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'''Italian East Africa''' ({{lang-it|Africa Orientale Italiana}}, or '''AOI''') was an Italian colony established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the [[Ethiopian Empire]] (conquered during the [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War]]) with the colonies of [[Italian Somaliland]] and [[Italian Eritrea]].
'''Italian East Africa''' ({{lang-it|'''Africa Orientale Italiana'''}}, or '''AOI''') was an Italian colony established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the [[Ethiopian Empire]] (conquered during the [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War]]) with the initial Italian colonies of [[Italian Somaliland]] and [[Italian Eritrea]].


In August 1940, during the [[World War II|Second World War]], [[British Somaliland]] was [[Italian conquest of British Somaliland|conquered]] and annexed to Italian East Africa, which itself was conquered by British-led forces in the course of 1941. The Ethiopian Empire and British Somaliland were then re-established, while Italian Somaliland and Eritrea both came under British administration. In 1949 Italian Somaliland was reconstituted as the [[Trust Territory of Somalia]], which was administered by Italy from 1949 until its independence in 1960. In 1952 Eritrea was annexed by Ethiopia.
In August 1940, during the [[World War II|Second World War]], [[British Somaliland]] was [[Italian conquest of British Somaliland|conquered]] and annexed to Italian East Africa, which itself was conquered by British-led forces in the course of 1941. The Ethiopian Empire and British Somaliland were then re-established, while Italian Somaliland and Eritrea both came under British administration. In 1949 Italian Somaliland was reconstituted as the [[Trust Territory of Somalia]], which was administered by Italy from 1949 until its independence in 1960. In 1952 Eritrea was annexed by Ethiopia.
Line 78: Line 78:
When established in 1936, Italian East Africa covered the former [[Italian Eritrea]] and [[Italian Somaliland]] and the recently conquered [[Ethiopia]]. [[Victor Emmanuel III of Italy|King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy]] consequently adopted the title of "Emperor of Abyssinia". The colony was divided into the six [[governorates of Italian East Africa]]: Italian Eritrea and [[Somalia Governorate|Italian Somaliland]], plus four provinces of Ethiopia (Amhara, Galla-Sidamo, Scioa, Harar) each under the authority of an Italian [[governor]], answerable to the Italian [[viceroy]], who represented the Emperor Victor Emmanuel.
When established in 1936, Italian East Africa covered the former [[Italian Eritrea]] and [[Italian Somaliland]] and the recently conquered [[Ethiopia]]. [[Victor Emmanuel III of Italy|King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy]] consequently adopted the title of "Emperor of Abyssinia". The colony was divided into the six [[governorates of Italian East Africa]]: Italian Eritrea and [[Somalia Governorate|Italian Somaliland]], plus four provinces of Ethiopia (Amhara, Galla-Sidamo, Scioa, Harar) each under the authority of an Italian [[governor]], answerable to the Italian [[viceroy]], who represented the Emperor Victor Emmanuel.


Italian East Africa briefly enlarged in 1940, as Italian forces conquered British Somaliland, thereby creating bringing all Somali territories under Italian administration. However, the enlarged colony was dismembered only a year later, when in the course of the British-led [[East African Campaign (World War II)|East African Campaign]] of June 1940 to November 1941 Italian East Africa was conquered.
Italian East Africa briefly enlarged in 1940, as Italian forces conquered British Somaliland, thereby creating a single Somaliland within Italian control. But the enlarged colony was dismembered only a year later, when in the course of the British-led [[East African Campaign (World War II)|East African Campaign]] of June 1940 to November 1941 Italian East Africa was conquered.


The other Italian colony in Africa was [[Italian North Africa]] (''Africa Settentrionale Italiana'', or ASI).
The other Italian colony in Africa was [[Italian North Africa]] (''Africa Settentrionale Italiana'', or ASI).


==History==
==History==

The dominion was formed in 1936 during Italian [[Fascist]] dictator [[Benito Mussolini]]'s government in Italy with the defeat of [[Haile Selassie]]'s Ethiopia in the [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War]].
The dominion was formed in 1936 during Italian [[Fascist]] dictator [[Benito Mussolini]]'s government in Italy with the defeat of [[Haile Selassie]]'s Ethiopia in the [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War]].


