Which African nation successfully resisted colonialism in the late 19th century? Someone asked and someone aswered

Only One African Nation Did So Successfully. 

That Nation Is Ethiopia. Pictured Above:Emperor Menelik II, with one of his “Battle Lions”.

 The Battle of Adwa, 1896: On March 1st & 2nd of 1896, warriors, farmers and women defeated a well-armed Italian army in the northern town of Adwa in Ethiopia. 

The outcome of this battle ensured Ethiopia's independence, making it the only African country never to be colonised. The Battle of Adwa was fought over two days (1st / 2nd March) between the Mighty Ethiopian forces under the Command of The Emperor Menelik II, and invading Italian forces. 

It was the deciding battle in the First Italo-Ethiopian war and a turning point in modern African history with a European Colonial power being defeated and Ethiopia being recognized as a sovereign nation state by the European powers. 

Many newspapers around the world portrayed the Ethiopians as white, because they did not want to reveal that an army of Black warriors had won such a decisive battle against a white army.

The Ethiopians also took trained "Battle Lions" and other dangerous animals and insects such as bees, wasps, elephants and cheetahs into the fight as weapons. 

These animals, which the Italian army did not expect, and could not stop, accounted for scores of Italian kills. The Italian forces were led by losing General Oreste Baraterie. His plan was to engage the Ethiopians in piecemeal battles and carve them up without facing their main force in a set piece battle.

 The Ethiopians on the other had planned to use their advantage in infantry and artillery to smash the main Italian force in one battle. The Battle of Adwa was a crushing defeat for Italy and the Ethiopians followed that up by driving the bloodied retreating Italians into Eritrea and out of the area entirely.

 As a result of the massive defeat, The Treaty of Addis Abba was signed on the 26th of October, 1896 . It ended the war and the Italians recognized Ethiopian independence. 

 B. Lyle BS-African-American History

 MASS-African-American History/Political Science 

 JD-Law

Source: Quara