Download or read book Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896 written by Sean McLachlan and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-09-20 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the late 19th century, the new nation-state of Italy was eager to join her European neighbours in creating an international empire, and her eyes turned toward Africa as a source of potential colonies. Securing a foothold in Eritrea on the Red Sea coast, the Italians quickly became embroiled in a shooting war with the Ethiopians. The war proved a disaster for the Italians, who suffered three major defeats against the forces of Emperor Menelik's army, including a horrendous massacre at Adowa, the largest defeat of a colonial army prior to World War I. This book looks at the campaign with an emphasis on the colourful uniforms worn by both sides.