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Siege of Mekelle

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1896 battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War
Siege of Mekelle
Part of the First Italo-Ethiopian War

Ethiopian troops attacking the besieged Italians
Date7–21 January 1896
LocationMek'ele, Ethiopia
Result Ethiopian victory
Belligerents
 Italy  Ethiopia
Commanders and leaders
Kingdom of ItalyGiuseppe Galliano Ethiopian Empire Menelik II
Strength
1,306 (1,114 Askari & 192 Italians)
2 mountain guns		 27,000
Casualties and losses
35 killed
78 wounded 		~600 killed
First Italo-Ethiopian War

The siege of Mekelle, sometimes known as the battle of Mekelle, took place in January 1896 during the First Italo-Ethiopian War. Italian forces surrendered a partially completed fort at Mekelle, a city in the northern Tigray Region of Ethiopia which they had occupied since 1895, to Ethiopian forces.

Battle

Shewan warriors in the trenches of Ras Mengesha Yohannes' palace

The Italians numbered 20 officers, 13 non-commissioned officers, and 150 privates, they were supported by 1,000 Askari and two mountain guns. The Ethiopian army numbered around 27,000 men.

Ras Makonnen laid siege to the fort, and on the morning of 7 January 1896, the defenders of the fort spotted a huge red tent among the besiegers, showing that the emperor had arrived. After two weeks of bombardment by Ethiopian artillery and very costly attacks on the Italian positions, the Ethiopians managed to cut off the fort's water supply and then fought off desperate Italian attempts to retake the well. On 19 January 1896, the fort's commander, Major Galliano, whose men were dying of dehydration, raised the white flag of surrender. Major Galliano and his men were allowed to march out, surrender their arms and to go free. Menelik stated he allowed the Italians to go free as "to give proof of my Christian faith," saying his quarrel was with the Italian government of Prime Minister Francesco Crispi that was trying to conquer his nation and not the ordinary Italian soldiers.

References

Footnotes

Citations

  1. ^ Caulk, Richard (2002). "Between the Jaws of Hyenas": A Diplomatic History of Ethiopia (1876-1896). Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden. pp. 519, 522.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ Perry, James (2005). Arrogant Armies. Castle Books. p. 209.
  3. Mclachlan, Sean (20 September 2011). Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-84908-457-4.

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