The collapse of Filonardi's Company followed the resounding Italian rout at the battle of Adowa which decisively shattered Italy's ambiguous claim to a protectorate over Ethiopia. Italy managed, however, to retain her Eritrean colony, and despite the furore at home which greeted the news of Menelik's victory, she still clung optimistically to her new Somali possessions.

I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Som…, loc. 170