PS. Interesting B/W photo Poppo posted. I hope that column was not put up by the 18th Roman Legion {sm2}[/QUOTE]
The columns with the fascist fasces were erected by the fascists, whose symbol was precisely the bundle of ancient Roman inspiration.
The number 18 refers to the year of the laying of the column: the eighteenth year of the fascist era that began with the coup d'état Mussolini did in 1922. Then, the column of the photo was erected in 1940 .... And the ****ed English (Mussolini called England "the perfidious Albion") destroyed it a few months later... ^&grin
{sm4}.... I have some Italian books and an encyclopaedia of the 30s where as the publication date there is only the date of the fascist era. For example: "year XII" (the number always in Roman figures of course). The fascist dating stops at the twentieth year, 1942. In fact Mussolini was arrested on 8 September 1943. We therefore speak of "twenty years of fascism".
Returning to the Italian attack that began with Italy's entry into the war (1940), the Italian troops were strong of 291,176 men (91,203 nationals and 199,973 askari), they were in clear numerical superiority. In fact, the British at the beginning of the hostilities could count on 20,000 men (a figure that also included the troops of the dominions, the Commonwealth and the colonies): 3 British regular battalions in the almost three thousand kilometers of the Sudanese border, 2 East African brigades in Kenya (8,500 men, partly South African and partly settlers), 2 rifle battalions and 5 companies of camel troops in British Somalia and 2 Indian battalions in Aden.
At the beginning of the conflict, Duke Amedeo d'Aosta had conceived a very ambitious but difficult plan: to open a "direct route" through Sudan and Egypt (2,500 km without roads), following the course of the Nile in order to then reach the supply ports on the Mediterranean. But the order came from Rome to "maintain a strictly defensive demeanor". The duke, interpreting the order as an active defense, attacked on all fronts, taking the English by surprise everywhere.
On 3 August, the Italian troops commanded by General Guglielmo Nasi, penetrated into British Somalia, defeating the British and the local tribes.
After the illusion of a lightning war, the British counterattacked relying on the reinforcements and supplies that came from their polycentric empire : not only from the motherland, but also from India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. General Cunningham's offensive began on January 21, 1941 and immediately achieved important successes; the Somali border was crossed in seven points and by 10 February all the Italian outposts were conquered.
General Cunningham decided to continue the offensive immediately, taking advantage of the evident signs of surrender of the enemy; the British general thought it possible to march directly on Addis Ababa through the Ogaden and from 1 March 1941 a motorized column of African soldiers under the command of General Smallwood left Mogadishu and began to advance towards Harar. The imperial troops found practically no resistance; the advance continued with stages of almost one hundred kilometers a day and in ten days Dagabur was reached, more than 700 kilometers from Mogadishu.
The viceroy, Duke D'Aosta believed the situation was now compromised and had already planned to give up defending Addis Ababa and, despite Mussolini's clear opposition, to withdrow with the surviving forces on the mountains to organize a last resistance.
in March 1941, the Italian troops were pushed back towards the center of Ethiopia until they reached the surrender (for total lack of ammunition) with the honor of the arms of Amedeo, Duke of Aosta viceroy of Ethiopia on the heights of Amba Alagi.
Even after the allied conquest of Addis Abeba and the Amba Alagi episode, the Italian garrison of Gondar, about 40,000 strong and commanded by General Guglielmo Nasi, still resisted for months. The general administered his outpost very well: he reduced the rations, organized an indigenous market, a recovery section to exploit any material, a fishing section on Lake Tana. So until October the ration of the Italian soldiers was good: 300 grams of bread, 400 of meat, 200 of fish a day and plenty of vegetables. But now the end was approaching for Nasi too. First the fall of the Uolchefit garrison and the Culqualber pass garrison, during a series of clashes that lasted from August to November. Then on November 27 the battle of Gondar broke out and the Italian soldiers could little against the British tanks: the forces of Nasi, after having behaved very well, surrendered and paid with 4,000 dead (3,700 askari and 300 Italians) and 8,400 wounded the final defeat.
General Nasi and his last troops obtained military honors from the British.
