The incident shocked Africans and those of African descent on both sides of the Atlantic, the existence of Ethiopia was considered as a symbol of African respect, independence, and dignity saw proudly to harbor the historical roots and ancient cultures. This incident brought mixed feelings and great Nationalistic sentiments as follows:-

• There was the formation of the Abyssinian Association in Nigeria; it consisted of many notable Nigerians with an aim of supporting Ethiopian cause. In the same Nigeria the Ethiopian defense fund was formed, Money was collected and many volunteered to liberate Ethiopia against Italian conquest.
• Boycotts also started after the Lagos meeting in Nigeria, Italian firms in Nigeria were boycotted; the subsequent meetings that followed, the Newspaper publications, had nationalistic sentiments of expelling imperialism on the African soil. It can therefore be argued that, it was not until the Italo- Ethiopian crisis that Nationalism surged hence an era of modern Nationalism.
• In Sierra Leone politician Wallace Johnson and Journalist Namdi Azikiwe wrote a stormy and dynamic article entitled, “…has Africa a God condemning imperialism…?” it questioned the rationale of spreading Christianity by poison gas, because of such a question, the two were charged with seduction by the British colonial authorities of Sierra Leone but only served to open Nationalistic eye blows. This was after the Italo Ethiopian war where Africans realized that imperialism was determined to stay.
• The crisis aroused the West African elites; they also lost faith in a so called ‘‘British fair play.’’ It should be noted that up to the Italo- Ethiopian crisis, West African nationalism had tried to work with the trusteeship concept of reformist approach. They now turned militant anti-white Pan-Africanism to bring all Africans together against the one armed bandit colonialism.
• The invasion produced Negro protests outside Africa, in USA, West Indies and London. In Jamaica for example it produced Rastafarians who had earlier on emerged as a result of coronation of Haille Sellaise in 1932 as the first Rastafarian. They were characterized by long locks of hair styles copied from Masai and their chillum pipes. At first they looked bizarre to whites and they thought they were just naively loyal to the throne of Sheba. To display their feeling, Leonard Howell the first Rastafarian leader went to Italy and sold pictures of Haille Sellaise and identified himself with Nyabingi cultural Nationalistic revolt against the British in western Uganda. The Italians responded by imprisoning him for two years but this served to strengthen the Rastafarian movement in its condemnation of colonialism.
• The crisis enhanced Marcus Garvey’s Pan-Africanism, he put his own interpretation on one of the books of the Bible that is Revelation 19:11-16 and he preached that Ethiopia is one of the great African race that was to rise on its hand kerfs in response to imperialism. He said “A princess shall come out of Ethiopia and Egypt and stretch forth her hands…”
  This prophecy helped to strengthen the Rastafarians and gave determination to Ethiopia and the rest of the black world to fight the imperialists. This prophecy was bought by teachers, Engineers and the working class and this was after the Italo- Ethiopian encounter.
• In London George Pad more from Trinidad, Ras Makonen demonstrated support of Haille sellaise by giving him a rousing welcome when he fled to Britain. It was a symbol of moral charity of Africans in Diaspora. It is against this that Pad more and others intensified Pan-Africanism which resulted into Nationalism. For such, Africans like Nkrumah came back with Nationalistic feelings to stop colonialism.
• The invasion also affected Nkrumah especially when he saw the crusade on a newspaper start, “Mussolini invades Ethiopia” he linked the Italian invasion of Ethiopia to London declaring war on him; he said “At the moment, it is almost as if the whole London has declared war on me”. This shows how the Italo- Ethiopian crisis aroused nationalistic sentiments.
• Similar to Nkrumah’s reaction, Jomo Kenyatta on his part wrote for a labor month in 1945 an article entitled, “Hands off Abyssinia.” It was condemning Italian imperialism on what was the last only Relic remainder of the African soil. Thus the crisis steered up the nationalism of Africans and their sympathizers.
• There was also the formation of African friends of Abyssinia by Nkrumah and Kenyatta. The two grew bidders, as a gesture to support Ethiopia. Kenyatta spoke at length at Trafalgar Square in London to condemn the Hoare-Laval plan on a rally organized to unite all Africans against imperialism. This was nationalism at work.
• In 1937 there was formation of the international African service bureau with an aim of defending African struggle for freedom after the Italo- Ethiopian war this in effect enhanced the growth of African nationalism.
• Another group that was politically affected by the invasion was the West African students Union (WASU) based in London, they questioned the rationale of Africans being perpetually under colonial domination, and some of them provided later leadership in their states. This gave a background to the formation of pan-African movements in 1940’s and onwards.
• The crisis showed the white man’s conspiracy, Italy conquered Ethiopia as the Europeans looked on showed the Africans that now the struggle was between Africans and Europeans, so they turned to armed struggles to achieve independence. A case in point is the FLN in Algeria under Ben Bella 1954 to 1962.
• The liberation of Ethiopia by British led forces but largely an African force in 1941 was an inspiration to Africans. They questioned, “If Ethiopia today why not the rest of Africa tomorrow”. It therefore called for agent decolonization.
• The Italo Ethiopia war laid a strong foundation for the Manchester congress held in Manchester town in 1945. The aim was to make a concrete end to the colonial rule. The conference emphasized the ‘Go back to Africa’ ideology and Africans delegates like Nkrumah, Kenyatta and Peter Abrahams dispersed to their countries with a clear goal of ending the colonial bondage.
• There was also formation of the “Black lions” movement in Ethiopia which changed African way of struggle to militant Nationalism in a bid to attain independence. This was a clear start of guerilla war fare. In 1952 the Mau Mau fighters opened fire towards the British imperialists and so was the case in Angola, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau.
• The Italo Ethiopian crisis revealed the weakness of the League of Nations that it could nolonger solve the world problems. This therefore laid ground for the formation of United Nations Organization (UNO) 1945 which body became a platform through which colonial oppression and exploitation was condemned thereby helping African nationalists to spear head independence struggles.
• The Italo Ethiopia crisis was the fore runner of world warII 1939 – 1945. Since Mussolini’s action encouraged his fellow dictator Hitler of Germany to invade Poland. Consequently Africans were recruited in the war, Learnt how to use guns, realized they were fighting for democracy and therefore came back to fight for the same Africa.
• The Italo Ethiopian crisis catalyzed the development of Pan-Africanism; it shaped Nkrumah’s idea of African unity such that in 1958, he formed the Ghana- Guinea union later joined by Mali, which laid ground to the formation of the loose O.A.U in 1963.
• The Italo Ethiopian crisis provided a lesson of dealing with the oppressors because on taking over Addis Ababa the Italians introduced the worst form of oppression and forced labor which made the Ethiopians spend sleepless nights preparing to make offensives on the Italian aggressor which was achieved in 1941. This encouraged other Africans to fight for their independence.

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