# Menelik II: Ethiopia's Unifier Who Defeated Colonial Italy

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ethiopia-s-ancient-empire-africa-s-hidden-superpower-fexingo-history-7829654/menelik-ii-ethiopia-s-unifier-who-defeated-colonial-italy
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ethiopia-s-ancient-empire-africa-s-hidden-superpower-fexingo-history-7829654/menelik-ii-ethiopia-s-unifier-who-defeated-colonial-italy.md
Podcast: [Ethiopia's Ancient Empire: Africa's Hidden Superpower — Fexingo History](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ethiopia-s-ancient-empire-africa-s-hidden-superpower-fexingo-history-7829654)
Published: 2026-06-09T00:28:32+00:00
Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/ethiopias-ancient-empire/episode-0087.mp3
Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/ethiopias-ancient-empire/episode-0087.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ethiopia-s-ancient-empire-africa-s-hidden-superpower-fexingo-history-7829654/episodes/menelik-ii-ethiopia-s-unifier-who-defeated-colonial-italy
Duration seconds: 304

## Resource

In 1896, at the Battle of Adwa, Emperor Menelik II led a coalition of Ethiopian armies to a stunning victory over Italian colonial forces, securing Ethiopian sovereignty and shocking Europe. This episode traces Menelik's rise from provincial ruler of Shewa to emperor, his shrewd diplomacy that bought time and modern weapons, and the strategic buildup that made Adwa possible. We explore his internal consolidation—incorporating the newly conquered south and building the new capital Addis Ababa—and the empire's first forays into modernisation: the railway, telegraph, and hospitals. But we also confront the costs: the brutal conquest of the Oromo, Sidama, and Kaffa kingdoms, often downplayed in the national myth. And we follow the aftermath, from the succession crisis after Menelik's final stroke to the rise of Haile Selassie. Names you'll hear: Menelik II, Taytu Betul, Yohannes IV, Pietro Antonelli, Ras Makonnen, Battle of Adwa, Treaty of Wuchale, Italian Eritrea, Oromo conquest, Addis Ababa, Leontiev, Lij Iyasu. #MenelikII #BattleOfAdwa #EthiopianEmpire #ColonialAfrica #TaytuBetul #TreatyOfWuchale #YohannesIV #RasMakonnen #AddisAbaba #Oromo #Sidama #Kaffa #ItalianEritrea #LijIyasu #Shewa #19thCentury #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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