The Italians, after their unification in 1861,…

The Italians, after their unification in 1861, had wanted to create their own colonies in Africa and had started to occupy coastal Eritrea.

Soon they were at war with the Ethiopians in 1885.

Ras Alula Engida, regent for Emperor Yohannes IV, had attacked the Italian-controlled town of Sahati on his own initiative, on January 25, 1887.

Hundreds of his men had been slaughtered by cannon fire, while only four Italians had been injured, forcing Ras Alula to pull back his men.

The besieged Italians need ammunition and request help.

On January 26, a battalion of five hundred men (mostly Italians and a few Eritreans) under Colonel Tommaso De Cristofori, sent to reinforce the Italian garrison at Sahati, are ambushed by Ras Alula's men at Dogali.

Although the Italians fight back bravely against seven thoisand Ethiopians, nearly all are killed, except for eighty wounded men who are able to escape notice by the Ethiopians and be successively rescued.

Although a small victory for the Ethiopians, Haggai Erlich notes that this incident only encourages the Italians to intrigue with Yohannes' rival, Menelik II, then ruler only of Shewa, and encourage his insubordination towards his Emperor.