Italian Somaliland
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Italian Somaliland (sometimes known as Italian Somalia) was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy (Regno d'Italia) from the 1880s until 1936 in the territory of the modern-day Northeast African nation of Somalia.
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[edit] History
The late 19th century had a huge impact on developments occurring in the Horn of Africa. The European powers (Italy, Great Britain and France) first gained a foothold in Somalia through the signing of various pacts and agreements with the Sultans that then controlled the region. Their interest in this largely arid country mainly centered around the access to its ports, that granted them to the strategically important Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden.[1] The last piece of land acquired by Italy in Somalia in order to form their Somaliland was the Chisimayo Region (Jubaland), which was earlier controlled by Britain before World War I. [1]
At the end of the 19th century, a growing social-political movement developed within Italy to start expanding its influence, since many other European countries had already been doing so effectively leaving Italy behind. There was also a huge shortage in capital and serious economic problems in Italy. [2]
Cesare Correnti organized an expedition under the "Società Geografica Italiana" in 1876. The next year "L’Esploratore" was established by Manfredo Camperio - a journal of travel. In 1879 "Società di Esplorazioni Commerciali in Africa" was created, with the Italian Industrial Establishment involved as well. "Club Africano" was established in Somalia (three years later became "Società Africana D'Italia") in 1879.
It is also argued by some historians that Italy had a minor interest in the mutton and livestock that were then plentiful in Somalia, though whatever designs Italy may have had on the resource-challenged Somali landscape were undoubtedly subordinate to their interest in the region's ports and the waters and lands they gave access to.[3]
Italy gained control of various parts of Somalia in the 1880s, and over the following decades Italian settlement was encouraged. However, in January 1887 Italian troops from Somalia fought a battle against Ras Alula Engida's militia in Dogali, Eritrea, where they lost 500 troops. The Prime Minister, Agostino Depretis, resigned because of this defeat in July 1887. Prime Minister Francesco Crispi replaced him, and had new plans to create new areas for immigration for Italians. On May 2, 1889 Menelik II, the Emperor of Ethiopia and Italy signed a peace treaty.
Around 1895 Italy launched the First Italo-Abyssinian War against Ethiopia from its territories in Eritrea and Somalia. In 1905, Italy finally accepted the responsibility of creating a colony in Southern Somalia, after several tries that had failed. [4] The administrative regulators were Governor Mercantelli with the six subdivisions of Brava, Merca, Lugh, Itala, Bardera, and Jumbo.
In April 5, 1908 there was a basic law enacted by the Italian Parliament to unite all of the parts of southern Somalia into an area called "Somalia Italiana". The colonial power was then divided between the Parliament, Metropolitan government, and the colonial government. The power of the colonial government was the only power that was changed. The Civil governor controlled export rights, regulated the rate of exchange, raised or lowered native taxes, and administered all civil services and matters relating to hunting, fishing, and conservation [5]. The Governor was in control of the Police force, while nominating local residents and military arrangements [5].
In 1920, the Società Agricola Italo-Somala (SAIS) was founded by the Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, in order to explore the agricultural potential of the Somali region.
On December 5, 1923, Fascism came to Somalia through the Governor Cesare Maria De Vecchi di Val Cismon. He brought with him forceful ways of colonial rule and ideas. After the collapse of Muhammad Abdullah Hassan’s movement, rebellion and revolt occurred with disputes between different clans in Northern Somalia. The current government worked together again with the old clansmen in order to try and keep peace between the several clans,
After World War I the colony in Somalia was extended when Jubaland was acquired from the British colony of Kenya. In 1923, the fascist governor Cesare Maria De Vecchi started to assume control of the northern Somali lands after the progressive defeats of the then-ruling Somali Sultanates of Obbia and Migiurtinia.
In 1926, after a bloody repression, southern Somalia was fully pacified and started to enjoy a period of economic development. The Somali colonial troops called Dubats (and the gendarmerie Zaptié) were extensively used by De Vecchi in this military campaign.
In the early 1930s, the new Italian governors, Guido Corni and Maurizio Rava, started a policy toward a friendly assimilation of the Somalis and their clans. Many Somalis were enrolled in the Italian colonial troops. Some thousands Italian colonists moved to live in Mogadishu, that become a commercial centre with some small manifacturing companies, and in some agricultural areas around the capital (like the "Villaggio duca degli Abruzzi" and "Genale").[6]
Italian explorer and nobleman Luigi Amedeo Savoia-Aosta founded in 1920 the Villaggio Duca degli Abruzzi as an agricultural settlement in Italian Somaliland experimenting with new cultivation techniques.
In 1926, the colony comprised 16 villages, with some 3,000 Somali and 200 Italian inhabitants, and was connected by a 114 km. new railway to Mogadiscio.
