Battle of Gogetti

Battle of Gogetti
Part of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War
Date 19 February 1937 Location Near Lake Shala, Ethiopia Result Italian victory Beginning of Yekatit 12
Belligerents
Ethiopia	Italy
Commanders and leaders
Beyene Merid   † Gebre Mariam   † Desta Damtew	Rodolfo Graziani
Units involved
Remnants of the Ethiopian Sidamo and Bale armies	Italian colonial troops
Strength
>2,000 men	Unknown

The Battle of Gogetti was the final battle between Ethiopia and the Italy preluding the Second World War. This battle was fought against the surviving troops of the armies of Sidamo and Bale. The Ethiopian armies were encircled and destroyed by the Italian forces near Lake Shala. Ethiopian leaders Beiene Merid and Dejazmach Gabre Mariam were killed in battle. Ras Desta Damtew, although wounded, escaped the brutal fight, only to be hunted down and killed five days later. ^[1]

As retaliation for the attempted assassination of Rodolfo Graziani, Italian soldiers killed thousands of Ethiopian civilians.

References

1. Mehtidis, Alexis. "Italian Ground Forces in Italian East Africa (Africa Orientale Italiana) during World War II, 1939-1941 Part I 1939 to July 1940". Italian Ground Forces in East Africa.