Adwa- A Universal Victory

Though February is when Black History Month is celebrated in U.S., one of the greatest achievements in history for all people of color occured in March. On March 1, 1896, Ethiopia also then known as Abyssinia defeated Italy at the Battle of Adwa. Adwa, a city in northern Ethiopia became the site of the face-off between thousands of Ethiopian and Italian troops. The Ethiopian victory became a victory for all people of color. This victory was not only the first defeat for a European power but also the reason why Ethiopia maintainted its place as the only of the African continent's 54 nations to never be colonized. In 1904 when Japan went to war with Russia, the Japanese looked to Ethiopia for guidance as the first non-Caucasian power to defeat Europeans. While many historians have criticized Ethiopia's leadership for ceding parts of Northern Ethiopia (to be named Eritrea by the Italians), to Italy after the Battle of Adwa, others see the deal as the only way Ethiopia could have avoided further warfare. Learn more about at Adwa...