Written by Mina Yirga - Horizon Ethiopia Staff Writer
Thursday, 27 March 2008
The role of women in military leadership throughout Ethiopian history is a topic that has generally
received scant attention until just recently. This is certainly somewhat of an injustice considering that there have been many notable
instances in which women played a tremendous role during seminal moments in Ethiopia’s history. Amongst these women are Yodit
‘Gudit’, Empress Seble Wongel and Empress Elleni. Perhaps best known amongst all of these extraordinary women was Etege Taitu
Bitul, the wife of Emperor Menelik II, who played one of the most critical (but also most underreported) roles in one of the most critical
military campaigns of this country’s history.
Taitu and Menelik
Taitu Bitul was born in 1851, the third of four children in an
aristocratic Ethiopian family which claimed descent from the Solomonic dynasty. After four failed marriages, Taitu Bitul married
King Menelik of Shewa who was later crowned Emperor Menelek II of Ethiopia. Taitu is acknowledged to have wielded political power as the
wife of Menelik, both before and after he was crowned Emperor in 1889. She was very suspicious about the hidden agendas that may arise either
from foreigners or other Ethiopians. The uneasy and highly skeptical empress was also known for providing firm counsel that frequently countered
Menelik’s initial impulses given his considerably more trusting nature.
War with Italy
One of the main triggers for the
outbreak of war in 1895 was the signature of the Treaty of Wuchale, the Italian translation of which (in particular Article XVII) made Ethiopia
a de facto colony of the Italian Empire. In fact, the manner in which this treaty was signed and then later rejected by Ethiopia may have
been highly indicative of the intricate interaction between Menelik and Taitu. It was she who told Count Antonelli (Italian envoy at
the time) in what was to be the precursor for war with Italy, “I am a woman and I do not love war, but rather than
accepting this [Article XVII of the Wuchale Treaty] I prefer war.
I am a woman and I do not love war, but rather than
accepting this [Article XVII of the Wuchale Treaty] I prefer war.
” When Antoneli proposed that
the treaty be abrogated on condition that Menelik was not to seek the protection of any other European power because that would be a slight to
Italian honor, her immediate rejoinder was, “…we also have our honor to protect.”, in effect making war inevitable and
leading eventually to the standoff between the two armies in Tigray at the end of 1895.
On the battlefield
Far from simply
arranging for the support of Menelik’s armies during the campaign of Adwa, Taitu actually led her own contingent comprised of at least
5000 infantry and 600 cavalry. She was responsible for a number of both tactical and strategic level decisions in addition to actually
leading her army into battle on at least one occasion. One of her most critical contributions to victory over the Italians was in forcing
the unconditional surrender of the heavily fortified Italian garrison at Mekele in the run up to Adwa. When the Ethiopians realized that
frontal attacks against these fortifications would be useless, Taitu came up with a plan to capture the Italian’s water supply and
subsequently sent up to 900 of her own troops to do so leading to the capitulation of the garrison only 2 weeks later. Furthermore, at the
main battle of Adwa, she maintained tactical command of her own army (though held mostly in reserve) in addition to providing logistical support
to others through the use of her 10-12,000 strong women in the camp. Her memorable call for the troops to fight on still resonates to this
very day, “Courage! Victory is ours. Strike!”
After Menelik
When Menelik's health began to decline around
1906, Taitu began to make decisions on his behalf. Taitu and Menelik did not have any children and when he died in 1913, he was succeeded by his
grandson from a daughter of a previous marriage, Lij Iyasu. Taitu is believed to have been somewhat active in the plot that eventually
removed Emperor Iyasu V from the throne in 1916, and replaced him with her step-daughter, Empress Zauditu. Zauditu, Menelik II's daughter by
yet another previous marriage, had always been close to Empress Taitu, and was additionally married to Taitu's nephew, Ras Gugsa Welle.
Following that, Taitu was banished to the old
Palace at Entoto, next to the St. Mary's church she had founded years before, and where her husband had been crowned Emperor. Taitu lived out
the rest of her life at the old palace next to the Entoto Maryam Church overlooking Addis Ababa, where she died on February 11, 1918. She is
buried next to her husband at the Taeka Negest Ba'eta Le Mariam Monastery in Addis Ababa.
Like I said in my first comment,your article does not have a picture of Etege Taitu Bitul but one of Empress Zewditu.I suggest that you either change the picture to one of Etege Taitu Bitul or don't include a picture in your article. Thank You.
The role of women in military leadership throughout Ethiopian history is a topic that has generally
received scant attention until just recently. This is certainly somewhat of an injustice considering that there have been many notable
instances in which women played a tremendous role during seminal moments in Ethiopia’s history. Amongst these women are Yodit
‘Gudit’, Empress Seble Wongel and Empress Elleni. Perhaps best known amongst all of these extraordinary women was Etege Taitu
Bitul, the wife of Emperor Menelik II, who played one of the most critical (but also most underreported) roles in one of the most critical
military campaigns of this country’s history. 
