The battle of Aroge revisited: a technical inquiry into military innovation and the might of firepower

Abstract

Based on a qualititave method, this study attempts to examine the battle of Aroge fought between the dwendling army of Emperor Tewodros II and the British expeditionary force sent to Ethiopia to get the release of European captives kept at the formidable Meqdela plateau. The researcher tries to make use of contemporary primary and secondary sources in an attmept to shed new light on the fateful engagement between the two forces. The British expeditionary force benefited tremendously from the invention of the first breech-loading rifles which were to be tested in the battle with Ethiopians.  The Battle of Aroge fought on 10 April, 1868, proved that the muzzle-loading guns in the hands of Ethiopians were no match for the new breech-loading Snider rifles possessed by the British forces. During the brief engagement that lasted three hours, Tewodros lost hundreds of soldiers including his loyal commander Fitawrari Gebreye. Three days later, he committed suicide. The findings underscore how firepower decisively shifted the balance of power in favor of the British forces and allowed them to gain a strategic upper hand.

Keywords: Meqdela, Snider, breech-loading, muzzle-loading, rifles, mortars