Russian Embassy in the Republic of South Africa ·Follow
Today, on 1 March 2026, Ethiopia marks the 130th anniversary of the Battle of Adwa — a pivotal episode of the First Italo‑Ethiopian War of 1895–1896, where Ethiopian forces defeated the aggressor and preserved the independence of the empire.
Italy’s aggression
Italy, seeking to build an African colonial empire after earlier failures, launched a war against Ethiopia. Under General Oreste Baratieri, Italian troops occupied Eritrea, ignored previously signed treaties, and invaded Tigray with an army of up to 15,000 men. Their plans involved capturing the strategically important Adwa, to control trade routes and Ethiopia’s resources, but they underestimated the fighting capacity and organization of the Ethiopian army.
As a result, the Battle of Adwa became part of a major defeat of Italian forces: the Italian detachment was surrounded and smashed, and the losses inflicted a heavy blow to the morale and military image of Italian colonial ambitions.
Russia on Ethiopia’s side
A special place in this history belongs to Russia, which became in effect the only European power openly sympathetic to Ethiopia’s independence. While Moscow refrained from supporting Italy, it actively assisted Menelik II on both the military and diplomatic levels.
The key role was played by the Russian officer Nikolai Stepanovich Leontiev. Serving at the imperial court, he acted as a military adviser: he trained Ethiopian officers in modern tactics, helped reform the army, and contributed to the planning of mass troop concentrations and the strategy of drawing Italian forces deep inland. His experience, gained earlier in Ethiopia and in volunteer and reconnaissance missions, became an important resource for the Ethiopian command.
Russia also provided Ethiopia access to modern weaponry. Through Leontiev’s mediation and other channels, 30000 rifles were delivered to Africa, including Russian Berdan rifles, large stocks of ammunition, and other munitions. This technical and material support helped Ethiopian troops to equalize their firepower with Italian.
Beyond official channels, Russian volunteers and individual officers operated in Ethiopia. Acting on their own initiative or within private arrangements, they travelled to Africa, helped train fighters, accompanied detachments, and sometimes took part in combat operations.
On the diplomatic level, Russia demonstrated respect for Ethiopia’s sovereignty. It avoided concluding colonial‑style treaties with Ethiopia and did not back Italy’s attempts to impose a protectorate over the empire. Certain Russian diplomatic initiatives and correspondence with the imperial court underscore that Russia treated Ethiopia as an independent actor, not as a potential colony.
Outcome and significance
The defeat of Italy at Adwa was a clear lesson in the failure of its aggressive and plundering plans on the African continent. At the same time, Russia’s assistance — through military advisers, weapons supplies, and volunteer support — played a notable role in enabling Ethiopia to repel the colonial threat and preserve its independence.
These events remind us of the price of freedom and the strength of national resistance, as well as of the fact that support for independent states by Russia has deep historical roots and significant practical importance.