March of the Iron Will

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March of the Iron Will
Part of the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
Date 26 April to 5 May 1936
Location Dessie to Addis Ababa
Result Italian control of the Ethiopian capital
Belligerents
Kingdom of Italy Ethiopian Empire
Commanders
Pietro Badoglio (None)
Strength
12,500 Italians
4,000 Eritreans		 (None)
v • d • e
De Bono – Christmas – Genale Doria – 1st Tembien – Enderta – 2nd Tembien – Shire – Maychew – Ogaden – Addis Ababa

The March of the Iron Will (Marcia della ferrea volontà),[1][2] or the Iron-Will Column (Colonna de ferra volonta),[3] was a Fascist propaganda event staged during the final days of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. The goal of the march was to capture of the Ethiopian capital in a show of force.

From 26 April to 5 May 1936, an Italian mechanized column under the command of Marshal of Italy (Maresciallo d'Italia) Pietro Badoglio advanced unopposed from the town of Dessie to take Addis Ababa.[4] The march covered a distance of approximately 200 miles.

Contents

[edit] Background

On 3 October 1935, elements of the Italian Royal Army (Regio Esercito) under General Emilio De Bono invaded the Ethiopian Empire from staging areas in the Italian colony of Eritrea on what was known as the "northern front". De Bono was the Commander-in-Chief of all Italian armed forces in East Africa. In addition, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the forces invading from Eritrea, the "northern front." Forces based in Italian Somaliland under General Rodolfo Graziani invaded Ethiopia on what was known as the "southern front." Ground forces on both fronts were amply supported by the Italian Royal Air Force (Regia Aeronautica).

Badoglio replaced De Bono in late 1935 and was immediately faced with the Ethiopian "Christmas Offensive." On 26 December, Badoglio asked for and was given permission to use mustard gas and phosgene. The Italians delivered the poison gas by special artillery canisters and with bombers of the Royal Air Force. While the poorly equipped Ethiopians experienced some success against the more modern weaponry of the Italians, they did not understand the "terrible rain that burned and killed."[5]

From early 1936, events on the field of battle did not go well for the Imperial Ethiopian Army. On the southern front, Graziani eliminated a large Ethiopian army commanded by Ras Desta Damtu during the Battle of Genale Doria using poison gas. Badoglio used poison gas to eliminate the Ethiopian northern armies one after another. He destroyed Ras Mulugeta's army in the Battle of Amba Aradam. He destroyed Ras Kassa's army in the Second Battle of Tembien. Finally, he destroyed Ras Imru's army in the Battle of Shire.[6]

By 31 March, the last Ethiopian army on the northern front was commanded in battle by the Emperor of Ethiopia himself, Haile Selassie. His army included six battalions of Ethiopia's best troops, the Imperial Guard (Kebur Zabangna). The Emperor led an ill-fated counterattack during the Battle of Maychew which he could not realistically hope to win. The Emperor's army suffered heavy losses during costly frontal assaults on prepared Italian defensive positions. But the bulk of his army was destroyed during the days immediately following the battle when poison gas was used to decimate the withdrawing columns.[7]

On 20 April, Marshal Badoglio flew to the town of Dessie in the Wollo Province and made his headquarters there. He decided to advance from Dessie and take the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Dessie is only two-hundred miles (320 km)[1] from Addis Ababa. Except for a pitiful procession of refugees, the road to the capital was clear. The Italian Commander-in-Chief faced no meaningful Ethiopian resistance.[8]

[edit] The mechanized column

Because of the lack of resistance between Dessie and Addis Ababa, Badoglio risked a spectacular advance with a "mechanized" column for propaganda purposes. In 1936, "mechanized" meant infantry transported in a variety of commercial cars and trucks. "Motorised infantry" is a more appropriate term for Badoglio's column.[8]

Thanks to the organizational genious of a Quartermaster-General Fidenzio Dall'Ora, the mechanized column came together in Dessie between 21 April and 25 April. Dall'Ora was able to organize the most powerful "mechanized" column to appear on an African road up to that time. In addition to 12,500 Fascist Italian toops, the column included 1,785 cars and trucks of all makes (Fiats, Lancias, Alfa-Romeos, Fords, Chevrolets, Bedfords, and Studebakers), a squadron of light tanks (L3/35), eleven batteries of artillery,[8] and aircraft.[1] Special vehicles carried 193 horses so that when the column arrived at the gates of Addis Ababa, the Marshal and his staff could leave their cars and ride in triumph on horseback.[8]

[edit] The march

The Horn of Africa and southwest Arabia - Mid-1930s. The March of the Iron Will was between Dessie and Addis Ababa. At the same time, General Rodolfo Graziani was advancing from the south towards Harar. Emperor Haile Selassie traveled from Addis Ababa, to Harar, to Djibouti in French Somaliland to go into exile.

