Ethiopian Order of Battle Second Italo-Abyssinian War
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Ethiopian forces in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War besides the Central Army were mobilized from various provinces under their local leader. According to Italian estimates,[1] 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.
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[edit] Ethiopian Army 1935
Addis Ababa
- Emperor Haile Selassie
- 3 Battalions of the Imperial Guard Kebur Zabangna
- Cadet school (Mobilized as a Guard battalion late in the war with Cadets as officers with militia soldiers.)
[edit] Northern front
Army of the Left - Ras Imru Haile Selassie (Grazmach = "General/Commander of the Left")
- Gojjam Sefari - Ras Imru Haile Selassie
- 13,000 regulars
- Wolqayt and Semien Sefari - Dejazmach Ayalew Birru
- 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 of Illubabor
- Amino Provincial Sefari
- Gubba Provincial Sefari
- Gurage Provincial Sefari
- Jimma Provincial Sefari
- Mui Provincial Sefari
- Om Hajer Provincial Sefari
- Sela Provincial Sefari
- Sodo Provincial Sefari
- Welega Provincial Sefari
Army of the Right- Ras Kassa Haile Darge (Qegnazmach = "General/Commander of the right")
- Begemder Sefari - Ras Kassa Haile Darge
- 53,000 men
- Tigray Sefari - Leul Ras Seyum Mangasha
- 15,000 men
- Wag Sefari - Dejazmatch Haile Kebbede
- 7,000 men (1/6 with rifles)
- 3,000 regulars with 3 machineguns, reinforcement 12/35
- Lasta Sefari - Fitawrari Andarge
- ? men
- Yejju Sefari - Dejazmach Admassu Birru
- ? men
Danakil region - Dejazmach Kassa Sebhat
- 400 trained men
- 100 regulars
- 5 machineguns
Later Reinforcements
Ifrata Sefari - Ras Kebbede
- ? Shewan levies
Welega-Ardjo Sefari - Bitwoded Makonnen Demissie
- 12,000 men (best armed of the Northern armies, also had Oerlikon AA guns)
Kaffa Sefari - Ras Getachew Abate
- ? men
To subdue Gojjam revolt
Wollo Sefari - Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen Tafari
- from Wollo - Nevraid Aregai
- 1,000 men
- from Lekemt - Dejazmach Hapte Gabre Mariam Gabre
- 1,000 men
[edit] Southern front
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
- Total 3,000 men
Reinforcements
Hararghe Sefari - Dejazmach Nasibu Emmanual - C-in-C in Ogaden after Afewerq's death
- 1 Guard Battalion
- Illubabor Sefari - Dejazmatch Makonnen Endelkachew
- 12,000 men
- Gemu Gofa Sefari - Dejazmach Abebe Damtew
- 3,000 men (described as having scarely a modern rifle, with ocher and pink headresses)
- Arusi Sefari - Dejazmach Amde Mikael
- 3,000 men (provincial levies)
- Kula Sefari - Dejazmach Hapte Mikael
- 1,000 men
Webi Shebelle front
- Bale Sefari - Dejazmach Beiene Merid
- 4,000 men
Juba Front
- Dolo Garrison - 300 men
- Sidamo Sefari - Ras Desta Damtew
- 20,000 men (well armed) - Fitawraris Ademe Anbassu and Tedeamme Zelleka
- Guards Battalion - Qegnazmach Bezibibeh Sileshi
- Oerlikon AA guns
[edit] See also
[edit] Sources
- Mockler, Anthony, Haile Selassie's War. New York: Olive Branch Press.
- Osprey,Men At Arms #309: The Italian Invasion of Abyssinia 1936-36