1882 — The Battle of Embabo

On June 6, 1882, Menelik II of Shewa crushed Negus Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam at the Battle of Embabo in the Ethiopian highlands. It was a contest between two powerful rulers inside Ethiopia, fought on high ground far from any colonial capital, and its outcome settled who would stand strongest among them.

The victory broke Gojjam's power and made Menelik the undisputed rival of Emperor Yohannes IV. Seven years later, Menelik would take the imperial crown and begin the reign that kept Ethiopia independent in the age of colonial conquest. Embabo was an early step on that road, the day a future emperor cleared his path.