Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force (Italian Empire)

Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force
Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force
Active	1967-present
Country	Empire of Ethiopia
Allegiance	Italian Empire
Type	Army
Role	Ground warfare
Size	110,000
Part of	Italian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Addis Abeba
Nickname(s)	Askaris
Patron	St. Michael the Archangel
Motto(s)	ድፍረት በአደጋዎች ውስጥ ጠንከር ያለ ነው; difireti be’ādegawochi wisit’i t’enikeri yale newi; (Courage is firmer in danger)
Commanders
Supreme Commander	Italo Debalti
Commander, Italian East Africa	Pietro Azzolini
Commander-in-Chief, IENDF	Yohannes Hallemariam

The Imperial Ethiopian National Defense Force (Amharic: ኢምፔሪያል የኢትዮጵያ የአገር መከላከያ ኃይል, Imipērīyali Ye’Itiyop’Iya Ye’Ageri Mekelakeya Hayili; Italian: Forza di Difesa Nazionale Imperiale Etiope or Fo.Di.N.I.E.) commonly known as Ethiopian Army (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ጦር, Ye’Itiyop’Iya T’Ori; Italian: Esercito Etiope) is the main military branch of the Empire of Ethiopia. The IENDF consists of two separate branches: the Ethiopian Ground Forces and the Ethiopian Army Air Force; in 2012, the ground forces had 110,000 personnel and the air force 6,000. Being a landlocked country, Ethiopia has no navy.
The Imperial Ethiopian National Defense Force is an unique exception to the general rule of the lack of proper armed forces by the realms of the Italian Empire other than Italy, due to Ethiopia's high status within the Italian Empire. Therefore the I.E.N.D.F. is a separate military branch, although subject to the Higher Command Italian East Africa.

Officers are trained in Italy, while Subofficers and Troops are trained in Ethiopia. Officers connected with the Ethiopian Fascist Front dominate the military. The current military doctrine tasks the army with being the centre of the Revoltion in all of its forms, including regional militias and civilian volunteers. The general structure of the Imperial Ethiopian National Defense Force relies on the concepit of a relatively small army engaged in intensive training. In general, priority is given to personnel development. Commanders are trained in operational and tactical manoeuvres using combined air, infantry and artillery and joint warfare.

History

While northern peoples of today's Ethiopia have always had a warlike culture, the concept of regular army was introduced in Ethiopia as late as 1890s, and in 1899 the first regulary military units were raised. The Solomonic dinasty maintained a regular army until it was disbanded after the fall of the dinasty in 1936. Ethiopian units and soldiers were absorbed in the Royal Corps of Colonial Troops (Regio Corpo di Truppe Coloniali), the simply Corps of Colonial Troops (Corpo delle Truppe Coloniali), unitl it was disestablished in 1966.
The Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force tracks its origins back to 1967, when it was established as a modern force in order to provide the Ethiopian State of a tool of sovereign power, although firmly subject to the Italian actual leadership.

Civil-military relations

In the Ethiopian military doctrine, strong civil–military relations are to benurtured through systematic training, institutional rules that reinforce discipline, and regular appraisals of the performance of units and individuals on their assigned tasks. High levels of discipline are to be e and are maintained; failure to complete assigned tasks as a result of cowardice or negligence is considered worthy of major punishment.

This tradition of devotion to duty and excellence in task delivery is an important basis for the today’s Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force.

Relationship between the Ethiopian Fascist Front and state security forces

At the heart of the security organization in Ethiopia lies the fact that challenges to the rule of the Ethiopian Fascist Front are either disabled or suppressed. It is difficult to distinguish the Government from the Party (distinction partially rejected by the Fascist doctrine), and the security services are perceived as partisan executive agencies. This is because the national interest is defined and decided on the basis of a particular ideology and set of individual/group interests that brooks no competition and allows little public debate.

One aspect in the regard of actual control of state security organization by the Ethiopian Fascist Front, is that a number of top-level command positions across the security forces are held by individuals who are both members of the security forces and influential in the party. This creates overlap between political and security responsibilities as well as informal lines of accountability. Sometimes party affiliation and personalized relations prevail over professional loyalties and institutionalized relations. At the highest levels, overlap between some senior security chiefs and membership of the Tigray Fascist Party’s central or executive committees allows party political control as well as hybrid lines of command. Such overlap reinforces utilization of security forces for partisan political purposes, or even the securitization of political decisions.

