Menelik II of Ethiopia was an important historical figure in the late nineteenth century. Known as a great unifier, Menelik was the King of Shoa before ascending to the Ethiopian throne. He unified the country and centralized control. He imported modern weapons from various European powers and built a strong centralized army. In 1896, he defeated the Italians who occupied the country on the pretext of a limited interpretation of the Treaty of Wichale, which the Italians interpreted as allowing them to establish a protectorate over Ethiopia. The Italians were defeated at the Battle of Adowa in 1896. Mongut of Siam took a different approach. He opened the country to Western powers after concluding successful treaties with Great Britain, the United States and other powers in 1855. This allowed for the expansion of commerce and slowed imperialism by a generation
