title: Dark Places (2015 film)

text: In the present, Libby tracks down her father Runner to an abandoned factory where he lives with other homeless addicts. He tells her about Diondra's pregnancy, which Libby was not aware of. Libby also locates Krissi Cates (Matteo), who eventually confesses that she made up the molestation accusations against Ben.


title: Dark Places (2015 film)

text: Meanwhile in 1985, Patty is informed by a friend with the Farmers Home Administration that he might have a solution to her problems. She meets with a stranger in the middle of the night at a park, who says that he can help her. It later turns out that he is Calvin Diehl, a serial killer known as the Angel of Debt, who murders people so that their families can collect on their life insurance policies. Unable to see any other solution to her financial problems, Patty goes home and hides some money for Diehl.


title: Dark Places (2015 film)

text: At the same time, Diondra finds out about the accusations against Ben and convinces him to flee with her immediately. They go to Ben's house to steal some money. Michelle overhears them talking and threatens to tell on them. Diondra impulsively attacks Michelle and starts to choke her. Diehl has also entered the house. In the hallway, he stabs Patty. When her middle daughter Debby rushes out of the bedroom to get help for Michelle, Diehl grabs the family shotgun and kills the young girl. The shot distracts Ben from his effort to protect Michelle. While he goes to see what has happened, Diondra strangles Michelle.


title: Dark Places (2015 film)

text: In the present, Libby finds Diondra and Crystal, the daughter she had with Ben. Libby then finds her mother's ruby necklace in Diondra's bathroom and realizes she is in danger. Crystal attacks her, but she manages to escape the house. She finds out about Diehl's involvement from Wirth, whose club has been working on the Angel of Debt case. Libby visits Ben again in prison, and they apologize to each other. She realizes he was trying to protect his unborn daughter by taking the rap for the murder of his mother and his sisters. A news report confirms that Diondra has been arrested. Libby returns to look at the family farm where she grew up. Ben is exonerated and released from prison while Libby states that she doesn't intend to press charges against Crystal, who is yet to be found, as she understands her actions.


title: Dark Places (2015 film)

text: "Dark Places" was released in France on April 8, 2015. In November 2014, it was announced A24 and DirecTV Cinema had acquired rights to the film. The film began airing on DirecTV Cinema on June 18, 2015, and was released in limited release and through video on demand on August 7, 2015.


title: Dark Places (2015 film)

text: The film grossed a meager total of $208,588 in the United States from 151 venues over the course of two weeks. Overseas, the film earned $4,882,264 for a worldwide total of $5,090,852.


title: Dark Places (2015 film)

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's critics' consensus reads: ""Dark Places" has a strong cast and bestselling source material, but none of it adds up to more than a mediocre thriller that gets tripped up on its own twists." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigns a score of 39 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".


title: Dark Places (2015 film)

text: Peter Debruge of Variety wrote: "As heroines go, it’s refreshing to get one as complex as this: When psychologically scarred female characters do turn up in thrillers, they're usually little more than shivering victims who set a group of male cops in motion, but here, Libby does her own detective work, while Hendricks lends star power to the flashback scenes." However, he called the film as a whole "a relative disappointment."


title: Dark Places (2015 film)

text: Most of the reviews were mixed. David Lewis wrote in The San Francisco Chronicle, ""Dark Places" isn’t a disaster of a film. Instead, it’s the definition of average, and we wish it could have taken us to some more interesting places." Katie Walsh wrote in The Chicago Tribune, "It feels like the film doesn't want to commit to either pure camp or stoic darkness, fluctuating between the two...The twists, turns and reveals in the mystery sustain interest in the film, which hops between present day to the day of the murders, interspersed with Libby's flashback of fleeing the house that night. But despite all the shocking developments, the resolution is rushed, and therefore farfetched and confounding." Writing in the Toronto Star, Bruce DeMara called the film "a reasonably suspenseful tale populated by a slew of sordid players, bringing an outsider’s view to the seamier side of middle America that actually comes across as both gritty and fresh." Chris Nashawaty's review in Entertainment Weekly stated, " It isn’t terrible, exactly, but disappointing considering its cast and source. Instead, "Dark Places" just becomes an overstuffed, low-simmer potboiler with too many improbable detours and overly convenient twists." The Observer critic Mark Kermode wrote, "Gilles Paquet-Brenner invests the split-time action with some brooding menace and the cinematographer, Barry Ackroyd, does his best to lend some urgency, even as things spiral from suspense into outright silliness." Bilge Ebiri wrote in Vulture.com, "There’s nothing particularly wrong with "Dark Places": It’s cleanly directed, occasionally atmospheric, and mostly well acted. But the film is also curiously lifeless, crammed tightly as it is with plot and structure — which becomes increasingly tedious. Peter Bradshaw's review in The Guardian called the film a "middling screen adaptation. There are moments of macabre horror here, and interesting nods to Capote’s "In Cold Blood", as well as America’s satanic abuse scare and the Robin Hood Hills case."


