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.

Contents

[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

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

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