Why wasn't Ethiopia ever colonized?

[Swahili P'Bitek]

In as much as Italy was a weak military with respect to the rest of Europe, one of the main reasons as to why Ethiopia was able to repel them was because they had a more centralized political system and hence were more united. Best believe if Italy wanted to colonize a country like, say, Kenya, they would have for many tribes had decentralized forms of government and there was not much unity.

 

[Enzo]

Check out the Zemane Mesafint (Age of Princes) and how it was a bunch of regional kings until King Tewodros locked the block down on some Empire Strikes Back tip restoring the monarchy and helping stave off European expansion into the Red Sea territories.

 

[Grano-Grano]

Not by Europeans but they were conquered

 

[Neuromancer]

Another work you might want to check out for early accounts that give context for where Abyssinia was prior to gunpowder would be by...

Francisco Álvares
In Abyssinia around 1515 - 1526
(right before the war broke out in 1529)

Those 2 books and the 1 before should give you a decent starting point to start thinking about comparing & contrasting Abyssinia with other African political/ethnic groupings at the time.​

Isn't Prester John a cac?

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

Not by Europeans but they were conquered

Then explain why Ethiopia still exists. Somalis/Adal lost that war. Anyway...

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

Menelik II was able to muster 100,000 men to defeat the Italians at Adowa. That's a lot of humans. Thus demonstrating the social cohesion @videogamestashbox.com was referring to.

Also, the French/Russians gave Ethiopians guns for years.

Ethiopia, despite being in political disunity for centuries, unified just before the Scramble for Africa kicked into high gear.

Ethiopia is a mountainous plateau. It's hard to invade mountainous plateaus like Tibet and Persia. However, I should note that the British successfully did so in the 19th century leading to an Ethiopian Emperor to commit suicide (Tewodros).

 

[The Singularity]

In as much as Italy was a weak military with respect to the rest of Europe, one of the main reasons as to why Ethiopia was able to repel them was because they had a more centralized political system and hence were more united. Best believe if Italy wanted to colonize a country like, say, Kenya, they would have for many tribes had decentralized forms of government and there was not much unity.

This what annoys me. Kenyans are so individualistic and proud. Kenyans could not allow themselves to submit to the rule of centralized authority like a monarchy. Every clan and family wanted to rule itself. We didn't even have petty Kingdoms like in Uganda and Rwanda.

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

This what annoys me. Kenyans are so individualistic and proud. Kenyans could not allow themselves to submit to the rule of centralized authority like a King. Every clan and family wanted to rule itself. We didn't even have petty Kingdoms like in Uganda and Rwanda.

Pre-colonial Kenya never had what Ethiopia had in terms of political unity. Also, Kenya's geography makes state-formation hard. I can't imagine a pre-colonial African state easily holding territory from Mombasa to the Great Rift

 

[Grano-Grano]

Then explain why Ethiopia still exists. Somalis/Adal lost that war. Anyway...

That's the point. Ethiopian always get saved by white Christians when fighting it's neighbors. If was one on one. You know the different outcomes.

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

That's the point. Ethiopian always get saved by white Christians when fighting it's neighbors. If was one on one. You know the different outcomes.

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

I dunno about that @Grano-Grano. Menelik II and his Shoans conquered Oromia without outside assistance.

 

[Grano-Grano]

I dunno about that @Grano-Grano. Menelik II and his Shoans conquered Oromia without outside assistance.

We conquered more than half the country and we killed their emperor in Adal wars. Also, we were 60 miles outside of Addis Ababa in the 70s before the Communist bloc intervened. Who can say that. Not even Oromos and other ethnic groups can say that.

 

[Grano-Grano]

Also, we expelled the Portuguese, who were a naval superpower in the South by the great Ajuran kingdom in Mogadishu while were conquering Ethiopia. Them boys are overrated. Only got love cuz of their Christianity faith. We did with no help until we asked for it and the Ottomans send forces to fight in the southern coastline.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

@Grano-Grano is right Ethiopia had Christian HELP whereas Somalis were alone. Not only that Somalis faced a way tougher enemy. The British. Ethiopia even aided the British against the Somalis and even Sudanese Mahdist.

 

[Grano-Grano]

@Grano-Grano is right Ethiopia had Christian HELP whereas Somalis were alone. Not only that Somalis faced a way tougher enemy. The British. Ethiopia even aided the British against the Somalis and even Sudanese Mahdist.

Exactly. The Sayid and the Dervishes fought them off guerilla style for 20 years without them ever catching him. The British used airplanes in Africa for the first time against Somalis. We fought a three side war theater against the British, Italians, and the Ethiopian kingdom. Them boys are soft.