To understand African Christianity, remember the Battle of Adwa
In 1896, a Christian army from Ethiopia defeated the Italians.
The historic relationship between Christianity and imperialism naturally causes grave dilemmas for modern believers. But on at least one celebrated occasion, it was actually a great Christian army that decisively triumphed over empire—and resisted conquest for a generation. Anyone interested in the story of modern African Christianity needs to know about the Battle of Adwa.
After Italy was united as a modern nation in 1861, the country’s leaders were determined to announce its arrival on the global stage by joining the race for empire. Their options were somewhat limited, as other great powers had already grabbed so much, so Italian hopes turned to the Red Sea coast of East Africa, to Eritrea—and to the ancient Christian kingdom of Abyssinia, or Ethiopia. From the earliest encounters, however, it was obvious that the Ethiopians did not fit the racist stereotype of howling tribesmen armed only with spears who would cower before the weight of European technology. A major defeat at Dogali in 1887 gave the Italians a powerful thirst for revenge, and open war broke out in 1894.
Once again, the Italians struggled against well-armed and disciplined Ethiopians, led by their emperor Menelik II. Menelik was a highly cultured man who spoke several European languages, along with African tongues, and he had a glorious vision of his country’s past and its faith. As he famously proclaimed, “Ethiopia has been for 14 centuries a Christian island in a sea of pagans.” A skilled diplomat, he persuaded the Russians—fellow Orthodox believers—to supply him with weaponry and advisers.
