Ethiopian forces in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War besides the Central Army were mobilized from various provinces under their local leader. According to 1935 Italian intelligence estimates of the Ethiopian provinces and their forces on the eve of hostilities, the Ethiopians had an army of 350,000 men. Strengths where known are noted followed by their leader. Modernized forces in Bold.

Ethiopian Army 1935

Addis Ababa * Emperor

Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I ( gez, ቀዳማዊ ኀይለ ሥላሴ, Qädamawi Häylä Səllasé, ; born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia (' ...

** 3 Battalions of the Imperial Guard

Kebur Zabangna Kebur Zabagna or Zebenya ( am, ክቡር ዘበኛ, kəbur zãbãňňya, lit=honorable guard) was the Ethiopian imperial guard. Also known as the First Division, this unit served the dual purposes of providing security for the Emperor of Ethiopia ...

** Cadet school (Mobilized as a Guard battalion late in the war with Cadets as officers with militia soldiers.)

Northern front

Army of the Left - ''

Ras Ras or RAS may refer to: Arts and media * RAS Records Real Authentic Sound, a reggae record label * Rundfunk Anstalt Südtirol, a south Tyrolese public broadcasting service * Rás 1, an Icelandic radio station * Rás 2, an Icelandic radio stati ...

Imru Haile Selassie Leul Ras Imru Haile Selassie, CBE (Amharic: ዕምሩ ኀይለ ሥላሴ; 23 November 1892 – 15 August 1980) was an Ethiopian noble, soldier, and diplomat. He served as acting Prime Minister for three days in 1960 during a coup d'état ...

('' Grazmach'' = "General/Commander of the Left") *

Gojjam Gojjam ( ''gōjjām'', originally ጐዛም ''gʷazzam'', later ጐዣም ''gʷažžām'', ጎዣም ''gōžžām'') is a historical province in northwestern Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debre Marqos. Gojjam's earliest western boundary ex ...

Provincial Armed Forces (''Sefari'') - ''Ras'' Imru Haile Selassie ** 13,000 regulars *

Wolqayt Welkait (also spelled Wolkait or Wolqayt; is a woreda which was historically part of the northern Amhara region of Gonder in Ethiopia. Following the fall of the communist Derg regime and ascension to power of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front ...

and Semien Sefari - ''Fitawrari''

Ayalew Birru Ayalew Birru, or Ayyalaw Birru, (1892 - May 1945) was an Ethiopian army commander, a patriot, and a cousin of Emperor Haile Selassie I. Biography Ayalew Birru was born at Gayent and was the son of ''Ras'' Birru Wolde Gabriel and ''Woizero'' ...

** 10,000 mountaineers * Gojjam Levies - Dejazmach Gessesse Belew (later deserted, revolted) ** 12,000 men Mahel Sefari (Army of the Center) (70,000 regulars) - ''Ras''

Mulugeta Yeggazu ''Ras'' Mulugeta Yeggazu (Amharic: ሙሉጌታ ይገዙ; killed 27 February 1936) was an Ethiopian government official. He served as Imperial Fitawrari, Commander of the Mahel Sefari (Central Army) of the Ethiopian Army during the Second Italo ...

of Illubabor *

Amino In chemistry, amines (, ) are compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are formally derivatives of ammonia (), wherein one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by a substituent ...

Provincial Sefari * Gubba Provincial Sefari *

Gurage The Gurage (, Gurage: ጉራጌ) are a Semitic-speaking ethnic group inhabiting Ethiopia.G. W. E. Huntingford, "William A. Shack: The Gurage: a people of the ensete culture" They inhabit the Gurage Zone, a fertile, semi-mountainous region in c ...

Provincial Sefari *

Jimma Jimma () is the largest city in southwestern Oromia Region, Ethiopia. It is a special zone of the Oromia Region and is surrounded by Jimma Zone. It has a latitude and longitude of . Prior to the 2007 census, Jimma was reorganized administrativ ...

