Empress Taitu Betul in 1905. Deeply suspicious of European intentions towards Ethiopia, she was a key player in the conflict over the Treaty of Wuchale with Italy, in which the Italian version made Ethiopia an Italian protectorate, while the Amharic version did not do so. The Empress held a hard line against the Italians, and when talks eventually broke down, and Italy invaded the Empire from its Eritrean colony, she marched north with the Emperor and the Imperial Army, commanding a force of cannoneers at the historic Battle of Adwa that resulted in a humiliating defeat for Italy in March 1896. This victory was the most significant of any African army battling European colonialism.[8] Menelik II and Taytu Betul were temporarily in possession of 4,000 prisoners of war.[9] Menelik, who often prevaricated and postponed unpleasant decisions by answering “Yes, tomorrow” (Ishi, nega), found it useful to have his wife be in a powerful enough position to say “Absolutely not” (Imbi) to people and issues he just did not want to personally offend or refuse. Image by Georgios Prokopiou – http://paletaart.wordpress.com/2012/10/15/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30916849