In February 1937, following an assassination attempt on Italian East Africa's Viceroy [[Rodolfo Graziani]], Graziani ordered Italian soldiers to raid the famous Ethiopian monastery [[Debre Libanos]], where the would-be assassins had briefly taken refuge and had the monks and nuns in the monastery executed.<ref name="cann5">Cannistraro, p. 5</ref> Afterwards, Italian soldiers destroyed native settlements in [[Addis Ababa]], which resulted in 30,000 [[Ethiopians]] being killed and their homes left burned to the ground.<ref name="cann5"/><ref>Sarti, p. 191</ref>
Rule in Italian East Africa was harsh for the native peoples, especially towards [[Ethiopians]] as Fascist policy sought to integrate their culture into the [[Italian Empire]]. Eritreans integrated very well, and even Somalians (but only partially mainly because of their religion). But Ethiopians opposed strongly: in February 1937, following an assassination attempt on Italian East Africa's Viceroy [[Rodolfo Graziani]], Graziani ordered Italian soldiers to raid the famous Ethiopian monastery [[Debre Libanos]] where the would-be assassins had briefly taken refuge and had the monks and nuns in the monastery executed.<ref name="cann5">Cannistraro, p. 5</ref> <ref>afterwards, Italian soldiers destroyed native settlements in [[Addis Ababa]], which resulted in nearly 30,000 [[Ethiopians]] being killed and their homes left burned to the ground, according to historian Sarti</ref>


Fascist colonial policy in the AOI had a [[Divide and rule|divide and conquer]] characteristic. In order to weaken the Orthodox Christian [[Amhara people]] who had run Ethiopia in the past, territory claimed by Eritrean [[Tigray-Tigrinya people|Tigray-Tigrinyas]] and [[Somalis]] was given to the [[Eritrea Governorate]] and [[Somalia Governorate]].,<ref name="cann5"/> Reconstruction efforts after the war in 1936, were partially focused on benefiting the Muslim peoples in the AOI at the expense of the Amhara to strengthen support by Muslims for the Italian colony.<ref name="cann5"/>
Fascist colonial policy in the AOI had a [[Divide and rule|divide and conquer]] characteristic. In order to weaken the Orthodox Christian [[Amhara people]] who had run Ethiopia in the past, territory claimed by Eritrean [[Tigray-Tigrinya people|Tigray-Tigrinyas]] and [[Somalis]] was given to the [[Eritrea Governorate]] and [[Somalia Governorate]].,<ref name="cann5"/> Reconstruction efforts after the war in 1936, were partially focused on benefiting the Muslim peoples in the AOI at the expense of the Amhara to strengthen support by Muslims for the Italian colony.<ref name="cann5"/>


Italy's Fascist regime encouraged Italian peasants to colonize the AOI by creating agriculture and small industries there.<ref name="cann5"/> However few Italians came to the Etihopian colony, with most going to Eritrea. By 1940, only 3200 farmers had arrived to Ethiopia, less than ten percent of the Fascist regime's goal.<ref name="cann6">Cannistraro, p. 6</ref>
Italy's Fascist regime encouraged Italian peasants to colonize the AOI by creating agriculture and small industries there.<ref name="cann5"/> However few Italians came to the etiopian colony (while most went to Eritrea). By 1940 only 3200 farmers had arrived to Ethiopia, less than ten percent of the Fascist regime's goal.<ref name="cann6">Cannistraro, p. 6</ref>


Continued insurgency by native Ethiopians, lack of resources, rough terrain, and uncertainty of political and military conditions discouraged development and settlement in the countryside<ref name="cann6"/> However, Italian Eritrea enjoyed a huge development, supported by nearly 80,000 [[Italian Eritreans|Italian colonists]].<ref>[http://www.dankalia.com/history/04503.htm Italian industries and companies in Eritrea]</ref>
Continued insurgency by native Ethiopians, lack of resources, rough terrain, and uncertainty of political and military conditions initially discouraged development and settlement in the countryside<ref name="cann6"/>, but in 1940 the "pacification" process was starting to be successfull in 3/4 of the etiopian territory. Meanwhile Italian Eritrea enjoyed a huge development, supported by nearly 80,000 [[Italian Eritreans|Italian colonists]].<ref>[http://www.dankalia.com/history/04503.htm Italian industries and companies in Eritrea]</ref> Even Italian Somalia was experiencing an economic development, supported by the 30,000 [[Italian Somalians]].


The colony proved to be extremely expensive to maintain, the AOI's budget in 1936-37 requested from Italy 19.136 billion lire to create the necessary infrastructure for the colony.<ref name="cann5"/> At the time Italy's entire revenue that year was only 18.581 billion lire.<ref name="cann5"/>
The colony proved to be extremely expensive to maintain, the AOI's budget in 1936-37 requested from Italy 19.136 billion lire to create the necessary infrastructure for the colony.<ref name="cann5"/> At the time Italy's entire revenue that year was only 18.581 billion lire.<ref name="cann5"/> Even with these economic difficulties the Italian government was able to create a huge infrastructure of nearly 20,000 km of asphalted roads (and of hospitals with sewage in the main cities, that totally lacked in Ethiopia before 1935).<ref>[http://www.fedoa.unina.it/1881/1/Santoianni_Progettazione_Architettonica.pdf Progettazione in Etiopia p.69 (in Italian)]</ref>


There was an urbanistic project for the enlargement of Addis Ababa, in order to become the state-of-the-art capital of the ''Africa Orientale italiana'', but these [[architectural plan]]s -like all the other developments- were stopped by World War II.<ref>[http://www.architesi.polito.it/pdf/MorettiS_EN.pdf Addis Abeba 1939 Urbanistic and Architectural Plan]</ref>
There was an urbanistic project for the enlargement of Addis Ababa, in order to become the state-of-the-art capital of the ''Africa Orientale italiana'', but these [[architectural plan]]s -like all the other developments- were stopped by World War II.<ref>[http://www.architesi.polito.it/pdf/MorettiS_EN.pdf Addis Abeba 1939 Urbanistic and Architectural Plan]</ref>


⚫
In 1940, the adjacent [[protectorate]] of [[Italian conquest of British Somaliland|British Somaliland]] was occupied by Italian forces and absorbed into Italian East Africa. The conquest was the only victory of Italy without reinforcement from German troops during World War II against the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]]. This occupation lasted around one year.
[[File:EritreaCampaign1941 map-en.svg|thumb|right|150px|East Africa Campaign northern front: Allied advances in 1941]]
[[File:EritreaCampaign1941 map-en.svg|thumb|right|150px|East Africa Campaign northern front: Allied advances in 1941]]


The Italian presence in eastern Africa ended on 27 November 1941, when General Nasi (the last Governor) and his last 23,500 men did the [[Battle of Gondar]] against a combined force of British and Allied troops. The Italians received full military honors.
⚫
In 1940, the adjacent [[protectorate]] of [[Italian conquest of British Somaliland|British Somaliland]] was occupied by Italian forces and absorbed into Italian East Africa. The conquest was the only victory of Italy without reinforcement from German troops during World War II against the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]]. This occupation lasted around one year.


==Governor-Generals of Italian East Africa==
==Governorates and Governor-Generals of Italian East Africa==
{{main|List of colonial heads of Italian East Africa}}
{{main|List of colonial heads of Italian East Africa}}

Under the rule of [[Victor Emmanuel III]], King of Italy and Emperor of Ethiopia, there were five Governor-Generals (Viceroy) of Africa Orientale Italiana: [[Pietro Badoglio]], [[Rodolfo Graziani]], [[Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta|Amedeo d'Aosta]], [[Pietro Gazzera]] and [[Guglielmo Nasi]]. They governed six Governorates:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- "
! English!! Italian!! Capital!! Population!! Tag!! Symbol
|-
| [[Amhara Governorate]] || Amara || [[Gondar]] || 2.000.000 ab. || AM || [[File:Coat of arms of Amhara governorate-2.svg|50px]]
|-
| [[Eritrea Governorate]] || Eritrea || [[Asmara]] || 1.000.000 ab. || ER || [[File:Coat of arms of Eritrea (1926-1941).svg|50px]]
|-
| [[Harrar Governorate]] || Harar || [[Harrar]] || 1.300.000 ab. || HA || [[File:Coat of arms of harar governorate.svg|50px]]
|-
| [[Galla-Sidamo Governorate]] || Galla e Sidama || [[Jimma]]/Gimma || 1.600.000 ab. || GS || [[File:Coat of arms of Galla-Sidamo governorate.svg|50px]]
|-
| [[Shewa Governorate]] <ref name="solomoniccrownheraldry1">[http://www.solomoniccrownheraldry.org/history_of_ethiopia_monarchy_modern_era_part_seven.htm Apis Networks - Engineered Hosting]</ref> || Scioà || [[Addis Abeba]] || 300.000 ab. || SC || [[File:Coat of arms of Scioa governorate.svg|50px]]
|-
| [[Somalia Governorate]] also Somali Governorate<ref name="solomoniccrownheraldry1"/> || Somalia || [[Mogadishu]]|| 1.300.000 ab. || SOM || [[File:Coat of arms of Italian Somaliland governorate.svg|50px]]
|}


