Ethiopia: The British Expedition to Abyssinia. Emperor Tewodros II (r. 1855-1868) overseeing the crossing of the Blue Nile

The British 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia was a punitive expedition carried out by armed forces of the British Empire against the Ethiopian Empire. Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia, also known as 'Theodore', imprisoned several missionaries and two representatives of the British government. The punitive expedition launched by the British in response required the transportation of a sizable military force hundreds of miles across mountainous terrain lacking any road system.

The force consisted of 13,000 British and Indian soldiers, 26,000 camp followers and over 40,000 animals, including elephants. It set sail from Bombay in upwards of 280 steam and sailing ships. The advance guard of engineers landed at Zula on the Red Sea, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Massawa. The decisive battle took place at the mountain fortress of Magdala on April 10-11, 1868. British casualties were 2 killed and 18 wounded, while the Ethiopians lost 700 killed and 1,400 wounded. The defeated emperor Tewodoros committed suicide rather than be captured.

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