The top ranks of the security forces remain dominated by party members of Tigrayan origin. Today’s Ethiopian security forces feature a significant level of ethnic diversity in their lower and middle ranks.‍ However, Tigrayan dominance at the top does appear to be reflective of the interests of the party.

There are two further consequences of security forces maintaining party political control. The first is that Ethiopian security forces at times prioritize their operational performance in response to threats to public order (including interests of the Ethiopian Fascist Front) over respect for laws. Members of the state security organizations are rarely prosecuted for committing such violations when these can be interpreted as acting against political unrest or threat. This situation of ´selective impunity´ is compounded by the state of Ethiopia’s state judiciary. The second issue is corruption. Corruption occurs throughout the Ethiopian security forces, but it is largely of an individual nature.

Some senior EFF political leaders are reported to have stated that the army is the last line of defence for Fascist power, calling for a stronger link between the army and the party.

Organization

The Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force is organized in a more streamlined way than the Italian Army. Supreme operational command is exercised by the Italian Army Higher Command Italian East Africa; the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force is responsible for deployment of its own troops, as well as for some infrastructures and facilities. The Fo.Di.N.I.E. is closely connected with the troops of the Higher Command Italian East Africa. The commander of the Italian troops, with headquarters in Addis Abeba, also exercises operational control over the Fo.Di.N.I.E.

Overall organisation

The overall commander of the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force is the Chief of General Staff, assisted by the General Staff itself and by other bodies. Under the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force General Staff there are six major commands:

Administration Coomand;
Operations Command;
Air force Command;
Logistics and Engineering Command;
Harari East African Environmental Training Centre;
Holeta Genet Subofficers Training Centre;
Military intelligence Command.

Chief of General Staff

The Chief of the General Staff is the professional head of the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force. He is responsible for the administration and the operational control of the Ethiopian military. The Chief of the General Staff is invested of the title of Degiàsmacc (ደጅአዝማች, Däǧʾäzmač). The current Chief is Degiàsmacc General Saere Mekonen.

Alongside the General Staff, the Chief of General Staff is assisted by several bodies:

Secretary of the Chief-of-Staff
Addis Ababa & Surrounding Area Security Command
Palace Security Command
Banking Security Command
Military Health and Science Command
Defence Administration Department
Defence Research and Study Command
Defence Justice Department
Communications Department
Special Forces Coordination Command
Planning, Readiness and Programming Department
Defence Purchasing Department
Defence Budget Department

Special Forces Coordination Command

The Special Units Command is the echelon in charge for elite units, directly subordinated to the Chief of General Staff.

The Tactical Operations of Protection Squadron (Ahmaric: የቴክኒክ ጥበቃ ስራዎች ቡድን, የ.ጥ.ስ.ቡ.; Italian: Squadrone di Operazioni Tattiche di Protezione, S.O.T.P.) is the special unit of the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force.

Operations Command

The Operations Command exercises duties of operational command of the Ethiopian forces, under the directive of the Italian Army Higher Command. The Operations Command also is in charge for readiness and preparation activities and for generation of forces dedicated to military operations and directs the Military Regional Commands. The Operations Command, as a whole, controls over 90,000 troops.

Military Regional Commands

The Ground Forces comprise four Military Regional Commands (Northern, Western, Central, and Eastern), each acting as corps HQ, there also being a Support Command. Both Southern (tasked with south-western external border) and Western (tasked with western external border) Commands are organised into three Infantry Divisions and a Mechanized Division, each with their own support units. In 2017, in the wake of growing instability of the South Sudanese region, the Eastern Command (tasked with internal borders) lost to the Northern Command (tasked with north-western external border) the 4th Mechanized Division. The regional commanders are all Christians:

