This battle was primarily fought around Worsege Pass (Italian: Passo Uarieu) in what was then the Tembien Province of Ethiopia.
Badoglio overwhelmed the armies of ill-armed and uncoordinated Ethiopian warriors with mustard gas, tanks, and heavy artillery.
In response to his frequent exhortations, Badoglio cabled Mussolini: "It has always been my rule to be meticulous in preparation so that I may be swift in action.
Ras Imru Haile Selassie with approximately 40,000 men was on the Ethiopian left in the area around Seleh Leha in the Shire Province.
Mulugeta's force would have to be dislodged from its strong positions on Amba Aradam in order for the Italians to continue the advance towards Addis Ababa.
[2] On 19 January, the day before the offensive in the Tembien began, Badoglio ordered General Ettore Bastico, commander of the III Corps, to leave Makale and occupy Nebri and Negada.
Badoglio then ordered the commander of the 2nd Eritrean Division, General Achille Vaccarisi, to advance on the Worsege Pass and relieve the besieged Italians there.
division and the garrison at Worsege Pass were still cut off and low on water and ammunition, the fury of the Ethiopian attacks was reaching a crescendo, and Badoglio drew up plans for a withdrawal to new defensive lines.
According to the Ras Kassa, the Italian Royal Air Force (Regia Aeronautica Italiana) saved the day for Badoglio.
His men could no longer stand up to the deadly clouds of mustard gas rained down non-stop on the roads his troops took, the base camps where they gathered, and any area surrounding them.
Badoglio considered the battle a success, the Ethiopian offensive had been prevented, their armies had lost considerable difficult to replace ammunition and had suffered many casualties.