‘Raising the tribes’: British policy in Italian East Africa, 1938–41

Abstract

With the outbreak of war in September 1939, Italy's presence in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) was a serious concern for Britain. Yet not until Italy declared war in June 1940 did London accept the recommendation of military planners to defeat Italy by aiding the Abyssinian Patriots whom the Italians were unable to quell. The subsequent campaign, christened ‘raising the tribes’ made an important contribution to victory in Italian East Africa at very small cost to Britain. This article explores the changing assessments of the value of ‘raising the tribes’, the planning for the campaign, its results and its value to Britain's war effort.