How did Ethiopia maintain its independence?

Ethiopia was able to maintain its independence after defeating the Italians in the 1896 war in Adawa. Over 70,000 Ethiopian troops stood firmly and confronted the Italians.

Italy occupied Ethiopia for 5 years but failed to colonize it. When Italy declared that Ethiopia was her protectorate, Menelik II dismissed the claim in 1890. Under his leadership, the Ethiopian troops won the war, leaving more than 4,000 Italian soldiers dead or missing. Two thousand Italian soldiers were captured. When the news reached Italy, there were riots on the streets and the prime minister got replaced after 2 weeks. In the same year, the new government accepted the full independence of Ethiopia.