Battle of Arogee
The Battle of Arogee was a significant military engagement that took place in April 1868, arising from diplomatic tensions between Britain and Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia. The conflict was sparked by perceived slights from the British government, leading Tewodros to detain the British consul and several citizens in Ethiopia. In response, Britain launched a large military expedition from Bombay, comprising approximately 13,000 troops and extensive logistical support, which covered a challenging 420-mile march to the fortress of Magdala.
On April 10, British forces, under the command of Sir Robert Napier, engaged the Ethiopian troops on the plains of Arogee, leveraging their superior firepower for a swift victory. Following this initial encounter, the British assaulted Magdala, where Tewodros ultimately took his own life just before they breached the fortress. The successful military campaign allowed Britain to achieve its primary objective of securing the release of its detained citizens and restoring its honor.
The aftermath of the battle saw the removal of Tewodros from power, resulting in a period of instability and power struggles among Ethiopian warlords, eventually leading to the rise of Emperor Yohannes IV. This conflict marked a pivotal moment in Ethiopian-British relations and had lasting implications for the region's political landscape.
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Battle of Arogee
Type of action: Battle in the British Colonial Wars
Date: April 10-13, 1868
Location: On the plains of Arogee and in Magdala (later āmba Mariam), Welo province, Ethiopia
Combatants: 13,000 British and Indians vs. 7,000 Ethiopians
Principal commanders:British, Sir Robert Napier (1810–1890); Ethiopian, Emperor Tewodros II (c. 1818–1868)
Result: British victory secured the release of its citizens detained by the Ethiopians
The Battle of Arogee resulted from a diplomatic misunderstanding between Britain and Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia, who felt slighted by Queen Victoria’s government and detained the British consul and other British citizens living in Ethiopia. Britain launched a military expedition from Bombay consisting of some 13,000 fighting men, several thousand servants and workers, and 36,000 draft animals. The expedition reached the coast of the Red Sea in January, 1868, and marched 420 miles inland to reach the fortress of Magdala, where the Emperor and his European prisoners were located.
The British opened the attack on the plain of Arogee, at the foot of the mountain fortress of Magdala, on April 10, 1868. Sir Robert Napier’s overwhelming superiority of firepower gave him a quick victory over an already-weakened Tewodros. Three days later, the British forces assaulted the fortress of Magdala. Emperor Tewodros committed suicide just before the British breached the fortress. Napier, who had promised the Ethiopians he would withdraw as soon as he has secured the release of the prisoners, departed with his troops.
Significance
Although one of the most expensive expeditions Britain undertook, it achieved its main objective of avenging the humiliation Britain suffered at the hands of Tewodros and in securing the release of its citizens. The removal of Emperor Tewodros from the political scene led to intense power struggles among the Ethiopian warlords until one of the contenders emerged victorious and crowned himself as Emperor Yohannes IV.
Bibliography
Arnold, Percy. Prelude to Magdala: Emperor Theodore of Ethiopia and British Diplomacy. London: Bellew, 1991.
Blanc, Henry. A Narrative of Captivity in Abyssinia, with Some Account of the Late Emperor Theodore, the Country, and the People. London: Frank Cass, 1970.