Military of Ethiopia (A Different History)

The Ethiopian Military is the largest in Africa and one of the six best in the world. Its Navy is the third best in the world and its Army and Air-Force are also well respected on the world stage. It is also one of three militaries that maintains a Nuclear deterant but isn't an NPT signutary.

Tribal Wars
1739 Emperor Iyasu II met with the Tribal Leaders who ruled over most of Ethiopa's neighboring lands. Although most of the Tribes submitted to Iyasu's rule some of them chalenged his authority with European arms and backing from other states that wanted Ethiopia gone. Unfortunately for those tribes the Imperial Army was well equiped to deal with them and slaughtered most of the tribesmen in a three year campaign that established Ethiopia as East Africa's most powerful nation.

In 1850 the Imperial Army launched another offensive against the Tribes to the south of Ethiopa in a five month campaign during which they conquered most of OTL Somalia. This also laid the foundations of the Imperial Navy and for the upgrades of the Army so by the time of the Italian Wars it was well equiped with rifles and artillery while the Imperial Navy had a fleet of eight modern battleships, ten cruisers, fifteen destroyers and twenty frigates although most of these were reaching the end of thier lives and the rifles and artilery used by the army were becoming outdated.

The Mahdist Wars
The Mahdist regime took control of Sudan in 1881 and began fighting the Ottoman rulers of Sudan and Egypt. The Ethiopian Empire ignored most of this fighting until the Ottomans sent a large force to the south of Sudan. Then the Empire intervened to protect its intrests in the region, Imperial Army troops launched a large campaign in oposistion to both the Mahdists and the Ottomans. This diversion allowed the Mahdists to consolidate their gains in the west while the Ottomans took control of the North and it allowed the Empire to gain control of the south east.

Italian Wars
In 1901 the Kingdom of Italy attacked Ethiopia over the Italian colony of East Africa. Despite a minor technological advantage the Imperial Army rapidly bourght up stocks of Mosin Nagant rifles from its own armories as well as from Finland. Using its experience in Somalia to its advantage the Imperial Army defeated the Italians comprihensively just four miles into Ethiopia.

Italy and Ethiopia clashed against in 1935 when the King of Italy wanted to avenge his countries defeat in the first war. Using the full strength of a modern european nation Italy launched a massive attack against the Empire. Unfortunatly for the Italians the Empire was just as well equiped and its pilots were much more experienced than the Italians. The Empire again defeated the Italians but this time it took over two years to finally come to a peace treaty in which the Italians finaly relinquished the control of East Africa to independent Tribal leaders.