other · Horn and East Africa
British Administration of Eritrea
Origins
After defeating the Italians at Keren and taking Asmara in 1941, Britain administered Eritrea as occupied enemy territory under the laws of war. The peace treaty of 1947 required Italy to give up its colonies, but the four powers could not agree on Eritrea's fate and referred it to the United Nations.
Rule and society
The British kept much of the Italian administration and allowed political parties, trade unions and newspapers in Tigrinya and Arabic. Rival parties formed: the Unionists favoured union with Ethiopia, the Muslim League and others independence. Britain dismantled and sold some industrial plant. A UN commission visited in 1950, and political violence by shifta bands disturbed the countryside.
Decline and legacy
In December 1950 the UN General Assembly decided that Eritrea should be federated with Ethiopia. British administration ended in September 1952, when the Eritrea federation came into being.
Lineage
On the connections map
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- British Administration of Eritrea was part of British Empire1941 CE – 1952 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). British Administration of Eritrea. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/british-administration-of-eritrea
- MLA
- “British Administration of Eritrea.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/british-administration-of-eritrea. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “British Administration of Eritrea.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/british-administration-of-eritrea.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘British Administration of Eritrea’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/british-administration-of-eritrea (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