Word: crispies
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...Military Paralysis." In 1896 Italy was, as she is today, attempting to wrest a colonial empire from Ethiopia. Then as now, domestic difficulties lay behind the military operations. After several years out of office, Francesco Crispi had staged a strong comeback as Premier of Italy. The new Italian colonies of Eritrea and Somaliland had just been established on the African coast. Though France and Russia were secretly negotiating with Haile Selassie's granduncle, the potent Emperor Menelik, many chiefs questioned his authority and seemed willing Italian allies. Early in the summer of 1895 Premier Crispi had called...
Italian troops had already suffered several reverses. Early in 1896 General Baratieri cabled for reinforcements. The Italian Parliament voted money and men and appointed General Baldissera to succeed Baratieri. Furious, Premier Crispi saw his grand gesture petering out. He sent an angry telegram to General Baratieri, flaying the "military paralysis" that was seizing operations in Ethiopia...
Oreste Baratieri was a Garibaldi Redshirt and an old-school Italian with a family pride sensitive as a rabbit's lip. Three days he brooded over the telegram from Premier Crispi, then assembled the four Generals under his command for a conference. The Ethiopian army was encamped 18 miles away in a brutal country of cliffs, gullies and thorn-covered hills. It outnumbered the Italians six to one and was equipped with artillery. Even so, all five Italian Generals voted to attack at once for the honor of their commander...
...savage cries of "EbalgumeI Ebalgume!" Behind the fanatic black warriors came their women brandishing long knives to mutilate the wounded. Killed were two of the five Generals, 4,600 Italian officers and soldiers. Two thousand were wounded, 2,000 taken prisoner. General Baratieri was court-martialed, finally acquitted. Premier Crispi resigned. The peace treaty returned a fine slice of Eritrea to Ethiopia, and the whole business cost Italy some $90,000,000 and a dirty splotch on her military escutcheon...
Widener Library's assortment of pamphlets of the Risorgiomento period of the 19th century, from the collection of Mr. H. Nelson Gay, A.M. 1896, figure in the exhibit. Also shown are examples of the early briefs of Crispi, famous Italian lawyer; fine editions of Dante, both old and modern, including some plates done for the Inferno by William Blake...