Ethiopian Army

Before final decisive Battle of Adwa, Italian and the Ethiopian troops fought the Battle of Amba Alage on 7 December 1895 in southern Tigray. Fighting lasted only six hours but Ethiopia prevailed (Greenfield, 1965). When Emperor Menelik II army arrived at Lake Ashenge to celebrate Amba Alage's victory, it assured some local chiefs of the army’s prowess before committing troops to the Ethiopian cause. Emperor Menelik II changed his route out of Lake Ashenge area to avoid the camp an epidemic among the horses and mules. In part, this detour allowed for the addition of the army of King Tekle Haymanot of Gojam. Ethiopia was as unified as it had ever been (Prouty,1986).