italians quickly retreated and, in March, Indian
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205205695 and British troops won an important victory at Keren.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1634
Meanwhile, Lieutenant General
Alan Cûnningham https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205125262 advanced north from Kenya into Italian Somaliland, while a third force crossed from Aden
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/a-short- ... -emergency to retake British Somaliland by amphibious assault. These then linked up and pushed deep into Ethiopia.
In April British troops entered the capital Addis Ababa,
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Add ... 38.7577605 and Haile Selassie returned in triumph
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205226270 on 5 May. The Duke of Aosta chose to fight on, and led his men to the mountain stronghold of Amba Alagi,
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Amb ... 33!4d39.55 near the Eritrean border. Here they held out for a further two weeks before surrendering.
The last Italian troops in East Africa were defeated at the Battle of Gondar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gondar in November 1941. But several thousand escaped to wage a guerrilla war until September 1943, when Italy surrendered to the Allies.