Provincial Sefari * Mui Provincial Sefari *

Om Hajer Omhajer ( ar, أم هاجر) is a town in Eritrea. It is the center of the Omhajer Subregion Om Hajar Subregion ( ar, ام حجر) is a subregion in the western Gash-Barka region (Zoba Gash-Barka) of Eritrea. Its capital lies at Om Hajar. The ...

Provincial Sefari * Sela Provincial Sefari *

Sodo Sodo ( am, ሶዶ) or Wolaita Sodo ( am, ወላይታ ሶዶ) or ( Wolaytatto: ''Wolayta Sodo Ambbaa'') is a city in south-central Ethiopia. The administrative center of the Wolaita Zone. It has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation bet ...

Provincial Sefari *

Welega Welega (also spelled Wollega; ; am, ወለጋ) was a Provinces of Ethiopia, province in western Ethiopia, with its capital city at Nekemte. It was named for the Wollega Oromo, who are the majority of the population within its boundaries. Weleg ...

Provincial Sefari Army of the Right- ''Ras''

Kassa Haile Darge '' Leul Ras'' Kassa Hailu KS, GCVO, GBE, (Amharic: ካሣ ኀይሉ ዳርጌ; 7 August 1881 – 16 November 1956) was a Shewan Amhara nobleman, the son of Dejazmach Haile Wolde Kiros of Lasta, the ruling heir of Lasta's throne and youn ...

(''

Qegnazmach Until the end of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Mesafint ( gez, መሳፍንት , modern , singular መስፍን , modern , "prince"), the hereditary nobility, formed the upper ...

'' = "General/Commander of the right") *

Begemder Begemder ( amh, በጌምድር; also known as Gondar or Gonder, alternative name borrowed from its 20th century capital Gondar) was a province in northwest Ethiopia. Etymology A plausible source for the name ''Bega'' is that the word means " ...

Sefari - ''Ras'' Kassa Haile Darge/''Shum'' Wondosson Kassa ** 53,000 men * Tigray Sefari - Leul Ras

Seyum Mangasha Seyoum Mengesha KBE (Amharic: ሥዩም መንገሻ; 21 June 1887 – 15 December 1960) was an army commander and a member of the royal family of the Ethiopian Empire. Early life ''Le'ul'' ''Ras'' Seyoum Mengesha was born on 24 June 18 ...

** 15,000 men * Wag Sefari - Dejazmatch

Haile Kebbede Haile ( Ge'ez "the power of") may refer to: ;People with the given name Haile * Haile Selassie of Ethiopia (1892–1975), Emperor of Ethiopia * Haile Gerima (born 1946), Ethiopian filmmaker * Haile Gebrselassie (born 1973), Ethiopian distance runn ...

** 7,000 men (1/6 with rifles) ** 3,000 regulars with 3 machineguns, reinforcement 12/35 *

Lasta Lasta (Amharic: ላስታ ''lāstā'') is a historic district in northern Ethiopia. It is the district in which Lalibela is situated, the former capital of Ethiopia during the Zagwe dynasty and home to 11 medieval rock-hewn churches. Its original ...

Sefari -

Fitawrari Until the end of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Mesafint ( gez, መሳፍንት , modern , singular መስፍን , modern , "prince"), the hereditary nobility, formed the upper ...

Andarge ** ? men *

Yejju Yejju Oromo people are a sub clan of the Barento branch of Oromo people. They are one of the northernmost communities of Oromo people residing in Ethiopia. During the 17th century, the Yejju dynasty, more specifically, the Warra Sheik, or sons o ...

Sefari - Dejazmach Admassu Birru ** ? men

Danakil Danakil may refer to: * Danakil people or Afar people, an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa *Danakil Depression, a desert basin in north-eastern Ethiopia and southern Eritrea *Danakil Desert, a desert in the Horn of Africa *Danakil Depression or A ...

region - Dejazmach Kassa Sebhat * 400 trained men * 100 regulars * 5 machineguns Later Reinforcements Ifrata Sefari - Ras Kebbede * ? Shewan levies

- Ardjo Sefari -

Bitwoded Until the end of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Mesafint ( gez, መሳፍንት , modern , singular መስፍን , modern , "prince"), the hereditary nobility, formed the upper ...

