History of Wars Summary 7 - The Second Italo-Ethiopian War 5: Ethiopia's Liberation and the War's Conclusion

The tide of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War shifted significantly again with the onset of World War II. In 1940, when Italy declared war on Britain, battles also broke out between British and Italian forces in East Africa. The British forces collaborated with Ethiopian resistance groups, and Emperor Haile Selassie, who was abroad, returned to Ethiopia to push for the restoration of independence. In early 1941, British and Ethiopian troops attacked Italian East Africa from multiple directions. Although the Italian forces resisted in battles like the Battle of Keren, they gradually lost key strongholds. In April 1941, the Italian forces abandoned Addis Ababa, and on May 5th, Haile Selassie returned to the capital. Although some Italian troops continued to resist afterward, their colonial rule collapsed as they were defeated in major battles. By the end of 1941, Italy's control over East Africa had effectively ended, and Ethiopia regained its independence. This war, which began with Italy's colonial ambitions, concluded amidst the unfolding of World War II with Italy's defeat and Ethiopia's restoration of independence.