Treaty of Wichale, Wichale also spelled Ucciali, (May 2, 1889), pact signed at Wichale, Ethiopia, by the Italians and Menilek II of Ethiopia, whereby Italy was granted the northern Ethiopian territories of Bogos, Hamasen, and Akale-Guzai (modern Eritrea and northern Tigray) in exchange for a sum of money and the provision of 30,000 muskets and 28 cannons.
Article XVII of the Treaty of Wichale stated that the emperor of Ethiopia “could” have recourse to the good offices of the Italian government in his dealings with other foreign powers; but the Italian text of the treaty had the word “must.” Based on their own text, the Italians proclaimed a protectorate over Ethiopia. In September 1890, Menilek II repudiated their claim, and in 1893 he officially denounced the entire treaty. An attempt by the Italians to impose a protectorate over Ethiopia by force was finally confounded by their defeat at the Battle of Adwa on March 1, 1896. By the Treaty of Addis Ababa (Oct. 26, 1896), the country south of the Mareb and Muna rivers was restored to Ethiopia, and Italy acknowledged the absolute independence of Ethiopia.
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Italy: Colonialism…two countries made peace at Wichale in 1889, and Crispi expanded the Italian possessions along the Red Sea to include most of present-day Eritrea and along the Indian Ocean coast to include eastern and southern Somalia. In 1895 the Italians annexed a large portion of the Ethiopian province of Tigray,… -
Ethiopia: Menilek II (1889–1913)…of Article XVII of the Treaty of Wichale made Rome the medium for Ethiopia’s foreign relations, whereas the Amharic text was noncommittal. Both texts agreed that in the case of differences the Amharic text was to prevail. Learning that Rome had used the mistranslation to claim a protectorate over all… -
eastern Africa: Revival of the Ethiopian empire…of Article XVII of the Treaty of Wichale provided them with an excuse to declare Ethiopia a protectorate. To Italy’s dismay, the new emperor promptly wrote to the great powers, rejecting Rome’s claim. Since neither France nor Russia accepted the new protectorate status, Ethiopia continued to acquire modern weapons from… -
Somalia: Competition between the European powers and Ethiopia…Ethiopia and Italy concluded the Treaty of Wichale, which in the Italian view established an Italian protectorate over Ethiopia. Arms and capital were poured into the country, and Menilek was able to apply these new resources to bring pressure to bear on the Somali clansmen around Hārer. In 1889 Italy… -
Eritrea: Contesting for the coastlands and beyondIn the Treaty of Wichale, signed on May 2, 1889, Menilek recognized “Italian possessions in the Red Sea,” and on January 1, 1890, the Italian colony of Eritrea was officially proclaimed. From Eritrea the Italians launched several incursions into Ethiopia, only to be decisively defeated by Menilek’s…
More About Treaty of Wichale
7 references found in Britannica articlesAssorted References
- Battle of Adwa
- Menilek’s refutation