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton; December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American actress and singer. She is best remembered for having appeared in the "Road to..." movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour began her career in the 1930s as a big band singer. In 1936, she moved to Hollywood, where she signed with Paramount Pictures. Her appearance as Ulah in "The Jungle Princess" (1936) brought her fame and marked the beginning of her image as the "Sarong Queen".


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: In 1940, Lamour made her first "Road series" comedy film "Road to Singapore". The "Road series" films were popular during the 1940s. The sixth film in the series, "Road to Bali", was released in 1952. By this time, Lamour's screen career began to wane, and she focused on stage and television work. In 1961, Crosby and Hope teamed for "The Road to Hong Kong", but actress Joan Collins was cast as the female lead. Lamour made a brief appearance and sang a song near the end of that film.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: In the 1970s, Lamour revived her nightclub act, and in 1980, released her autobiography "My Side of the Road". She made her final movie appearance in 1987.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour married her second husband, William Ross Howard III, in 1943. They had two sons and remained married until Howard's death in 1978. Lamour died at her home in 1996 at the age of 81.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton was born on December 10, 1914, at Charity ward at New Orleans East Hospital in New Orleans, the daughter of Carmen Louise (née LaPorte) and John Watson Slaton, both of whom were waiters. Lamour was of Spanish with some English, French and possibly also distant Irish descent. Her parents' marriage lasted only a few years. Her mother married for the second time to Clarence Lambour, whose surname Dorothy later adopted and modified as her stage name. That marriage also ended in divorce when Dorothy was a teenager.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour quit school at age 14. After taking a business course, she worked as a secretary to support herself and her mother. She began entering beauty pageants, was crowned Miss New Orleans in 1931, and went on to compete in Galveston's Pageant of Pulchritude. Miss Lamour was close friends with Dorothy Dell, who was in the Ziegfeld Follies. Lamour used the prize money to support herself while she worked in a stock theatre company. She and her mother later moved to Chicago. Lamour found a job working at Marshall Field's department store, working as an elevator operator at the age of 16. Her boss, Douglas Singleterry, referred to her as 'Dolly Face'; he also recalled that she'd spend a lot of her time auditioning around Chicago. She was discovered by orchestra leader Herbie Kay when he spotted her in performance at a Chicago talent show held at the Hotel Morrison. She had an audition the next day; Kay hired her as a singer for his orchestra and, in 1935, Lamour went on tour with him. Her work with Kay eventually led Lamour to vaudeville and work in radio. In 1935, she had her own 15-minute weekly musical program on NBC Radio. Lamour also sang on the popular Rudy Vallée radio show and "The Chase and Sanborn Hour". On January 30, 1944, Lamour starred in "For This We Live", an episode of "Silver Theater" on CBS radio.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: In 1936, Lamour moved to Hollywood. Around that time, Carmen married her third husband, Ollie Castleberry, and the family lived in Los Angeles. That same year, she did a screen test for Paramount Pictures and signed a contract with them.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour made her first film for Paramount, "College Holiday" (1936), in which she has a bit part as an uncredited dancer.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Her second film for Paramount, "The Jungle Princess" (1936) with Ray Milland, solidified her fame. In the film, Lamour plays the role of "Ulah", a jungle native who wore an Edith Head-designed sarong throughout the film. "The Jungle Princess" was a big hit for the studio and Lamour would be associated with sarongs for the rest of her career. It also gave her a hit song "Moonlight and Shadows".


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: She followed it with a support role in a Carole Lombard–Fred MacMurray musical "Swing High, Swing Low" (1937) where she got to sing "Panamania". She was top billed in "The Last Train from Madrid" (1937).


