The First Italo-Ethiopian Clash over the Control of Eritrea and the Origins of Rome's Imperialism

In the wake of Italy's unification, the country's expansionist designs were aimed, as expected, toward the opposite shore of the Mediterranean. The barrage of developments that took place in this strategic area would shape the country's future alliances and colonial policies. The fear...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHistorical reflections Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 88 - 112
Main Author Mavropoulos, Nikolaos
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Waterloo Berghahn Books, Inc 01.03.2021
Subjects
19th century
Balance of power
Colonialism
Crispi, Francesco
Geopolitics
Historiography
History
Humanitarianism
Imperialism
Industrial development
Proximity
Trading companies
World War I
Northern Africa
Eritrea
Egypt
Sudan
United Kingdom
France
Germany
Ethiopia
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Summary:In the wake of Italy's unification, the country's expansionist designs were aimed, as expected, toward the opposite shore of the Mediterranean. The barrage of developments that took place in this strategic area would shape the country's future alliances and colonial policies. The fear of French aggression on the coast of North Africa drove officials in Rome to the camp of the Central Powers, a diplomatic move of great importance for Europe's evolution prior to World War I. The disturbance of the Mediterranean balance of power, when France occupied Tunisia and Britain held Cyprus and Egypt, the inability to find a colony in proximity to Italy, and a series of diplomatic defeats led Roman officials to look to the Red Sea and to provoke war with the Ethiopian Empire.
ISSN:0315-7997
0315-7997
1939-2419
DOI:10.3167/hrrh.2020.470105