Battle of Dogali
Dogali, near Massawa, Eritrea
What happened
Ethiopian forces under Ras Alula Engida fought an Italian column led by Colonel Tommaso De Cristoforis. Italy had occupied the coast around Massawa and built a fort inland at Saati, which Ras Alula warned it should not do. When about 550 Italian soldiers marched to reinforce Saati, Ras Alula's much larger army met them at Dogali. The Italians held out for hours but ran out of ammunition, and Colonel De Cristoforis fell.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was an early African victory against a European colonial army. It showed that Ethiopia would fight to keep its independence.
What came next
Italy went on to occupy what became Eritrea, but it did not conquer the rest of Ethiopia. In Rome, the square in front of Termini station was named Piazza dei Cinquecento ('Square of the Five Hundred') after the Italian soldiers who died.
Did you know?
An Italian navy cruiser was named Dogali after the battle.
Timeline
- 26 January 1887Ras Alula defeats the Italian column at Dogali.
- 1987A monument is put up at Dogali.