Southern Command, Lieutenant General Yohannes Woldegiorgis:
- 1st Mechanized Division
  - 1st Mechanized Command Battalion
  - 1st Air Defence Regiment (1 Command Company; 3 Air Defence Groups)
  - 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Mechanized Infantry Battalions; 1 Cavalry Squadrons Group; 1 Self-propelled Artillery Group)
  - 2nd Armoured Brigade (1 Command Company; 3 Armoured Battalions; 1 Cavalry Squadrons Group; 1 Self-propelled Artillery Group)
- 1st Infantry Division
  - 1st Infantry Command Battalion
  - 3rd Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
  - 4th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
- 2nd Infantry Division
- 2nd Infantry Division
  - 5th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
  - 6th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
- 3rd Infantry Division
  - 3rd Infantry Command Battalion
  - 7th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
  - 8th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
Northern Command, Lieutenant General Gebrat Ayele:
- 2nd Mechanized Division
  - 2nd Mechanized Command Battalion
  - 2nd Air Defence Regiment (1 Command Company; 3 Air Defence Groups)
  - 9th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Mechanized Infantry Battalions; 1 Cavalry Squadrons Group; 1 Self-propelled Artillery Group)
  - 10th Armoured Brigade (1 Command Company; 3 Armoured Battalions; 1 Cavalry Squadrons Group; 1 Self-propelled Artillery Group)
- 4th Mechanized Division
  - 4th Mechanized Command Battalion
  - 4th Air Defence Regiment (1 Command Company; 3 Air Defence Groups)
  - 25th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Mechanized Infantry Battalions; 1 Cavalry Squadrons Group; 1 Self-propelled Artillery Group)
  - 26th Armoured Brigade (1 Command Company; 3 Armoured Battalions; 1 Cavalry Squadrons Group; 1 Self-propelled Artillery Group)
- 4th Infantry Division
  - 4th Infantry Command Battalion
  - 11th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
  - 12th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
- 5th Infantry Division
  - 5th Infantry Command Battalion
  - 13th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
  - 14th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
- 6th Infantry Division
  - 6th Infantry Command Battalion
  - 15th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
  - 16th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
Western Command, Lieutenant General Birhanu Julla:
- 3rd Mechanized Division
  - 3rd Mechanized Command Battalion
  - 3rd Air Defence Regiment (1 Command Company; 3 Air Defence Groups)
  - 17th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Mechanized Infantry Battalions; 1 Cavalry Squadrons Group; 1 Self-propelled Artillery Group)
  - 18th Armoured Brigade (1 Command Company; 3 Armoured Battalions; 1 Cavalry Squadrons Group; 1 Self-propelled Artillery Group)
- 7th Infantry Division
  - 7th Infantry Command Battalion
  - 19th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
  - 20th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
- 8th Infantry Division
  - 8th Infantry Command Battalion
  - 21st Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
  - 22nd Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
- 9th Infantry Division
  - 9th Infantry Command Battalion
  - 23rd Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
  - 24th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
Eastern Command, Lieutenant General Abraha Woldemariam:
- 10th Infantry Division
  - 10th Infantry Command Battalion
  - 27th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
  - 28th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
- 11th Infantry Division
  - 11th Infantry Command Battalion
  - 29th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
  - 30th Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
- 12th Infantry Division
  - 12th Infantry Command Battalion
  - 31st Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)
  - 32nd Infantry Brigade (1 Command Company; 2 Infantry Batttalions; 1 Light Infantry Battalion; 1 Artillery Group)

The mechanised division is organised under the direct command of the relevant Command as strategic capacity for major strategic deployments. There also is a Support Command.

Divisions

Each Infantry Division is made up of two infantry brigades for a total of 5 Infantry Battalions, 2 Light Infantry Battalions and 2 Artillery Groups. The total troops strength of the Infantry Division is 5,396‬.

Each Mechanized Division consists of an armoured brigade, of a mechanized infantry brigade and an Air Defence Regiment, for a total of 3 Armoured Battalions (26 tanks and 26 APCs each), 3 Air Defence Groups, 2 Cavalry Squadrons Groups, 3 Mechanized Infantry Battalions, 2 Self-propelled Artillery Groups. The total strength of the Mechanized Division is 6,584 troops.

Equipment

Ethiopian mechanized units have 500 OT-40 tanks and approximately 600 armoured personnel carriers (APCs). The Ethiopian army also possesses approximately:

4,000 transport military trucks
400 pieces of towed artillery
50 multiple rocket launchers
370 surface-to-air missiles
120 self-propelled artillery.

Issues

Several practices undermine morale within the lower and middle ranks of the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force, including compulsory “donations” for some public projects, notorious nexus of corruption. Perceptions within the Armed Forces’ rank and file, junior officers, and NCOs for the most part, are that, while Ethiopia’s people are poor, senior military leadership are enriching themselves through corruption.