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour supported Irene Dunne and Randolph Scott in "High, Wide and Handsome" (1937), singing "The Things I Want". Sam Goldwyn borrowed her for John Ford's "The Hurricane" (1937), where she was back in a sarong playing an island princess alongside Jon Hall. Her swimming and diving scenes were handled by stunt double Lila Finn, who at one point dropped the sarong and was filmed diving into a lagoon in the nude. The film was a massive success and gave Lamour another hit song with "The Moon of Manakoora".


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour had a cameo in "Thrill of a Lifetime" (1937) and was third billed in "The Big Broadcast of 1938" (1938) after W.C. Fields and Martha Raye; the cast also included Bob Hope in an early appearance.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Paramount reunited her with Milland and a sarong for "Her Jungle Love" (1938). "Tropic Holiday" (1938) cast her as a Mexican alongside Bob Burns, Raye and Milland, then she supported George Raft and Henry Fonda in the adventure film "Spawn of the North" (1938). Raft was meant to be Lamour's leading man in "St. Louis Blues" (1939) but he turned down the part and was replaced by Lloyd Nolan.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour was Jack Benny's leading lady in the musical "Man About Town" (1939) then played a Chinese girl in a melodrama, "Disputed Passage" (1939).


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: In 1940, Lamour starred in "Road to Singapore", a spoof of Lamour's "sarong" films. It was originally meant to co-star Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie, then George Burns and Gracie Allen, before Paramount decided to use Bob Hope and Bing Crosby; Lamour was billed after Crosby and above Hope. The two male stars began ad-libbing during filming. "I was trying to follow the script but just couldn't get my lines out", she said later. "Finally, I realised that I should just get the general idea of a scene rather than learn the words by heart, then go along with the boys." Said Hope, "Dottie is one of the bravest gals in pictures. She stands there before the camera and ad-libs with Crosby and me knowing that the way the script is written she'll come second or third best, but she fears nothing."


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: 20th Century Fox borrowed her to play Tyrone Power's leading lady in the gangster film "Johnny Apollo" (1940). She sang "This is the Beginning of the End" and "Dancing for Nickels and Dimes".


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: It was back to sarongs for "Typhoon" (1940). Her male co-star in the latter was Robert Preston who was also with Lamour in "Moon Over Burma" (1940). Fox borrowed her again for "Chad Hanna" (1941) with Henry Fonda.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Response to "Road to Singapore" had been such that Paramount reunited Lamour, Hope and Crosby in "Road to Zanzibar" (1941) which was even more successful and eventually led to a series of pictures (although from this point on Lamour was billed beneath Hope). She and Hope then did "Caught in the Draft" (1941) which was one of the biggest hits of the year.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour was reunited with her old "Hurricane" star, Jon Hall, in "Aloma of the South Seas" (1941). She did a popular musical with Eddie Bracken, William Holden and Betty Hutton, "The Fleet's In" (1942), which gave her a hit song, "I Remember You".


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: There was another sarong movie, "Beyond the Blue Horizon" (1942). Both were well liked by the public but neither was as popular as her third "Road" movie, "Road to Morocco" (1942).


