Wichale's two texts and Adwa

Article XVII of the Treaty of Wichale (1889) said in its Amharic text that Menelik II 'could' use Italy's good offices in foreign affairs and in its Italian text that he 'must'; Italy proclaimed a protectorate on the Italian wording, and Menelik repudiated it. On 1 March 1896 his army, over 100,000 strong and armed with modern weapons (the treaty had itself supplied 30,000 muskets and 28 cannon), crushed the Italians at Adwa, and Italy recognised Ethiopia's independence.

The mechanism

CUSTODY OF THE WORD

How it was checked

• EvidenceT5 INDEPENDENT SECULAR; Status: ADDED 2026-09-19
• Letter eraTHE SEAT MOVES TO THE BENCH 1713 to 1945
• SourcesRECORD — Britannica, 'Treaty of Wichale'; Britannica, 'Battle of Adwa' · checked 19 September: Britannica (read in a browser; WebFetch is refused by the site), 'Treaty of Wichale'; Britannica (read in a browser; WebFetch is refused by the site), 'Battle of Adwa'