BATTLE // March 31, 1936
Battle of Maychew
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Source · Wikipedia
Significance
The Battle of Maychew was the last major engagement on the northern front of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. Ethiopia's defeat effectively ended organized Ethiopian military resistance in the north, removing the primary obstacle to the Italian advance on Addis Ababa. The failure of Haile Selassie's counterattack left Ethiopian forces without the capacity to mount another large-scale conventional defense, accelerating Italy's consolidation of control over the country. The disparity in reported Ethiopian casualties — ranging from 1,000 to 8,000 — reflects the scale of the collapse rather than a contested result.
Tactics
Ethiopian forces under Emperor Haile Selassie conducted frontal assaults against prepared Italian defensive positions held by Marshal Pietro Badoglio's forces near Maychew in the Tigray region. The attack took the form of a counterattack, with Ethiopian units pressing against fortified Italian lines rather than engaging on open or contested ground. The approach proved costly: Italian forces, dug into defensive positions, repulsed the assault and inflicted disproportionate casualties on the attacking Ethiopian formations.
Forces & casualties
Troop strength
- Italy40,000medium
- Ethiopia31,000medium
Italy fielded a 1.3 : 1 numerical advantage
Casualties
- Italy1,273medium3% loss rate
- Ethiopia1,000–8,000medium15% loss rate
Commanders (2)
Ethiopia
Italy
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