Italy / Eritrea: Italian propaganda poster featuring an Etitrean ascari soldier of the (Italian colonial) 43rd Eritrean Battalion ('Verdi Azzuri / Green and Blue'), c. 1939

The Eritrean Ascari were indigenous soldiers from Eritrea, who were enrolled as askaris in the Royal Corps of Colonial Troops (Regio Corpo di Truppe Coloniali) of the Italian Army during the period 1889-1941.

These regular troops played an important role in the initial conquest of the various colonial possessions of the Kingdom of Italy. They subsequently acted as garrison and internal security forces in the Italian Empire, and finally served in large numbers during the Italian conquest of British Somaliland and the East African campaign of 1940-41.

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