Ethiopia was the only African nation to defeat a European colonial power during the Scramble for Africa, and although many factors contributed to our victory, Independence was largely maintained through the rifle. This is a thread on the significance of guns in Ethiopia. 
Historically guns were the first mechanical instruments Ethiopians became familiar with, this apparent from the fact that the Amharic term for “screw driver” is “Temanja mefcha” which translates to “the instrument for unscrewing a gun.”
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When an Ethiopian delegation led by Dejazmatch Mashasha visited Hamburg in 1907, the Germans showed them some of their most modern arms and were shocked that the Ethiopians already knew how to handle them because they already had so many in their country.
Guns are also in Amharic poetry:
A person carrying a ‘moskob’ (Russian gun), should not pass by my door.
A person carrying a ‘Minishir’ let him come himself.
A person carrying an 'Albin' let him be my lover. Should he want to be my husband let him buy a ‘Mauser.’
A person carrying a ‘moskob’ (Russian gun), should not pass by my door.
A person carrying a ‘Minishir’ let him come himself.
A person carrying an 'Albin' let him be my lover. Should he want to be my husband let him buy a ‘Mauser.’
Fire-arms were first used in Ethiopia during the reign of Emperor Lebna Dengel, playing a decisive role in the victory against Ahmad Gragn during the Ethio-Adal War. Ethiopian warriors have since been fascinated with guns and their ability to protect their country and people.
King Sahle Selassie, had imported several canons in 1839 and by 1840 a French envoy had brought Sahle Selassie a mill to manufacture gunpowder along with 140 muskets. A British mission two years later visited Shoa and presented the King with 2 cannons, 300 muskets, & 100 pistols.
The fiery Emperor Tewodros was consumed with the desire to unify Ethiopia and was deeply conscious of the importance of modern weapons. The emperor turned missionaries into weapons manufacturers & had his own cannon built called ‘Sevastopol’ that could fire a 1,000 pound shell.
For his role in leading the British to Tewodros, Emperor Yohannes IV began his reign armed to the teeth as the British gifted him with 6 mortars, 725 muskets, 130 rifles, 28 barrels of gunpowder, and 354,230 rounds of small ammunition allowing him to take Imperial power.
Yohannes’ fire-power allowed the Ethiopian army to defeat the well-armed, European-trained, invading Egyptian army at Gundet & Gura. The emperor captured 20,000 Remingtons, artillery, and 25-30 cannons from the defeated Egyptians.
By the time the Italians occupied the Port of Masswa on Feb. 5, 1885, Ethiopia was modestly well-armed as spears and swords were now out of fashion, as almost all warriors now carried Remingtons, the most modern rifle of the day, and guns firing percussion caps.
Emperor Menelik with great insight began to import a steady stream of firearms from the Port of Assab & the Ports of Obokh & Tadjoura as the Europeans tried to win his favor. It was estimated that Menelik had obtained some 120,000 rifles and fully armed the Ethiopian army.
Menelik increased his firearms imports every year as Italian ambition to colonize Ethiopia became apparent. An American observer, Donaldson Smith after seeing the fire-power in Ethiopia stated “any nation attacking them would have its hands full.”
Italian journalist, Mercatelli reported on Oct.13, 1895 “Shoa is ready for war. The troops of the Negus are all armed with breach-loaders, Remington, Watterly or Gras. They have at their disposal much ammunition.”
Through a decade and a half of systematic arms purchase Ethiopians were armed to the teeth, Powell-Cotton said Menelik could put 500,000 rifles into the field and 100 pieces of mountain artillery, add that to thousands of warriors on horseback, Ethiopia was a force.
John Boyes proclaimed “Practically all the Abyssinians I met were armed with rifles. On every hand I saw modern firearms. The Abyssianians are the best armed Native race in Africa, and could put 100,000 men in the field. 80% of able-bodied males have a rifle."
Guns remain a significant part of Ethiopian culture, particularly in the rural areas where a rifle is a prized possesion and passed down from father to son to protect land & country from our enemies.
