A thread on Ras Alula & the Battle of Dogali:
In 1885 the British violated the Hewitt Treaty and allowed the Italians to occupy the port of Massawa. Italy’s presence in Ethiopia was barely a toehold, only 4 square miles, but by 1887 they had pushed into Sahati.
In 1885 the British violated the Hewitt Treaty and allowed the Italians to occupy the port of Massawa. Italy’s presence in Ethiopia was barely a toehold, only 4 square miles, but by 1887 they had pushed into Sahati.
Ras Alula, governor of Asmara & defender of Ethiopia’s northern borders raised 5,000 warriors and intercepted a column of 540 Italians to reinforce Sahati.
Alula concealed his warriors among the hills & rained down fire from the hillsides when they approached. All but 80 Italians died.
Alula’s chronicler wrote, "for Alula and his men the eager rush of combat was like a bridegroom going to the wedding."
Alula’s chronicler wrote, "for Alula and his men the eager rush of combat was like a bridegroom going to the wedding."
The Battle of Dogali became immortalized by Italians. They compared Dogali to the Battle of Thermopylae where King Leonidas & 300 Spartans died in combat against an invading Persian force. Ironic because the Italians were the invaders and Alula and his men were the defenders.
In Rome they raised a Dogali monument complete with the names of the 500 soldiers inscribed. A Dogali monument still stands in Massawa, Eritrea in honor of the 500 Italian soldiers. It is also rumored that the Fiat500 is in honor of the 500 Italians slain by the Ethiopians 🤫
Gerald Porter was sent by the British to patch things after their betrayal. The audience took place at Alula’s compound in Asmara. As Portal stepped in he saw RasAlula sitting cross-legged, flanked and backed by a court of no fewer than seventy people.
Alula was draped in purple silk. A Martini-Henry rifle sat within reach.
Portal noted that Alula was darker than most men of Tigray; he was transfixed by Alula’s bright hazel eyes “I had seen such eyes in the head of a Tiger or leopard, but never in that of a human being.
Portal noted that Alula was darker than most men of Tigray; he was transfixed by Alula’s bright hazel eyes “I had seen such eyes in the head of a Tiger or leopard, but never in that of a human being.
As Portal presented the Italians demands to receive more Ethiopian territory as reparations for their fallen men at Dogali, Ras Alula replied by saying there will be no occupation of our soil “the Italians should come to Sahati only if Alula could go as Governor to Rome.”