In 1940, the Villaggio Duca degli Abruzzi (called even "Villabruzzi") already had a population of 12,000 people, of whom nearly 3,000 were Italian Somalians, and enjoyed a notable level of development even as a small manufacturing area with agricultural industries (sugar mills, etc..)[7]
[edit] Italian Somaliland within the Italian Empire
In October 1935, the southern front of the Second Italo-Abyssinian War was launched into Ethiopia from Italian Somaliland. Italian General Rodolfo Graziani commanded the invasion forces in the south.
In June 1936, after the war ended, Italian Somaliland became part of Italian East Africa. The new colony of the Italian Empire also included Ethiopia and Eritrea and was called Africa Orientale Italiana.
From 1936 to 1940, new roads (like the one called "Imperial Road", from Mogasdishu to Addis Abeba) were constructed in the region, as well as new railways (114 km from Mogadishu to Jowhar) and many schools, hospitals, ports, bridges, etc.
In the first half of 1940, there were 22,000 Italians living in Somalia and the colony was one of the most developed in Africa in terms of the standard of living of the colonists and of the Somalis, mainly in the urban areas. More than 10,000 Italians were living in Mogadiscio, an administrative capital of the Africa Orientale Italiana that was improved with Italian architecture and buildings.
In the second half of 1940, Italian troops invaded British Somaliland[8] and ejected the British. Italians even occupied the Kenyan areas bordering the Jubaland around the villages of Moyale and Buna. [9]
In the spring of 1941, Britain regained control of British Somaliland, and conquered Italian Somaliland with the Ogaden, but there was until summer 1943 an Italian guerrilla in all the areas of the conquered Africa Orientale Italiana.
Italian Somaliland was under British administration until 1949 when it became a United Nations Trust Territory under Italian administration. This administration lasted ten years, from 1950 to 1960.
Somalia became independent in 1960 with the union of Italian Somaliland and British Somaliland, yet it still continues today with civil wars, trying to finally have a stable government after colonial rule for many years.
[edit] Italian governors
- 1908-1910 Tommaso Carletti
- 1910-1916 Giacomo De Martino
- 1916-1919 Giovanni Cherina Ferroni
- 1920-1923 Carlo Ricci
- 1923-1928 Cesare Maria De Vecchi
- 1928-1931 Guido Corni
- 1931-1935 Maurizio Rava
- 1935-1936 Rodolfo Graziani
- 1936-1937 Angelo De Ruben - Ruggiero Santini
- 1937-1939 Francesco Saveno
- 1939-1940 Gustavo Pesenti
- 1940-1941 Carlo De Simone
[edit] Gallery
 Mogadiscio in 1936, with the Catholic Cathedral and the Triumphal Arch dedicated to the King of Italy |
 The "Banca d'Italia" Building in downtown Mogadiscio in 1939 |
 The Building De Vincenzi near the Mogadiscio Catholic Cathedral in 1940 |
 The Building Boero of the Fiat in Mogadiscio (1940) |
 The Parliament Building in Mogadiscio, originally built in typical fascist style during the thirties |
 Stamps of 1926 celebrating the union of Jubaland to Italian Somaliland |
 Hotel in the agricultural rural area of "Villaggio Duca degli Abruzzi", built by the Duke Luigi Amedeo of Savoia |
 The first cinema opened in Mogadiscio |
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Fitzgerald, Nina J. Somalia (New York: Nova Science, 2002), p 33
- ^ Tripodi, Paolo. The Colonial Legacy in Somalia. New York: St. Martin's P Inc,, 1999. p 16
- ^ Tripodi, Paolo. The Colonial Legacy in Somalia, p 12-13
- ^ Hess, Robert L. Italian Colonialism in Somalia Chicago: University of Chicago P, 1966. p 101
- ^ a b Hess, Robert L. Italian Colonialism, p 102
- ^ Bevilacqua, Piero. Storia dell'emigrazione italiana. p. 233
- ^ Article with photos on a 2005 visit to 'Villaggio Duca degli abruzzi' and areas of former Italian Somaliland (in italian)
- ^ http://books.google.it/books?id=_PwCu_D-HiUC&pg=PT1&lpg=PT1&dq=Mussolini+unleashed+1939-1941&source=web&ots=bmUFdHvwt3&sig=jC3JifKMffvOg6Ss83em2gWtQm4&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA154,M1
- ^ http://www.lasecondaguerramondiale.it/africa_orie_2.html The first map shows the Italian occupied areas around Moyale/Buna
[edit] References
- Antonicelli, Franco. Trent'anni di storia italiana 1915 - 1945. Mondadori Editore. Torino, 1961.
- Hess, Robert L. Italian Colonialism in Somalia. University of Chicago P. Chicago, 1966.
- Tripodi, Paolo. The Colonial Legacy in Somalia. St. Martin's P Inc. New York, 1999.
- Fitzgerald, Nina J. Somalia. Nova Science, Inc. New York, 2002.