==Notes==
==Notes==

Revision as of 23:58, 24 August 2012

Italian East Africa
Africa Orientale Italiana
1936–1941
Flag of Italian East Africa
Flag
Royal Coat of arms of Italian East Africa
Royal Coat of arms
Motto: Foedere et Religione Tenemur
"We are held together by Pact and by Religion"
Anthem: None
Royal anthem
Marcia Reale d'Ordinanza
"Royal March of Ordinance"
Green: Italian East Africa (1936) (White lines designate territorial divisions) Light Green: Absorbed in 1940 Dark gray: Other Italian possessions and occupied territory Darkest gray: Kingdom of Italy
Green: Italian East Africa (1936)
(White lines designate territorial divisions)
Light Green: Absorbed in 1940
Dark gray: Other Italian possessions and occupied territory
Darkest gray: Kingdom of Italy
StatusColony of the Kingdom of Italy
CapitalAddis Ababa
Common languagesItalian, Amharic, Somali
Emperor 
• 1936–1941
Victor Emmanuel III
Viceroy1 
• 1936
Pietro Badoglio
• 1936–1937
Rodolfo Graziani
• 1937–1941
Amedeo Umberto
• 1941
Pietro Gazzera
• 1941
Guglielmo Nasi
Historical eraInterwar Period / WWII
• Established
09 May 1936
• Disestablished
27 November 1941
Area
19361,750,000 km2 (680,000 sq mi)
Population
• 1936
10,000,000
CurrencyItalian East African lira
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Italian Eritrea
Italian Somaliland
Ethiopian Empire
British Somaliland
Trust Territory of Somalia
Eritrea
British Somaliland
Ethiopian Empire
French Somaliland
Today part of Ethiopia
 Djibouti
 Somalia
 Eritrea
1: Viceroy and Governor-General.

Italian East Africa (Italian: Africa Orientale Italiana, or AOI) was an Italian colony established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire (conquered during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War) with the initial Italian colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea.

In August 1940, during the Second World War, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa, which itself was conquered by British-led forces in the course of 1941. The Ethiopian Empire and British Somaliland were then re-established, while Italian Somaliland and Eritrea both came under British administration. In 1949 Italian Somaliland was reconstituted as the Trust Territory of Somalia, which was administered by Italy from 1949 until its independence in 1960. In 1952 Eritrea was annexed by Ethiopia.

Territory

The six governatories of Italian East Africa.

When established in 1936, Italian East Africa covered the former Italian Eritrea and Italian Somaliland and the recently conquered Ethiopia. King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy consequently adopted the title of "Emperor of Abyssinia". The colony was divided into the six governorates of Italian East Africa: Italian Eritrea and Italian Somaliland, plus four provinces of Ethiopia (Amhara, Galla-Sidamo, Scioa, Harar) each under the authority of an Italian governor, answerable to the Italian viceroy, who represented the Emperor Victor Emmanuel.

Italian East Africa briefly enlarged in 1940, as Italian forces conquered British Somaliland, thereby creating a single Somaliland within Italian control. But the enlarged colony was dismembered only a year later, when in the course of the British-led East African Campaign of June 1940 to November 1941 Italian East Africa was conquered.

The other Italian colony in Africa was Italian North Africa (Africa Settentrionale Italiana, or ASI).

History

The dominion was formed in 1936 during Italian Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini's government in Italy with the defeat of Haile Selassie's Ethiopia in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.

Rule in Italian East Africa was harsh for the native peoples, especially towards Ethiopians as Fascist policy sought to integrate their culture into the Italian Empire. Eritreans integrated very well, and even Somalians (but only partially mainly because of their religion). But Ethiopians opposed strongly: in February 1937, following an assassination attempt on Italian East Africa's Viceroy Rodolfo Graziani, Graziani ordered Italian soldiers to raid the famous Ethiopian monastery Debre Libanos where the would-be assassins had briefly taken refuge and had the monks and nuns in the monastery executed.[1] [2]

Fascist colonial policy in the AOI had a divide and conquer characteristic. In order to weaken the Orthodox Christian Amhara people who had run Ethiopia in the past, territory claimed by Eritrean Tigray-Tigrinyas and Somalis was given to the Eritrea Governorate and Somalia Governorate.,[1] Reconstruction efforts after the war in 1936, were partially focused on benefiting the Muslim peoples in the AOI at the expense of the Amhara to strengthen support by Muslims for the Italian colony.[1]

Italy's Fascist regime encouraged Italian peasants to colonize the AOI by creating agriculture and small industries there.[1] However few Italians came to the etiopian colony (while most went to Eritrea). By 1940 only 3200 farmers had arrived to Ethiopia, less than ten percent of the Fascist regime's goal.[3]

Continued insurgency by native Ethiopians, lack of resources, rough terrain, and uncertainty of political and military conditions initially discouraged development and settlement in the countryside[3], but in 1940 the "pacification" process was starting to be successfull in 3/4 of the etiopian territory. Meanwhile Italian Eritrea enjoyed a huge development, supported by nearly 80,000 Italian colonists.[4] Even Italian Somalia was experiencing an economic development, supported by the 30,000 Italian Somalians.