Makonnen Demissie * 12,000 men (best armed of the Northern armies, also had Oerlikon AA guns) Kaffa Sefari - Ras

Getachew Abate Getachew Abate (1895–1952) was an army commander and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire. Getachew Abate was the son of ''Lique Mekwas'' Abate Ba-Yalew. He had a church education followed by language training at the Menelik Sch ...

* ? men To subdue Gojjam revolt

Wollo Wollo (Amharic: ወሎ) was a historical province of northern Ethiopia that overlayed part of the present day Amhara, Afar, and Tigray regions. During the Middle Ages this region was known as Bete Amhara and had Amhara kings. Bete Amhara had ...

Sefari - Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen Tafari * from Wollo - Nevraid Aregai ** 1,000 men * from Lekemt - Dejazmach Hapte Gabre Mariam Gabre ** 1,000 men

Southern front

Ogaden Ogaden Sefari - Grazmach Afawarq Walda Samayat * less than 2,000 men - Fitawrari Badde / Balambaras Ali Nur * Some hundreds of Somali rebels - Omar Samanthar * 2 Guard Battalions - Fitawrari Simu and Kebbede ** 1,000 men with machineguns and mortars ** 9,000 walwal & warder. fitawrari Walde Amanuel. * Total 12000 men. Reinforcements

Hararghe Hararghe ( am, ሐረርጌ ''Harärge''; Harari: ሀረርጌይ ''Harärgeyi'', Oromo: Harargee, so, Xararge) was a province of eastern Ethiopia with its capital in Harar. History Hararghe translates to "land of the Hararis". The region co ...

Sefari - Dejazmach

Nasibu Emmanual Nasibu Zeamanuel, also Nasibu Zamanuael or ''Nasibu Emmanual'' in some texts (Amharic: ነሲቡ ዘአማኑኤል; 1893 – 16 October 1936), was an Army of the Ethiopian Empire, army commander of the Ethiopian Empire. Along with his brother ...

- C-in-C in Ogaden after Afewerq's death * 1 Guard Battalion * Illubabor Sefari - Dejazmach

Makonnen Endelkachew '' Ras Betwoded'' Mekonnen Endelkachew (16 February 1890 – 27 February 1963) was an Ethiopian aristocrat and Prime Minister under Emperor Haile Selassie. Mekonnen was born in Addisge, the nephew of the noted Shewan general and politician ...

** 12,000 men * Gemu Gofa Sefari - Dejazmach Abebe Damtew ** 3,000 men (described as having scarcely a modern rifle, with ocher and pink headdresses) * Arusi Sefari - Dejazmach Amde Mikael ** 3,000 men (provincial levies) * Kula Sefari - Dejazmach Hapte Mikael ** 1,000 men Webi Shebelle front * Bale Sefari - Dejazmach Beine Merid ** 4,000 men

Juba Juba () is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria State. It is the world's newest capital city to be elevated as such, and had a population ...

Front *

Dolo Dolo is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Venice, Veneto, Italy. It is connected by the SP26 provincial road and is one of the towns of the Riviera del Brenta. The growth of the town of Dolo is due to the gradual downsizing of t ...

Garrison - 300 men * Sidamo Sefari - Ras

Desta Damtew ''Ras'' Desta Damtew (Amharic: ደስታ ዳምጠው ; ''c.'' 1892 – 24 February 1937) was an Ethiopian noble, an army commander, and a son-in-law of Emperor Haile Selassie I. Biography Born in the village of Maskan (in the contempora ...

** 20,000 men (well armed) - Fitawraris Ademe Anbassu and Tedeamme Zelleka ** Guards Battalion -

Bezibibeh Sileshi ** Oerlikon AA guns

Sources

* * * {{refend Orders of battle Military history of Ethiopia Second Italo-Ethiopian War

Ethiopian Army 1935

Northern front

Southern front

See also

Sources