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour was one of many Paramount stars who did guest shots in "Star Spangled Rhythm" (1942). She and Hope were borrowed by Sam Goldwyn for a comedy "They Got Me Covered" (1943), then she did one with Crosby without Hope, "Dixie" (1943), a popular biopic of Dan Emmett.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: During World War II, Lamour was among the more popular pinup girls among American servicemen, along with Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, and Veronica Lake. Lamour was also known for her volunteer work, selling war bonds during tours in which movie stars would travel the country selling U.S. government bonds to the public. Lamour reportedly sold $300 million worth of bonds earning her the nickname "The Bond Bombshell". She also volunteered at the Hollywood Canteen where she would dance and talk to soldiers. In 1965, Lamour was awarded a belated citation from the United States Department of the Treasury for her war bond sales.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour made "Melody Inn" (1943) with Dick Powell, then "And the Angels Sing" (1944) with Fred MacMurray and Hutton, where she sang "It Should Happen to You". She made one last sarong movie, "Rainbow Island" (1944), co-starring Bracken.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour played a Mexican in "A Medal for Benny" (1945), based on a story by John Steinbeck, co-starring Arturo de Córdova. She was one of many Paramount stars to cameo in "Duffy's Tavern" (1945), then did a fourth "Road", "Road to Utopia" (1945), then "Masquerade in Mexico" (1945) with de Cordova.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: She was in three big hits in a row: "My Favorite Brunette" (1947), a comedy with Hope; "Wild Harvest" (1947), a melodrama with Alan Ladd and Preston; and "Road to Rio" (1947). She also sang a duet with Ladd in "Variety Girl" (1947). Then she left Paramount.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour emceed "Front and Center", a 1947 variety comedy show, as a summer replacement for "The Fred Allen Show", with the Army Air Force recruiting as sponsors. The show changed to "The Sealtest" "Variety Theater" in September 1948.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: After leaving Paramount, Lamour made a series of films for producer Benedict Bogeaus: the all-star comedy "On Our Merry Way" (1948); "Lulu Belle" (1948), a melodrama with George Montgomery; and "The Girl from Manhattan" (1948), also with Montgomery.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: She tried two comedies: "The Lucky Stiff" (1949), produced by Jack Benny co-starring Brian Donlevy, then "Slightly French" (1949) with Don Ameche. "Manhandled" (1950) was a film noir with Dan Duryea for Pine-Thomas. None of these films were particularly popular.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour played a successful season at the London Palladium in 1950 then was in two big hits: "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952), Cecil B. De Mille's circus epic, and "Road to Bali" (1952). However this did not seem to lead to better film offers, and Lamour began concentrating on being a nightclub entertainer and a stage actress.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: She also began working on television, guest starring on "Damon Runyon Theater" and was on Broadway in "Oh Captain!" (1958).


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour returned to movies with a cameo in the final "Road" film, "The Road to Hong Kong" (1962); she was replaced as a love interest by Joan Collins because Bing Crosby wanted a younger actress. However, Bob Hope would not do the film without Lamour, so she appeared in an extended cameo.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: She had a bigger part in John Ford's "Donovan's Reef" (1963) with John Wayne and Lee Marvin, and made guest appearances on shows like "Burke's Law", "I Spy" and "The Name of the Game", and films such as "Pajama Party" (1964) and "The Phynx" (1970).


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour moved to Baltimore with her family, where she appeared on TV and worked on the city's cultural commission. Then David Merrick offered her the chance to headline a road company of "Hello Dolly!" which she did for over a year near the end of the decade.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour starred in a number of movie musicals and sang in many of her comedies and dramatic films as well. For several years beginning in the late 1930s, Harriet Lee was her voice teacher. Lamour introduced a number of standards, including "The Moon of Manakoora", "I Remember You", "It Could Happen to You", "Personality", and "But Beautiful".


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: She guest starred on shows such as "Marcus Welby, M.D." and "The Love Boat" and films like "" (1976) and "Death at Love House" (1976). In 1977, she toured in the play "Personal Appearance".


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: During the remainder of the decade, she performed in plays and television shows such as "Hart to Hart", "Crazy Like a Fox", "Remington Steele", and "Murder, She Wrote".


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: In 1986 she said "I'm still as busy at 71 as I was when I was just a slip of a girl. I do concerts, television and a lot of dinner theatre, where I sing old songs and talk about Bob and Bing and starting out at Paramount at $200 a week and working myself up to $450,000 a picture...I feel wonderful. Age is only in the mind and I'm grateful that God has taken care of me. And I'm very grateful for that sarong. It did a lot for me! But to be truthful, the sarong was never my favorite wearing apparel."


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: In 1987, she made her last big-screen appearance in the movie "Creepshow 2", appearing with George Kennedy as an aging couple who are killed during a robbery. The wooden, Native American statue in front of their general store comes to life to avenge their death. The 72-year-old Lamour quipped: "Well, at my age you can't lean against a palm tree and sing 'Moon of Manakoora'", she said. "People would look at that and say 'What is she trying to do?


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: During the 1990s, she made only a handful of professional appearances but remained a popular interview subject for publications and TV talk and news programs. Lamour's final stage performance was as "Hattie" in the Long Beach Civic Light Opera's 1990 production of Stephen Sondheim's "Follies".


