Battle of Gallabat

Battle of Gallabat
	Part of the Mahdist War
	; The battle of Gallabat between Emperor Yohannes against the Mahdists
Date	9–10 March 1889
Location	Gallabat, Sudan
Result	Mahdist Pyrrhic victory
Belligerents
Mahdist State	Ethiopian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Zeki Tummal	Yohannes IV of Ethiopia †; Ras Mengesha Yohannes; Ras Mikael of Wollo; Ras Alula
Strength
85,000 men	130,000 foot soldiers, 20,000 cavalry
Casualties and losses
~15,000 killed	~15,000 killed

The Battle of Gallabat, also known as the Battle of Metemma, was fought on 9–10 March 1889 during the Mahdist War between the Mahdist Sudanese and Ethiopian forces. It is a critical event in Ethiopian history because Nəgusä Nägäst (or Emperor) Yohannes IV was killed in this battle, and because it was the last major battle on the Ethiopian front of the Mahdist War. The fighting occurred at the site of the twin settlements of Gallabat (in modern-day Sudan) and Metemma (in modern-day Ethiopia).

^ Churchill, Winston, The River War (London, Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1952) p. 83 "For the Mahdists the consequences were severe, as many of their best soldiers had perished in the battle, seriously weakening their military strength. The Khalifa prudently decided to stop offensive actions against Ethiopia and the conflict dwindled to small-scale cross-border raiding."
^ Winston Churchill (The River War, p. 137) "No reliable sources are available, but it may be reasonable to assume that both sides sustained a loss of less than 15,000 fighting men each."
^ Winston Churchill (The River War, p. 137) "No reliable sources are available, but it may be reasonable to assume that both sides sustained a loss of less than 15,000 fighting men each."

[1] Churchill, Winston, The River War (London, Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1952) p. 83 "For the Mahdists the consequences were severe, as many of their best soldiers had perished in the battle, seriously weakening their military strength. The Khalifa prudently decided to stop offensive actions against Ethiopia and the conflict dwindled to small-scale cross-border raiding."

[2] Winston Churchill (The River War, p. 137) "No reliable sources are available, but it may be reasonable to assume that both sides sustained a loss of less than 15,000 fighting men each."

[3] Winston Churchill (The River War, p. 137) "No reliable sources are available, but it may be reasonable to assume that both sides sustained a loss of less than 15,000 fighting men each."

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Battle of Gallabat

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