BATTLE // January 20, 1936
First Battle of Tembien
Source · Wikipedia
Significance
The First Battle of Tembien was fought on the northern front of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, pitting equal-sized forces of approximately 70,000 men on each side under Marshal Pietro Badoglio for Italy and Ras Kassa Haile Darge for Ethiopia. The disparity in casualties — 1,083 Italian against 5,000 Ethiopian — indicated a significant tactical advantage for Italian forces despite the mutual scale of engagement. As one of the major engagements on the northern front, it formed part of the broader Italian campaign to penetrate and subdue Ethiopian resistance in the interior, with the Tembien region serving as a contested zone involving multiple Ethiopian commanders including both Ras Kassa and Ras Seyoum.
Tactics
The battle centered on Worsege Pass in the Tembien Province and was characterized by a series of attacks and counterattacks between the two forces, with neither side committing solely to offense or defense throughout the engagement.
Forces & casualties
Troop strength
- Italy70,000medium
- Ethiopia70,000medium
Both sides were near-evenly matched in numbers
Casualties
- Italy1,083medium2% loss rate
- Ethiopia5,000medium7% loss rate
Commanders (3)
Ethiopia
Italy
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6 sibling battles · 1 factions