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: In 1995, the musical "Swinging on a Star", a revue of songs written by Johnny Burke (who wrote many of the most famous "Road to ..." movie songs as well as the score to Lamour's film "And the Angels Sing" (1944)) opened on Broadway and ran for three months; Lamour was credited as a "special advisor". It was nominated for the Best Musical Tony Award; the actress playing her in the road movie segment, Kathy Fitzgerald, also was nominated.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour's first marriage was to orchestra leader Herbie Kay, with whose orchestra Lamour sang. The two married in 1935 and divorced in 1939.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Early in her career, Lamour met J. Edgar Hoover, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to Hoover's biographer Richard Hack, Hoover pursued a romantic relationship with Lamour, and the two spent a night together at a Washington, D.C. hotel. When Lamour was later asked if she and Hoover had a sexual relationship, she replied: "I cannot deny it." In her autobiography "My Side of the Road" (1980), Lamour does not discuss Hoover in detail; she refers to him only as "a lifelong friend".


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: On April 7, 1943, Lamour married Air Force captain and advertising executive William Ross Howard III in Beverly Hills. The couple had two sons: John Ridgely (1946–2018) and Richard Thomson Howard (born 1949).


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: In 1957, Lamour and Howard moved to the Baltimore, Maryland, suburb of Sudbrook Park. In 1962, the couple and their two sons moved to Hampton, another Baltimore suburb in Dulaney Valley, with their oldest son, John, attending Towson High School. She also owned a home in Palm Springs, California. Howard died in 1978.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour was a registered Republican who supported the presidency of Ronald Reagan as well as Reagan's re-election in 1984.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour died at her home in North Hollywood on September 22, 1996, at the age of 81. Her funeral was held at St. Charles Catholic Church in North Hollywood, California, where she was a member. She was interred in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: For her contribution to the radio and motion picture industry, Lamour has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her star for her radio contributions is located at 6240 Hollywood Boulevard, and her star for her motion picture contributions is located at 6332 Hollywood Boulevard.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Lamour is the heroine of Matilda Bailey's young adult novel, "Dorothy Lamour and the Haunted Lighthouse" (1947), whose "heroine has the same name and appearance as the famous actress but has no connection ... it is as though the famous actress has stepped into an alternate reality in which she is an ordinary person." The story was written for a young teenage audience and is reminiscent of the adventures of Nancy Drew. It is part of a series known as "Whitman Authorized Editions", 16 books published between 1941 and 1947 that each featured a film actress as heroine.


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: She was featured in a brief print run of 2-3 issues during the 1950s, in "Dorothy Lamour Jungle Princess Comics", a series of comic books dedicated to her on-film Jungle Princess persona (featuring screenshots from past movies as the covers).


title: Dorothy Lamour

text: Referenced in the TV sitcom "The Golden Girls" when Sophia Petrillo refers to her son as a " six foot two, married man with kids who likes to dress up like Dorothy Lamour."


title: Frieza

text: , also known and spelled as Freeza in Funimation's English subtitles and Viz Media's release of the manga, is a fictional character in the "Dragon Ball" manga series created by Akira Toriyama. He makes his debut in Chapter #247: "Dark Clouds Swirl Over Planet Namek", first published in "Weekly Shōnen Jump" magazine on October 24, 1989, as the main antagonist of his eponymous saga, depicted as a galactic tyrant feared as the most powerful being in the universe.


title: Frieza

text: Despite not appearing until the manga's second half, Frieza is widely considered to be the most iconic villain from the "Dragon Ball" franchise, since he effectively serves as the catalyst of many of the events depicted in the story, due to the destruction of the Saiyan homeworld Planet Vegeta at his hands and Goku's arrival on Earth and subsequent conflicts with Raditz, Nappa and Vegeta. Frieza later appears as the primary villain in the theatrical film "" and as a recurring character in "Dragon Ball Super".


title: Frieza

text: Frieza, a broker who forcibly takes over planets to resell them, often rendering the planet's population extinct first, was created around the time of the Japanese economic bubble and was inspired by real estate speculators, whom Toriyama called the "worst kind of people." Toriyama purposely does not draw bad guys so unscrupulous that it affects one psychologically, although he admits Frieza is close. Therefore, he paid special attention to how Frieza spoke; because villains typically speak rudely, he gave him polite speech making for an unsettling contrast with his cruelty. The character's name is a pun on freezer, and because of this, his minions and the members of the Ginyu Force are named after fruits and dairy products, items one would normally put in a refrigerator. The "Shenlong Times" issue #2, a bonus pamphlet given to some buyers of the "Daizenshuu 2: Story Guide" guidebook, says that Frieza was modeled after Toriyama's editor at the time, Yū Kondō.


