Interactive Timeline
A chronological journey through the events that shaped the lives of Ethiopian prisoners in Italy, from the Yekatit 12 massacre of 1937 to the present day.
Dogali
• Italian colonial troops in current day Eritrea attempt to expand inland. • Ras Alula leads Ethiopian forces in a decisive victory, killing over 500 Italian soldiers. • Dogali becomes the first major Ethiopian resistance victory against Italian expansion.
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Battle of Adwa
• Ethiopian forces under Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taitu defeat the invading Italian army at Adwa[MM1.1]. • This victory forces Italy to recognize Ethiopia’s sovereignty and becomes a major symbol of African resistance to colonialism.
Maychew
• Ethiopia’s army is defeated at Maichew, in northern Ethiopia. • Retreating forces are aerially attacked with chemical weapons.
Yekatit 12 Massacre
After an attempted attack on Rodolfo Graziani, Italian forces unleash indiscriminate killings in Addis Ababa. • Thousands of civilians are murdered; widespread arrests and torture follow. • Arrests of Ethiopian elites, intellectuals and community leaders, as well as random mass arrests.