Why the Hewett treaty had a disastrous result on Ethiopia?
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The Hewett treaty is a historical agreement that was signed between Ethiopia and the British Empire in 1897. It is also known as the Treaty of Wuchale. While the treaty intended to establish peaceful relations between the two parties, it eventually had disastrous consequences for Ethiopia. Here's an explanation:
To understand why the Hewett treaty had a disastrous result on Ethiopia, we need to look at the context of the treaty and its provisions. The main issue arose from the interpretation of Article 3 of the treaty, which involved a dispute over the Amharic and English versions.
1. Context: At the time, Ethiopia was an independent African nation that had successfully resisted European colonization. However, European powers, driven by imperialist ambitions, sought to gain influence over Ethiopia for strategic and economic reasons.
2. Disputed Article 3: The Hewett treaty aimed to establish a diplomatic relationship between Ethiopia and Britain. However, the Amharic and English versions of Article 3 had significant differences in wording, particularly regarding Ethiopia's sovereignty and its relations with other countries.
3. British interpretation: The British argued that the English version gave them a say in Ethiopia's external affairs, effectively making Ethiopia a British protectorate. This interpretation was convenient for Britain, as it sought to exert control over Ethiopian territories and prevent other European powers from doing the same.
4. Ethiopian rejection: Ethiopia, led by Emperor Menelik II, maintained that the Amharic version was the accurate representation of the agreement. According to the Amharic version, Ethiopia retained full sovereignty and autonomy over its external affairs.
5. Italian exploitation: The Hewett treaty dispute gave Italy, an emerging colonial power, an opportunity to exploit the situation. Italy, using the British interpretation, claimed that Ethiopia was under its sphere of influence. This led to the First Italo-Ethiopian War (1895-1896), where Italy invaded Ethiopia but was eventually defeated in the Battle of Adwa in 1896.
6. Consequences: Despite Ethiopia's victory in the war, the Hewett treaty continued to cause problems. The conflicting interpretations gave Italy justification for future aggressive actions against Ethiopia, leading to a second invasion in 1935, which ultimately resulted in the Italian colonization of Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941.
In summary, the disastrous result of the Hewett treaty on Ethiopia can be attributed to the disputed interpretation, which created a pretext for Italian imperialism. It weakened Ethiopia's standing internationally and ultimately led to a period of colonization and occupation.