title: Frieza

text: Toriyama had the idea to bring Frieza back while attending a concert by the metal band Maximum the Hormone. It came to him while watching them perform their 2008 song "F", which is about the fictional character.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza so far possesses five transformation forms, each one being quite different and more powerful from the previous ones. It is implied that Frieza's fourth form is actually his basic one, with the other three being transformations that suppress his power in order to conserve it, while the fifth one unleashes his true power. Toriyama revealed that he did not think to have Frieza transform until about midway through. He said he has a habit of making characters gradually more tough and complex-looking, until finally making them very sleek, as it is a pain to draw them if their appearance is too complex. The author confirmed this is why Frieza's third and most intricate form is only shown for a short time, and joked that three transformations might be one too many.


title: Frieza

text: In the original Japanese version, Frieza is voiced by Ryūsei Nakao in every single piece of " Dragon Ball" media.


title: Frieza

text: In Funimation's in house English dub, Frieza was voiced by Linda Young in the "Dragon Ball Z" series and continued playing him in all subsequent media up until the first episode of "Dragon Ball Z Kai". Christopher Ayres voiced the character in later episodes of "Kai" and all subsequent media through "Dragon Ball Super". Due to being diagnosed with end-stage COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and requiring a double lung transplant, Ayres was forced to step down from the role in 2018. He briefly reprised the role in 2019 for "" and the home media releases of the Universal Survival Saga of "Dragon Ball Super" before passing away in 2021. Ayres' understudy Daman Mills [who has a strong ability to imitate Ayres] assumed the role beginning with the television broadcast of the Universal Survival Saga, and has voiced Frieza indefinitely in all subsequent appearances with the exception of "Broly".


title: Frieza

text: Before the start of the series, Frieza destroys Planet Vegeta, after Beerus' authorization, out of both fear of a potential uprising by the Saiyans due to their increasing power and the prophecy of the coming of the legendary Super Saiyan. Frieza only knowingly spares Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz, who were away on a mission when he blew Planet Vegeta up, after telling them it was struck by a meteor. However, when Bardock made a final stand when Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta, he did not notice the Saiyan's second son being sent to Earth where he became known as Goku.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza makes his official appearance in the story after Vegeta's defeat on Earth at Goku's hands, having traveled to Planet Namek to find the seven Namekian Dragon Balls to wish for immortality. He and his men massacre Namekian villages one after another, until Gohan, Krillin, and Vegeta begin to hamper his efforts in their own way. Though Frieza manages to gain the Dragon Balls, with the Ginyu Force dealing with the interlopers, his inability to speak Namekian forces him to find the Great Elder of Namek. Frieza ends up fighting Namekian warrior Nail, whom he beats repeatedly until Nail reveals that their fight was only to buy time for Dende to give the words needed to activate the Namekian Dragon Balls, for the warriors from Earth. With his entire army killed by Vegeta and the Ginyu Force defeated by Goku, Frieza intercepts Vegeta and the others personally.


title: Frieza

text: Enraged to find he is too late, as the Dragon Balls have become inert on Guru's death, Frieza briefly battles Vegeta, with the Saiyan Prince goading him into transforming and revealing his true power. Frieza transforms into his second form, and during the battle he finally admits to be the one who had destroyed the planet where the Saiyans had settled. After defeating Vegeta, Frieza takes on Piccolo, who has at this point fused with Nail. Although Piccolo appears to be even with him, he transforms into his third form and dominates the powerful Namekian. Following a brief tussle with Gohan, Frieza decides to transform into his final form. He kills Dende to stop him from healing the others and mortally wounds Vegeta just as Goku arrives, who just recovered following his fight with the Ginyu Force. Frieza fights Goku and the two seem evenly matched, but Frieza powers up to 50% of his maximum power and brutally beats him; however, Goku manages to seriously wound the tyrant with a Spirit Bomb. In retaliation, Frieza critically injures Piccolo and kills Krillin, which sends Goku into a rage, consequently assuming Super Saiyan form for the first time. Goku takes the upper hand and viciously pummels Frieza, who damages the core of Namek in an act of desperation, knowing he can survive in vacuum of space. The tyrant then uses 100% of his power and briefly regains the advantage, but his power level begins to drop and he is again outclassed by Goku and ultimately sliced in half by one of his own attacks. Though Goku spares the crippled Frieza while leaving for his ship to escape the planet's destruction, Frieza attempts to blast Goku from behind, prompting Goku to retaliate with his own attack that apparently destroys Frieza.


