Second Italo-Abyssinian War - Ferenghi

Ferenghi

Most of the relative success achieved by the Ethiopians was attributed by the Italians to foreigners or "ferenghi". Many of these elusive individuals were military advisers, pilots, doctors, or just well wishers of Haile Selassie's "cause." While never numbering more than a hundred, the Italian propaganda machine magnified the number to thousands so that Rome could account for the virtual standstill of the Italian Royal Army after De Bono's first rapid advances. According to Ethiopian historians, something had to explain the Ethiopians' ability to launch the "Christmas Offensive" of late 1935.

The following are a few of the foreigners who came to Ethiopia or who supported the Ethiopian people:

• Bill Deedes – Journalist and possibly the inspiration for William Boot in Waugh's Scoop.
• Andrew Fountaine – Ambulance driver
• Hubert Julian – Pilot
• Marcel Junod – Red Cross doctor
• Webb Miller – Journalist
• Wehib Pasha – Military advisor
• Count Carl Gustaf von Rosen – Swedish Red Cross pilot – Red Cross facilities were bombed regularly by the Italians.
• John Spencer – Advisor
• Linton Wells and Fay Gillis Wells – Journalists
• Karl von Wiegand – Journalist

While the majority of non-Italian foreigners in Ethiopia were with the Ethiopians, there were others who saw the war from the Italian lines. An example:

• Matthews, Herbert Lionel – A reporter and historian. Wrote "Eyewitness in Abyssinia: With Marshal Bodoglio's forces to Addis Ababa" in 1937
• Pedro del Valle – Observer (USMC)
• Evelyn Waugh – Sent by Daily Mail as a reporter; later wrote the novel Scoop based on experiences