The Italo-Ethiopian Wars were two wars fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ethiopian Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The first war, which lasted from 1895 to 1896, was a result of Italy's attempt to colonize Ethiopia, while the second war, which lasted from 1935 to 1936, was a result of Italy's attempt to expand its colonial holdings in East Africa. Both wars ended in Italian defeats, with Ethiopia maintaining its independence.