It is same today. Amhar farmers hide like Gelada baboon apprehend or kill a passing by soldier and post the picture on social media
The Amhara region's geographic isolation in the rugged, towering Ethiopian Highlands, characterized by steep gorges, high-altitude plateaus, and virtually impassable terrain, served as a formidable natural fortress. This harsh topography prevented European colonial armies from establishing control, maneuvering heavy artillery, or sustaining long supply lines during the Scramble for Africa.
The specific geographic factors that protected the region include:
* Rugged, Mountainous Terrain: The Ethiopian Highlands feature sharp elevation changes and deep valleys. For foreign invaders like Italy, these geographic barriers made moving troops, securing supply chains, and establishing administrative control incredibly difficult.
* Tactical Advantage: The steep, broken terrain was highly unfamiliar and hostile to European military strategies, which relied on open formations and mechanized warfare. Conversely, Amhara warriors and Ethiopian forces utilized the challenging local geography as a natural shield, dictating the terms of engagement and ambushing vulnerable invading columns.
* Centralized Defensibility: The elevated and highly defensible plateau core enabled Amhara monarchs (like Emperor Menelik II) to maintain a unified, organized defense. They could acquire and stockpile firearms through the Red Sea trade routes and use their home territory to launch decisive campaigns, most notably the victory at the Battle of Adwa in 1896.
* Inhospitable Buffer Zones: The surrounding lowlands, which were often arid or inhospitable to unacclimatized European soldiers, acted as an additional buffer against immediate colonial expansion from the coasts of the Horn of Africa.