Battle of Gura
Gura plain, near Dekemhare, Debub region, Eritrea
What happened
The Ethiopian army of Emperor Yohannes IV and his general Alula fought an invading Egyptian army under Ratib Pasha, which included the American officer William Loring. Egypt, under Khedive Ismail, had tried to push into the Ethiopian highlands and was defeated at Gundet in 1875. A second, larger Egyptian army built forts on the Gura plain. When about 5,000 Egyptian soldiers marched out to attack, the Ethiopian army surrounded and defeated them.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Egypt could not afford to go on, and it never again tried to conquer Yohannes's lands. The victory helped keep Ethiopia independent and strengthened the emperor's rule.
What came next
A formal peace, the Hewett Treaty, was signed in 1884. Alula was later made a ras, one of the highest ranks in Ethiopia.
Timeline
- November 1875Ethiopia defeats Egypt at Gundet.
- 7-9 March 1876Ethiopia defeats Egypt at Gura.
- 1884The Hewett Treaty is signed.