title: Frieza

text: However, Frieza survives both the attack and Namek's explosion, and drifts through space until he is found by his father , who was on his way to Namek to aid him against Goku. Over the next year, Frieza is rebuilt with cybernetic prosthetics, increasing his strength significantly, and the two immediately head for Earth to exact revenge on Goku and his friends, but they are confronted by Trunks, Vegeta and Bulma's son from the future. After a brief battle, Frieza is sliced to pieces by Trunks and his remains blasted into oblivion, with his father following shortly afterwards. Though finally gone, Frieza's cells are later used as a catalyst for the future villain Cell. Cell is eventually destroyed by Gohan, thereby destroying the last traces of Frieza's biological tissue.


title: Frieza

text: Ending up in Earth's Hell after being killed by Future Trunks, Frieza spends the next fourteen years being tortured by playful antics of an overly saccharine cadre of angels and fairies while reliving the memories of his defeats at the hands of Goku and Trunks. But Frieza is resurrected by Sorbet, who saw Frieza's return as essential to restore the Frieza Force to its former glory, and his right hand, Tagoma. The two then bring Frieza's diced Mecha Frieza form to their ship, where they use their advanced medical technology to restore him to his full organic form. After learning that Goku defeated Majin Buu and fought Beerus to a stalemate, both being the two figures his father warned him never to cross, Frieza decides to undergo four months of intensive training. This led to him achieving a new form which he dubs "Golden Frieza" before setting off for Earth with his army. The Z Fighters hold back Tagoma and Frieza's minions long enough for Goku and Vegeta to return from their training session on Beerus's planet. Frieza executes his defeated army for their incompetence just as Goku, Vegeta, Beerus, and Whis arrive. Goku reveals his new Super Saiyan Blue form, although Frieza overpowers him yet lacked the stamina for a prolonged fight in his powered state. He then has Sorbet shoot Goku, forcing Vegeta to take up his place. Vegeta nearly kills Frieza who instead causes his death by destroying Earth. but Whis rewinds time so Goku can quickly kill off Frieza before he destroys the planet. Frieza returns to Hell, where he is once more tormented by the angels. Frieza appears in the manga adaption omake alongside Sorbet and Susami in Hell.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza later returns in the Universal Tournament Arc as a replacement member for the Seventh Universe team after Majin Buu is ineligible to fight due to having fallen into a deep sleep from which nobody could wake him, revealed to have mentally trained himself to maintain his Golden form. When approached by Goku, who is arranging for him to be temporarily revived by Fortuneteller Baba for a day, Frieza accepts the offer on the condition of being fully resurrected by the Dragon Balls after the tournament. Upon being revived, Frieza slaughters a group of assassins hired by the deities of the Ninth Universe to kill him while trapping Goku in a Destroyer-based energy attack meant for him. He then attempted to offer his services to the Ninth Universe deities in return for a place in their universe until Beerus and Whis appear. Despite Beerus's reservations, Goku vouches for him as they join the rest of their team.


title: Frieza

text: As the tournament commences, Frieza meets his Sixth Universe counterpart , a con artist who posed as a hero until a previous contest between the Seventh and Sixth Universes exposed his criminal activities and forced him into hiding. Frieza tricks Frost into believing they have forged an alliance to take out the Saiyans, proceeding to take out both the Ninth Universe's Roselle and the Tenth Universe's Murichim as the tournament commences. After eliminating Frost when he appears to commence their arrangement, Frieza eventually ends up being one of the four remaining combatants alongside Goku, Android 17, and Jiren of the Eleventh Universe. Frieza unexpectedly teams up with Goku to force Jiren out in a triple elimination with 17 declared the winner, resurrected soon after by Whis at Beerus's behest as a reward for his efforts. Frieza then takes his leave to begin rebuilding his empire but is warned by Goku that he will be destroyed if he ever torments the universe again.