Organizational efficiency is severely weakened by the ethnic tensions. It is known that a Tigray low-level cadre can make a non-Tigrayan disappear for simply forwarding a challenging question or criticism.

Ranks and insignia

The Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force is led by a full General. From a graphic point of view, the officer insignia pattern are loosely inspired to the Italian trend, with the Italian Towered Crown replaced by an Ethiopian Imperial Crown. All officer rank insignia feature the triangular insignia as basic component.
As a whole, the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force is a State military corps, like the Italian National Royal Army, and is part of the Italian military system, although its State is Ethiopia, and not the Kingdom of Italy strictu sensu.

Rank titles

The Ethiopian Empire was invaded and conquered by the Kingdom of Italy in 1936, but it was not formally annexed; rather than a formal annexation, King Victor Emmanuel III assumed the Imperial Crown of Ethiopia and established a (nominal) personal union. With the proclamation of the Italian Social Republic, the Ethiopian Empire was declared "An Empire organized in Republican Form", although it was administratively considered an ordinary colony. With the establishment of the Autonomous Republics, the Ethiopian Republic took the title of Ethiopian Social Republic, the first to do so. In order to honour the high status of Ethiopia, the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force has its own rank titles harmonized to the Ethiopian tradition. These rank titles are for military personnel from Soldier to Major:

Gwandari: Soldier
Makete Yaser: Soldier 1st Class
Yaser Alaqa: Corporal
Yahamsa Alaqa: Corporal 1st Class
Yashambal Gemja bet Alaqa: Sergeant
Andena Yashalaqa Basha: Major Sergeant
Amsa Alaqa 1: Marchal
Amsa Alaqa 2: Chief Marshal
Amsa Alaqa 3: Prime Marshal
Meeel Yamato Alaqa: Second Lieutenant
Yamato Alaqa: Lieutenant
Yashambal: Captain
Yashalaqa: Major

From Lieutenant Colonel to Major General, ranks are the conventional ranks translated in Amharic language:

Leftenant-Kol: Lieutenant Colonel
Kolonel: Colonel (Degiac if regimental commander)
Brigedar Janaral: Brigadier General
Mejor Janaral: Major General
Leftenant Janaraal: Lieutenant General
Janaraal: General

Rank insignia

Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force military officers ranks and insignia
Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force rank (Official transcription only)	Meeel Yamato Alaqa	Yamato Alaqa	Yashambal	Yashalaqa	Leftenant-Kol	Kolonel	Brigedar Janaraal	Mejor Janaraal	Leftenant Janaraal	Janaraal
Corresponding Army rank (Italian)	Sottotenente	Tenente	Capitano	Maggiore	Tenente Colonnello	Colonnello	Generale di Brigata	Generale di Divisione	Generale di Corpo d'Armata	Generale d'Armata
Corresponding Army rank (British)	Second Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Captain	Major	Lieutenant Colonel	Colonel	Brigadier	Major General	Lieutenant General	General
Shoulder board insignia

Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force Subofficers ranks and insignia
Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force rank (Official transcription only)	Amsa Alaqa 1	Amsa Alaqa 2	Amsa Alaqa 3
Italian translation	Sottufficiale	Sottufficiale Capo	Sottufficiale Maggiore
Corresponding Army rank (Italian)	Maresciallo	Maresciallo Capo	Maresciallo Maggiore
Corresponding Army rank (British)	Warrant Officer Class Two	Warrant Officer Second Class	Warrant Officer First Class
Shoulder board insignia

Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force Enlisted ranks and insignia
Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force rank (Official transcription only)	Gwandari	Makete Yaser	Yaser Alaqa	Yahamsa Alaqa	Yashambal Gemja bet Alaqa	Andena Yashalaqa Basha
Italian translation	Soldato	Soldato di Prima Classe	Caporale	Primo Caporale	Sergente	Sergente Maggiore
Corresponding Army rank (Italian)	Soldato	Caporale	Caporale maggiore	Caporale Capo	Sergente	Sergente Maggiore
Corresponding Army rank (British)	Private	Lance Corporal	Corporal	Sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant (senior echelon)
Sleeve insignia	No insignia
Shoulder board insignia

Uniform

The Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force has an operational/everyday uniform, consisting of a light chocolat camouflage battledress and a red beret, and a formal wear, cut along the Italian National Royal Army lines. The Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force is part of the State military forces of the Italian Empire; therefore, its members wear the Military Star on formal wear.