Italy invades Ethiopia...

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October 04, 1935

THE NEW YORK TIMES, New York, NY, October 4, 1935

* Italy invades Ethiopia
* Second Italo–Abyssinian War
* Benito Mussolini
* MLB World Series

This 46 page newspaper has a nice five column headline on the front page: "ITALIAN AIRPLANES BOMB ADOWA AND ADIGRAT; 1,700 CASUALTIES INCLUDE WOMAN AND CHILDREN; LEAGUE COUNCIL ACTS ON SANCTIONS TOMORROW" with many subheads. Much more on pages 2 & 3 with related photos and map. (see)

Tells of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia at the start of the Second Italo–Abyssinian War. Nice to have in this famous NYC title.

Other news of the day with much on the second game of the World Series between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs.

Rag edition in great condition.

wikipedia notes: At precisely 5:00 am on October 3, 1935, De Bono crossed the Mareb River and advanced into Ethiopia from Eritrea without a declaration of war.[18] In response to the Italian invasion, Ethiopia declared war on Italy. At this point in the campaign, roadways represented a serious drawback for the Italians as they crossed into Ethiopia. On the Italian side, roads had been constructed right up to the border. On the Ethiopian side, these roads often transitioned into vaguely defined paths.

On October 5, the Italian I Corps took Adigrat and, by October 6, Adwa was captured by the Italian II Corps. Haile Selassie had ordered Duke (Ras) Seyoum Mangasha, the Commander of the Ethiopian Army of Tigre, to withdraw a day's march away from the Magreb River. Later, the Emperor ordered Commander of the Gate (Dejazmach) Haile Selassie Gugsa, also in the area, to move back fifty-five and thirty-five miles from the border.

On October 11, Dejazmach Haile Selassie Gugsa and 1,200 of his followers surrendered to the commander of the Italian outpost at Adagamos. De Bono notified Rome and the Ministry of Information promptly exaggerated the importance of the surrender. Haile Selassie Gugsa was Emperor Haile Selassie's son-in-law. But less than a tenth of the Dejazmach's army defected with him.

On October 14, De Bono issued a proclamation ordering the suppression of slavery. However, he was to write: "I am obliged to say that the proclamation did not have much effect on the owners of slaves and perhaps still less on the liberated slaves themselves. Many of the latter, the instant they are set free presented themselves to the Italian authorities, asking 'And now who gives me food'?"[21] The Ethiopians themselves had attempted to abolish slavery. Each Ethiopian Emperor since Tewodros II had issued proclamations to halt slavery, but without effect.

By October 15, De Bono's forces advanced from Adwa for a bloodless occupation of the holy capital of Axum. General de Bono entered the city riding triumphantly on a white horse. However, the invading Italians he commanded looted the Obelisk of Axum.

De Bono's advance continued methodically, deliberately, and, to Mussolini's consternation, slowly. On November 8, the I Corps and the Eritrean Corps captured Makale. This proved to be the limit of how far the Italian invaders would get under the command of De Bono. On November 16, De Bono was promoted to the rank of Marshal of Italy (Maresciallo d'Italia), but by December he was replaced with Marshal of Italy Pietro Badoglio because of the slow, cautious nature of De Bono's advance.

Category: The 20th Century