On 24 April, Badoglio sent two columns of 4,000 Eritreans ahead by force march to protect his mechanized force as a precautionary measure. But the adversity the Eritreans and the march itself encountered was mainly caused by rain and mud. Badoglio's precautionary measure proved to be superfluous.[8]

Badoglio's mechanized force advanced along the "Imperial Highway" between Dessie and Addis Ababa. The Italian Commander-in-Chief was to uncharitibly refer to this road as "a bad cart track."[9]

Badoglio expected some show of resistance at Termaber Pass, and the mechanized column did halt there for two days, but all was quiet. The column stopped because a section of the road had been demolished and had to be repaired.[8]

Once through Selva Sina, the Italians found themselves in one of the most beautiful and fertile regions of the Shewa Province. From the open trucks, the men, with rifles between their knees, gazed over the landscape spellbound at what they saw. At last Italy had a worthwhile colony of its own. Many of the Italian soldiers looked forward to laying down their rifles when the war was over so that they could pick up farming implements and reap the rewards of this rich earth.[8]

During the evening of 4 May, elements of the I Eritrean Brigade reached the outskirts of Addis Ababa. They reached the city before Badoglio's mechanized column and they managed to accomplish this feat on foot.[10] Meanwhile Badoglio's motorized column, pushing on as fast as possible, drew closer and closer. Italian aircraft reconnoitred over the city.

By the time the main column reached the capital at 4:00 pm on 5 May, the truck-borne Italians were almost delirious with joy. Few could foresee that the conflict in Ethiopia would go on for another five years and that the day that these soldiers could reap the rewards would never dawn. [8]

A heavy rain fell as Badoglio's forces entered the city and restored order. Rioting had taken place after Haile Selassie had left on 2 May to go into exile. But order was restored with the arrival of the Italians. White flags were displayed everywhere as Badoglio made his triumphal entry into the city of the "King of Kings."[11] Many city residents fled south or tried to take refuge in the foreign compounds which they had been attacking.

A detachment of Ethiopian customs guards presented arms as Badoglio's car drove past them. Further on, an Italian guard of honor, which accompanied the advance guard for this very purpose, paid Badoglio the same courtesy. There was no question now of stopping to allow Badoglio to use the horses brought for this occasion. The car and truck bound procession continued.[11]

When Badoglio's entourage pulled up in front of the Italian legation at 5:45 pm, the tricolor of the Kingdom of Italy was hoisted. Then followed three cheers for Italy's King Victor Emmanuel and three cheers for Italy's Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. After the cheering, Badoglio turned to a senior member of the Italian Royal Air Force and said:

"We've done it! We've won!"[11]

[edit] Aftermath

The fall of Addis Ababa had been expected in Italy, but when the news reached Rome during the evening of 5 May, there were scenes of wild excitement. Mussolini was called back ten times by the jubilant crowds at the Palazzo Venezia.[8]

Significantly, the march was completed in only ten days across difficult terrain and in bad weather. It was an achievement that demonstrated the offensive potential of motorized forces in securing bold advances.[1] However, encountering no Ethiopian opposition,[1] the Italian "March of the Iron Will" turned out to be little more than a logistics exercise. In the words of an anonymous journalist at the time:

"Far more of a sports event than a page in military history."[8]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Walker. Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts: Mussolini's elite armoured divisions in North Africa, p. 36
  2. ^ Nicholle. The Italian Invasion of Abyssinia 1935-1936, p. 10
  3. ^ Mockler. Haile Sellassie's War. p.128
  4. ^ Barker, A. J., The Rape of Ethiopia 1936, p. 108
  5. ^ Barker, A. J., The Rape of Ethiopia 1936, p. 56
  6. ^ Barker, A. J., The Rape of Ethiopia 1936, p. 87
  7. ^ Barker, A. J., The Rape of Ethiopia 1936, p. 96
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barker, A. J., The Rape of Ethiopia 1936, p. 109
  9. ^ Mockler. Haile Sellassie's War. p.127
  10. ^ Mockler. Haile Sellassie's War. p.141
  11. ^ a b c Barker, A. J., The Rape of Ethiopia 1936, p. 128

[edit] Bibliography

  • Barker, A.J. (1968). The Civilizing Mission: A History of the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935-1936. New York: Dial Press. pp. 383. 
  • Barker, A.J. (1971). Rape of Ethiopia, 1936. New York: Ballantine Books. pp. 160. ISBN 978-0345024626. 
  • Mockler, Anthony (2002). Haile Sellassie's War. New York: Olive Branch Press. ISBN 9781566564731. 
  • Nicolle, David (1997). The Italian Invasion of Abyssinia 1935-1936. Westminster, MD: Osprey. pp. 48. ISBN 978-1-85532-692-7. 
  • Walker, Ian W. (2003). Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts : Mussolini's elite armoured divisions in North Africa. Marlborough: Crowood. ISBN 1-86126-646-4. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_of_the_Iron_Will"
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