Menelik II: The Moderniser Who Defeated Colonial Italy

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Emperor Menelik II, the architect of modern Ethiopia who crushed Italian colonialism at the Battle of Adwa in 1896. They discuss his rise from a Shewan prince imprisoned by Emperor Tewodros II to becoming Negus, his shrewd diplomacy balancing guns and land concessions against European powers, and his modernisation projects—from railways to telegraph lines to the founding of Addis Ababa. The conversation delves into the controversial Article 17 of the Treaty of Wuchale (the Italian mistranslation that sparked war), Menelik's use of European military advisors like Alfred Ilg, and his complex legacy as both a unifier and an imperial expansionist who incorporated southern territories. They also touch on his later illness, the succession crisis involving his grandson Lij Iyasu, and how Menelik's victory at Adwa inspired anti-colonial movements across Africa. #MenelikII #BattleofAdwa #TreatyofWuchale #AddisAbaba #Shewa #AlfredIlg #LijIyasu #TewodrosII #Colonialism #ZemeneMesafint #EthiopianEmpire #Modernisation #Artillery #Railways #AntiColonial #History #FexingoHistory #EastAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo