The Need to Repeat Forefathers' Patriotism in Development

By Mulualem Denbegna

Ethiopia celebrates its 74th anniversary of the National Victory Day on May 5, 2015. This is indeed a historic day that marks the end of the infamous five-year invasion fascist Italian forces in Ethiopia. Ethiopians all over the world observe this historic event with great sense of nationalism and patriotism. The Day is commemorated through assortments of programmes and memorial events in several parts of the country. As the National Victory Day is a time to remember what actually happened some 74 years ago, the writer of this article found it quite meaningful to go back in history and briefly narrate a series of historical happenings that finally led to the resounding Victory Day.

Several historical documents narrate that the Italian dicatator Benito Mussolini had a long held desire to see a new Italian Empire. Reminiscent of the Roman Empire, Mussolini's new empire was to rule over the Meditarian and North Africa. His new empire would also avenge past Italian defeats. Chief among these defeats was the Battle of Adwa which took place in Ethiopia on March 1, 1896 Mussolini promised the Italian people "a place in the sun", matching the extensive colonial empires of the United Kingdom and France. Ethiopia was a prime candidate of this expansionist goal for several reasons. Following the Scramble for Africa by the European imperialists Ethiopia was one of the few remaining independent African nations, and it would serve to unify the Italian-held countries in East Africa. It was considered to be militarily weak, and rich in resources.

In 1930, Italy made an incursion into Ethiopia. In November of 1934, Ethiopian troops protested Italy's incursion. As a result, Italian and Ethiopian troops encamped in close proximity. Soon, the tensions erupted in a clash at a place called Walwal.

The League of Nations exonerated both parties for the Walwal incident in September 1935. This decision of the League of Nations is considered to be a great historic blunder as it failed to distinguish the aggressor from the aggressed. Great Britain and France, keen to keep Italy as an ally against Germany, did not take strong steps to discourage an Italian military buildup. Italy soon began to build its forces on the borders of Ethiopia in Eritrea and Italian Somaliland.

On Octobe 3, 1935, Marshal Emilio De Bono advanced into Ethiopia from Eritrea without declaration of War. De Bono had a force of 100,000 Italian soldiers and 25,000 Eritrean soldiers under his command. A smaller force of Italians, Somalis, and Libyans, under the command of General Rodolfo Graziani, advanced into Ethiopia from Italian Somaliland. The League of Nation declared Italy the aggressor on October 7, 1935 and started the slow process of imposing sanctions. However, these sanctions did not extend to several vital materials, such as oil.

On March 29, 1935 Graziani's forces ruthlessly firebombed Addis Ababa and subsequently invaded it. Emperor Haile Selassie fled into exile on May 2 to seek justice from the international community, and Badoglio's forces took the capital on May 5. 1936.

On 30 June 1936, Emperor Haile Selassie gave a stirring speech before the League of Nations denouncing Italy's actions and criticizing the world community for standing by. He warned that "It is us today. It will be you tomorrow". As a result of the League's condemnation of Italy, Mussolini declared the country's withdrawal from the organization.

Italy's occupation of Ethiopia was marked by recurring and fierce guerrilla campaigns against the invading Italian troops, and reprisals which included mustard gas attacks against freedom fighters and the murder of prisoners. In December 1936, the Italians declared the whole country to be pacified and under their effective control. However, Ethiopians resistance continued with more vigor.

On February 19, 1937 an assisination attempt was made against Graziani. During a public ceremony at the Viceregal Palace (the former Imperial residence) in Addis Ababa, Abraha Deboch and Moges Asgedom, two brave Ethiopian young men, attempted to kill Victor Graziani with a number of grenades. The Italian security guard fired indiscriminately into the crowd of civilian onlookers. Over the following weeks the colonial authorities executed about 30,000 people in retaliation - including about half of the younger, educated Ethiopian population. This harsh policy, however, did not pacify the country. It rather intensified the resistance. In November 1937, Rome appointed a new governor and instructed him to adopt a more flexible line.

Early in 1938, a revolt broke out in Gojjam led by the Committee of Unity and collaboration, which was made up of some of the young, educated elite who had escaped the reprisal after the attempt on Graziani's life. In exile in Britain, the Emperor sought to gain the support of the Western democaracies for his cause but had little success until Italy entered World War II on the side of Germany in June 1940.

Thereafter, Britain and the Emperor sought to cooperate with Ethiopian and other local forces in a campaign to dislodge the Italians from Ethiopia. Emperor Haileselassie proceeded immediately to Khartoum, where he established closer liaison with both the British headquarters and the resistance forces within Ethiopia. Italian East Africa proved to be a short-lived state, as Ethiopia was declared to be fully liberated from Italian occupation on May 5, 1941

Our forefathers shed their blood to leave us a never-colonized Ethiopia. They endured all atrocities and barbarous acts of the occupation Italian troops and eventually registered a radiant victory, which sent message to the entire world that Ethiopia had been and shall remain to be a free nation.

The extraordinary sense of patriotism demonstrated by our gallant forefathers should be emulated and repeated by the young generation especially in the bitter struggle against the country's archenemy-poverty. It is high time that the youth inherit the valiant spirit of their ancestors and rise up in unison to accelerate the economic development and social progress of the nation. Similarly, it is the national duty of all Ethiopian citizens to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ethiopia from invading forces and anti-peace elements.

Source: Allafrica