Ngemuva kwengqungquthela yaseBerlin yango-1884, amaNtaliyane alungiselela ukwenza amakoloni e-Ethiopia. Zishayisane nesizwe saseTopiya uMenelik II, obelwela umzabalazo ongenasizungu ngabo.
Ukuthambisa ukumelana kwamaTopiya aqala ukuba nolaka ngakubo, ngonyaka we-1887, amaNtaliyane angenisa izinkomo ezimbili zisuka eBombay zaya eNdiya, ezaziwa ukuthi zingenwe yileli gciwane elinamandla okungakaze kube khona emhlabeni UmAfrika ngaphambi kwalesosikhathi. Inhloso bekuwukubulala ngokushesha izinkomo: izinkomo, izimvu, izimbuzi nezilwane zasendle ezifana kunezindlulamithi, izafobe neminyene.
Igciwane lezinkomo lisakaze futhi labulala cishe zonke izilwane e-Ethiopia. Leli gciwane laze lafika naseCentral Africa ezinyangeni ezimbalwa. Ukufa kwezinkomo kuphazamise ezolimo futhi kwabangela indlala egcwele kulo lonke elase-Ethiopia. Izazi-mlando zikholelwa ukuthi izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zabantuEritrea umakhelwane wabulawa indlala eyalandela.
Ukufa kwasakazekela masinyane emaphethelweni eKenya. Inani lokufa likhushulwe yikholera esisabalale isuka enyakatho iye eningizimu. Lokhu kulimaze ikhono lokulwa le-Emperor Menelik II. AmaTopiya ayenqaba kuze kube kulwa Adwa we-1896, ophawula ukungqubuzana kokugcina phakathi kwamakholoniyali ase-Italy kanye nabashisekeli bezwe lase-Ethiopia abaholwa ngu-Emperor Menelik II owabaxosha ngoMashi 1, 1896 phakathi nale mpiAdwa.
Kwakuwukunqoba okukhulu kwabaseTopiya nabokuqala emhlabathini wase-Afrika. Le mpi yeAdwa ka-1896 kwaba kubaluleke kakhulu kuma-National Nationalists. Le mpi inomthelela ebuntwini obuqhubekayo futhi ibangela umzabalazo wenkululeko. Kungenye ubugebengu bempi yasentshonalanga obungabhalisiwe nobugebengu obukhona kubantu ukuthi abahlali base-Italiyane bazama emzameni wabo wokuqala wokuqeda ngokuphelele i-Ethiopia nokwakha umbuso wase-Italy eMpumalanga Afrika . Noma ngubani owakhohlwa okwedlule, ulahlwa ukuba alilandise.