“The Patriots Proved Most Successful” or “They had Been Useless Whenever Fighting had to be Done”

Abstract

Thousands of Ethiopians served with the irregular forces which fought alongside the British Empire in East Africa. According to some sources, they were more of a hindrance than a help. To others they were the critical factor that led to the liberation of the country. Understanding what the Ethiopian irregular forces did and whether they were effective is critical for the historiography of the East Africa campaign. If they were as widespread and effective as some sources suggest, then any study of the campaign which neglects them is not only incomplete, but also inaccurate. This article explores the activities of the Ethiopian irregulars and evaluates their effectiveness. By doing so, it not only provides an important historiographic intervention for other studies, but through its use of interviews conducted with Ethiopian veterans it helps to restore the lost voices and experiences of the Ethiopians themselves to the historical narrative.