The colony proved to be extremely expensive to maintain, the AOI's budget in 1936-37 requested from Italy 19.136 billion lire to create the necessary infrastructure for the colony.[1] At the time Italy's entire revenue that year was only 18.581 billion lire.[1] Even with these economic difficulties the Italian government was able to create a huge infrastructure of nearly 20,000 km of asphalted roads (and of hospitals with sewage in the main cities, that totally lacked in Ethiopia before 1935).[5]

There was an urbanistic project for the enlargement of Addis Ababa, in order to become the state-of-the-art capital of the Africa Orientale italiana, but these architectural plans -like all the other developments- were stopped by World War II.[6]

In 1940, the adjacent protectorate of British Somaliland was occupied by Italian forces and absorbed into Italian East Africa. The conquest was the only victory of Italy without reinforcement from German troops during World War II against the Allies. This occupation lasted around one year.

East Africa Campaign northern front: Allied advances in 1941

The Italian presence in eastern Africa ended on 27 November 1941, when General Nasi (the last Governor) and his last 23,500 men did the Battle of Gondar against a combined force of British and Allied troops. The Italians received full military honors.

Governorates and Governor-Generals of Italian East Africa

Main article: List of colonial heads of Italian East Africa

Under the rule of Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy and Emperor of Ethiopia, there were five Governor-Generals (Viceroy) of Africa Orientale Italiana: Pietro Badoglio, Rodolfo Graziani, Amedeo d'Aosta, Pietro Gazzera and Guglielmo Nasi. They governed six Governorates:

English Italian Capital Population Tag Symbol
Amhara Governorate Amara Gondar 2.000.000 ab. AM
Eritrea Governorate Eritrea Asmara 1.000.000 ab. ER
Harrar Governorate Harar Harrar 1.300.000 ab. HA
Galla-Sidamo Governorate Galla e Sidama Jimma/Gimma 1.600.000 ab. GS
Shewa Governorate [7] Scioà Addis Abeba 300.000 ab. SC
Somalia Governorate also Somali Governorate[7] Somalia Mogadishu 1.300.000 ab. SOM

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Cannistraro, p. 5
  2. ^ afterwards, Italian soldiers destroyed native settlements in Addis Ababa, which resulted in nearly 30,000 Ethiopians being killed and their homes left burned to the ground, according to historian Sarti
  3. ^ a b Cannistraro, p. 6
  4. ^ Italian industries and companies in Eritrea
  5. ^ Progettazione in Etiopia p.69 (in Italian)
  6. ^ Addis Abeba 1939 Urbanistic and Architectural Plan
  7. ^ a b Apis Networks - Engineered Hosting

Bibliography

Italian East Africa 100 £ note.
  • Antonicelli, Franco (1961) Trent'anni di storia italiana 1915 - 1945, Saggi series 295, Torino : Einaudi, 387 p. [in Italian]
  • Cannistraro, Philip V. (1982) Historical Dictionary of Fascist Italy, Westport, Conn.; London : Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-21317-8
  • Del Boca, Angelo (1986) Italiani in Africa Orientale: La caduta dell'Impero, Biblioteca universale Laterza 186, Roma : Laterza, ISBN 88-420-2810-X [in Italian]
  • Mockler, Anthony (1984). Haile Selassie's War: The Italian-Ethiopian Campaign, 1935-1941, New York : Random House, ISBN 0-394-54222-3
  • Sarti, Roland (1974) The Ax Within: Italian fascism in action, New York : New Viewpoints, ISBN 0-531-06498-0
  • Mauri, Arnaldo (1967). Il mercato del credito in Etiopia, Milano, Giuffrè, pp. XVI, 504 [in Italian].
  • Calchi Novati, Gian Carlo (2011).L'Africa d'Italia, Carrocci, Roma. [in Italian]
  • Tuccimei, Ercole (1999). La Banca d'Italia in Africa, Presentazione di Arnaldo Mauri, Laterza, Bari, ISBN 88-420-5686-3 [in Italian]

See also


Template:Italian Eritrea Template:Italian Somalia

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