Italian Eritrea

The colony of Eritrea (Italian Colonia Eritrea) was an Italian colonial territory in the Horn of Africa. It included the territory of present-day Eritrea and existed from 1890 until 1936. From 1936 to 1941, was part of the Italian colony of Italian East Africa.

Acquisition

First Italian Areas in the Red Sea acquired the discoverer Giuseppe Sapeto in the Bay of Assab. His company " Rubattino " bought in March 1870 a six- kilometer stretch of coastline, which was then protected as a trade military base. After a conquest of Egypt by the end of April 1870 and the re- purchase by the Company " Rubattino " in March 1880, the Kingdom of Italy took over the port city of Assab and founded in July 1882, the colony Assab.

Various Italian organizations undertook repeated expeditions into the interior of Eritrea and Abyssinia. Beginning in 1885 additional areas have been gradually acquired. 1885, the city Massua and the Dahlak Archipelago were conquered. After an Abyssinian attack on Italian forces in Dogali the Italian government began to extend their influence over the entire region. So Italian forces captured in August 1889 Asmara and led a year later a new currency, the Eritrean Tallero one.

The colony

The areas around Massua, Assab and Asmara were combined and the colony of Eritrea was proclaimed on 1 January 1890. The first governor was Baldissera Orero. It promoted the immigration of Italians, especially the farmers. The Eritreans, however, were exploited as cheap labor. It created new social classes and the colony experienced an economic boom. The native population was expropriated and severely restricted in their rights. Political opponents and rebels were fighting under Baldiserra. Therefore, it came in 1894 to a revolt of the locals, which was bloodily suppressed. From here Italy launched its campaign of conquest against Abyssinia, of Italy ended in the battle of Adwa with a humiliating defeat.

In 1897 Ferdinando Martini governor of Eritrea. Under Martini a civilian government rather than the military government was established previously existing and fight corruption. In addition, one built in the colony of Eritrea 's infrastructure by hospitals and school buildings. The construction of railways and roads as well as the urbanization has been driven. Assab, in which a first-class post office has already been established on 22 January 1885 was the main post office district of the colony. The economy was supported with Banca per l' Africa Orientale.

In Eritrea, were living in 1936, mainly Muslims ( approximately 57% of the population) and Christians ( 39%).

1935 Eritrea was deployment base for the second Italian campaign of conquest against Abyssinia, the Italian- Ethiopian war. Well Eritrea was annexed as a province in the colony of Italian East Africa, an association of the colony Italian Somaliland ( including Oltre Giuba ) and the occupied Ethiopia.

The economy has been promoted, so companies have been Birra Melotti Brewery founded as.

1941, during World War II, Eritrea was occupied by British troops. So that the Italian rule ended in Eritrea. 1947 Italy agreed to the British UN mandate over Eritrea.