Born Then
1935–1941

Life during the Italian invasion and occupation of Ethiopia

Be born in a place it hit, a few years before it began, and see what it did to five ordinary lives.

What it meant for ordinary people

Fascist Italy invaded in 1935, using poison gas, and occupied Ethiopia until British and Ethiopian forces drove it out in 1941. After an attempt on the viceroy's life in 1937, Italian forces massacred thousands in Addis Ababa.

Deaths: estimates range from about 300,000 to 760,000 Ethiopians, including those killed in reprisals.

How hard it hits each person in the game (risk of death, of being conscripted, of leaving) comes from scholarly estimates.

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