The Adwa victory represented the first major African triumph since Europe’s “Scramble for Africa” and Ethiopia became the first non-Caucasian nation to defeat Europeans. In Ethiopia, it is often seen as a symbol of multi-ethnic cooperation and Ethiopia’s independent legacy while it was generally seen as a symbol of black power by outside observers. Among the well-known historians who wrote about its significance include Donald Levine, Fitz-Hardinge Berkeley, Bahru Zewdie and Richard Pankhurst.

Levine noted that the Battle of Adwa “came to symbolize a rising awareness among Europeans of African political resources and yearnings and an increasing recognition of indigenous African cultural accomplishments… The victory at Adwa made Ethiopia visible as a beacon of African independence, a position that inspired figures like Nnamdi Azikiwe in Nigeria, Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana, and Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya in the early years of the African independence movement, as well as leaders in the West Indies like George Padmore and Marcus Garvey from Jamaica.”

As the country starts a colorful celebration, the Ethiopian Ministry of Information asked on Friday for all Ethiopians to “recall the exemplary triumph of our fathers and forefathers and to renew our pledge to hand over, to the upcoming generation, a free and prosperous Ethiopia.”

Despite its history of cultural exchange and intermarriage, this part of Africa has also endured much warfare between its indigenous peoples themselves, including aggressions from north to south, east to west and south to north. Thus, the 1896 triumph in Adwa is seen as a rare political unity and a victory of all peoples, ethnicities, clans and indigenous communities in the horn of Africa – the diverse feature that makes up today’s Ethiopia. While some critics challenge this aspect of the historic event, others claim that Ethiopia failed to fruitfully build up on the triumph of Adwa for the common betterment of its diverse people who died for a common cause in 1896. Levine also claimed that the victory created “a false sense of confidence” and gave “encouragement to isolationist” that was “deeply rooted in Ethiopian culture, strengthening the hand of those who would strive to keep Ethiopia from adopting techniques imported from the modern West.”

Older texts written by Berkeley show the multi-ethnic cooperation during the war stating that ethnic Gurage, Sidama, Welayta, Oromo and other southern commanders, generals and their corresponding Calvary made up a bulk of the Ethiopian army. Such southern forces complemented the historically ethnic mixed Wollo and Shoan communities, to face off against the Italian army at the historic Tigray town of Adwa.

Despite being a source of pride for Ethiopia, for some people, the Battle of Adwa is also a dismal memorial of a time when Ethiopians in the current day Eritrea were abandoned to the Italy Army. The battle weary Ethiopian troops led by Menelik II were not able to proceed and liberate their people in the Red Sea territories, as they settled for border Treaties with Fascist Italy that remain a cause of much bitterness, misery and bloody wars up to this day – including the 1998-2000 war between Ethiopia and its former province.