The conflict between Italy and Ethiopia in 1935–36 has been framed as a prelude to the Second World War and as a watershed towards ‘Total War’. One perspective has so far been neglected: the assessments of foreign military observers. This article examines American, British, German, and Austrian views on the operations and thereby also analyses the mindset of European officers at the time. The core argument emerging from these reports is that the war was perceived as a rather ‘normal’ colonial conflict. Neither the use of gas, nor the employment of aircraft against civilians was seen as a taboo or created significant outrage among the military observers. Instead, they lauded the Italians’ steady logistical efforts and employment of artillery and airpower to overcome nature and the enemy’s resistance.

1935-36年意大利与埃塞俄比亚之间的冲突被视为第二次世界大战的前奏，是走向“全面战争”的分水岭。迄今为止，一个观点被忽略了：对外国军事观察员的评估。本文考察了美国，英国，德国和奥地利对作战的看法，从而分析了当时欧洲军官的心态。这些报道的核心论点是，这场战争被视为是一种“正常”的殖民冲突。无论是使用天然气，还是对平民使用飞机都不是一种禁忌，也不会引起军事观察员的极大愤慨。相反，他们称赞意大利人为在自然界和敌人的抵抗下进行的不懈的后勤努力以及使用火炮和空中力量而付出的努力。