Italian colonization in Ethiopia: plans and projects, 1936-1940

After the occupation of Addis Abeba, on May 5, 1936, the Italians, for several reasons, aimed at agricultural colonization of Ethiopia. For lack of a colonizing program and the antagonism of the Ethiopian people to foreign rulers, Italian colonization of the newly acquired colony was doomed to fail. Colonial officials approached the food and land problem with misconception of local realities. Ironically while the press propagandized the colonization of Ethiopian lands with fanfare, as time passed the harsh colonial problems made the colonization of Ethiopia one of Italy’s greatest disappointments. Notes, summaries in French and Italian.