The Italo-Abyssinian War was a conflict between Italy and Ethiopia that took place from October 1935 to May 1936. It was the first major act of aggression by a European power against an African nation in the 20th century. Italy, under the rule of Benito Mussolini, invaded Ethiopia in an attempt to expand its colonial empire. Ethiopia, led by Emperor Haile Selassie, fought back with limited success. The war ended with an Italian victory and the annexation of Ethiopia into the Italian Empire.