An African Chief in Nineteenth-century Italian Eyes: Enemy or Example?

What is it about?

The scene: the late nineteenth-century scramble for Africa. Italy has followed other colonial powers and moved into northeastern Africa, where it has encountered an Abyssinian chief known as Debeb. He becomes a well known public figure in Italy by virtue of his various exploits both for and against the Italians. At his death in combat with indigenous rivals, Italians were divided: some were glad but others were sad. For the latter, Debeb blurred the line demarcating the African other. Article received joint prize as best article published by Modern Italy in 2014.

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