The Battle of the Assem River was fought in 1871 between the forces of Kassa Mercha of Tigray and Emperor Tekle Giyorgis II. It resulted in victory for Kassa, allowing him to eventually become crowned as Emperor of Ethiopia.[1] This battle has been noted by some as one of the first 'truly modern' battles in Ethiopian history, given that the tactics used by Kassa of Tigray revolved around the use of gunpowder weaponry.
| Battle of the Assem | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Loyalists to Tekle Giyorgis II | Loyalists to Kassa Mercha | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Tekle Giyorgis II |
Kassa Mercha John 'J.C.' Kirkham | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 60,000 | 12,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 24,000 captured, many more killed and wounded | Unknown | ||||||
References
edit- ^ Caulk, Richard (October 1972). "Firearms and Princely Power in Ethiopia in the Nineteenth Century". The Journal of African History. 3 (4): 609–630. doi:10.1017/S0021853700011968. S2CID 163096968.
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