How Abyssinia (Ethiopia) Secured Eritrea in the Late 19th Century

From Ottoman Control to Ethiopian Sovereignty

1. 1880s – Emperor Yohannes IV: Ethiopian forces seize northern Eritrean territories, including Massawa, from the Ottomans.
2. 1884 – Treaty of Adwa (Hewett Treaty): Britain, Egypt, Ethiopia agree; Ethiopia gains Massawa access.
3. 1896 – Battle of Adwa: Emperor Menelik II defeats Italy, securing Ethiopian independence and forcing Italian withdrawal from Eritrea.
4. 1896 – Treaty of Addis Ababa: Formalizes Ethiopian sovereignty over Eritrea, ending Italian colonial rule there (temporarily; Italy later colonizes Eritrea in 1890s).

Note: Italy established the colony of Eritrea in 1890; Ethiopia’s control was contested until WWII.