On 3 October 1935 at 5 a.m. on the orders of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini 200,000 Italian troops invaded Ethiopia from Eritrea commanded by Emilio De Bono, without a declaration of war being made. On 7 October the League of Nations condemned the invasion and imposed sanctions.
In response Ethiopia declared war on Italy and Emperor Haile Selassie declared a general mobilization. Ethiopian troops put up considerable resistance although only a quarter of the army had military training and many of their weapons were from the 19th century.
Although the Ethiopians were able to slow the Italian forces down for a few weeks eventually their technical and military superiority gave them the advantage. Italian forces increasingly used chemical weapons and in March 1936 launched another offensive.
By May 1936 the Italians had destroyed any effective Ethiopian resistance as they captured Addis Ababa while Emperor Haile Selassie was forced into exile. Italian King Victor Emmanuel III was declared Emperor and Ethiopia was united with Eritrea and Somaliland.
Although the Italians had effectively emerged victorious fighting between Italian and Ethiopian forces continued until February 1937. This was the same month when an attempt was made to assassinate Marshal Rodolfo Graziani by two Eritreans living in Ethiopia.
Following the failed assassination attempt the Italians responded brutally by killing Ethiopian civilians in Addis Ababa. Following the failed assassination attempt the Italians responded brutally by killing Ethiopian civilians in Addis Ababa. They set fire to houses and used daggers and truncheons to kill.
In what became known as the Graziani massacre up to 30,000 Ethiopians were murdered. In May a group of Ethiopians who had studied abroad were executed and thousands were sent to detention camps where they suffered from diseases and a lack of food.
The Italians introduced highly racist policies during their occupation. Minister of Colonies Alessandro Lessona enforced the policy of racial segregation between Blacks and whites as well as establishing the Colonial Police Corps.
Resistance continued despite the brutality of the fascist forces and a revolt broke out in Gojjam in 1938 that was brutally suppressed and resulted in further reprisals. Guerrilla resistance continued until 1940.
In 1940 Italy declared war on Britain and entered the Second World War. In 1941 Italian troops were defeated by the allies in the region, Haile Selassie returned and the horrific Italian reign of terror in Ethiopia was over.
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