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The single word in Wuchale-"shall" turned into "may"-undid Italy's empire
A mistranslated word in the 1889 Treaty of Wuchale turns "shall" into "may," sending Italy after empire - but what went so wrong?
The single word in Wuchale-"shall" turned into "may"-undid Italy's empire
In this episode, we follow how a mistranslation, a national humiliation, and a succession of political decisions shaped Italy's colonial ambitions from the 1880s through Mussolini's era. The episode traces the chain of events and choices that turned a diplomatic dispute into a sustained drive for empire - and asks why the project was structurally doomed.
Person: Menelik II
Date: 1889 (Treaty…
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