title: Frieza

text: During the events of the film "", Frieza starts rebuilding the Frieza Force while deciding to use Earth's Dragon Balls to make a wish to increase his height by five centimeters, having become disillusioned with the idea of eternal life from his time in Earth's Hell. Frieza recruits the Saiyan Broly and his father Paragus, who accompany him to Earth for the last Dragon Ball, realizing the former's potential as he matched Goku and Vegeta in their Super Saiyan Blue forms. This inspires Frieza to kill Paragus to force Broly's transformation into a Super Saiyan, only to be caught in Broly's rampage after the latter quickly defeats Goku. Frieza is saved at the last second by Gogeta, a merged warrior between Goku and Vegeta created when they perform the fusion dance technique, who thwarts his attempt to kill off his former subordinates Chilai and Lemo when they use the Dragon Balls to save Broly's life by wishing him off the planet. Frieza falls back while deciding not to go after Chilai and Lemo as intends to use them to make Broly docile enough for him to use against Goku in the future.


title: Frieza

text: Years later, Frieza is contacted by a former subordinate named Elec to meet him and his group on planet Cereal. Meanwhile, Elec wishes for his younger brother, Gas, to be the strongest warrior in the universe. After Elec sets up a trap to have Granolah and Gas kill Goku and Vegeta, Frieza arrives and murders Gas. Frieza then kills Elec after revealing that he was aware of the latter's plan to assassinate. Frieza reveals to Goku and Vegeta that he had found a room similar to the hyperbolic time chamber on a distant planet and trained in the room for 10 years in just a matter of days, which is why Elec's wish did not take him into account at the time it was granted. Frieza presents his new form, 'Black Frieza', before knocking Goku and Vegeta to the ground, sparing the Saiyans as he only traveled to kill Elec and Gas before leaving Cereal.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza is capable of moving at superhuman speeds and flying, and has quick reflexes. Like most characters in the series, he can harness a supernatural energy known as "Ki" and manipulate it into powerful and devastating concussive beams of said energy, with which he is able to destroy planets with relative ease. Some of Frieza's signature "ki" techniques include the , a sharp piercing beam from his finger, and the , a large energy sphere he used to destroy planet Namek and previous to that, Planet Vegeta. He is capable of surviving in the vacuum of space, and also seems to possess some form of telekinesis, being able to lift opponents without touching them and cause them to explode.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza's power was so great over time, that his body could not comfortably contain it and a series of physical transformations were developed that limit his actual strength. While changing shape from his "first form", each alteration builds on the previous. In all, Frieza has three transformed states, each with increasing power, some larger than others and each resulting in different physical attributes, although the two transformed states (along with his first form) were merely to suppress Frieza's power, and that his fourth transformed state is actually his true form, while a fifth further transformation (Golden Frieza) that he discovered after his four months of training actually increases his power drastically and lets out most of his latent strength.


title: Frieza

text: In his weakest form, Frieza is a relatively short humanoid with a large chestnut-shaped skull and two horns. He also has a tail with a spiked end, as well as having three talon-like toes. Frieza wears the same upper-body armor and shorts that many of his subordinates are shown to wear, and while traveling, often gives the appearance of weakness by exclusively using his hoverchair for transportation, leaving his henchmen to do his "dirty work". Though frail in comparison with his succeeding forms, Frieza still boasts sufficient force to destroy planets. While shifting to his next stage, Frieza breaks his battle-jacket, revealing a natural white armor covering his chest and shoulders.


title: Frieza

text: His second form is much larger, both in height and muscle mass. He grows longer horns, which now instead of protruding sideways from his head curve sharply upwards into near right angles. In this form, Frieza does not have any trouble taking out Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan. However, Frieza notices that Piccolo's power level is about equal to his own level, leaving Frieza with no choice but to transform again. This form largely resembles his father, King Cold.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza's 6th Universe counterpart Frost also takes on a second form, however it bears a greater resemblance to Frieza's third form and is said to be the equivalent of it by Piccolo.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza's third form is again more brutish, with an extremely elongated skull (like an Alien). His facial features contort and change, with his nose melding into his mouth to form a crude beak. His original horns recede and are now white in color, erupting in pairs along the length of his head. Despite his increased bulk, Frieza's speed is significantly higher in this form, easily outpacing Piccolo even after the Namek fighter removed his weighted training clothes. His tail tip, which had been cut off by Krillin, did not regenerate and he now has a slight hunch. Although his tail was surprisingly not regenerated, the rest of his wounds disappeared as if nothing ever touched him.


title: Frieza

text: Drastically differing from his previous transformations, in his final, true form, Frieza's third form (being more like a shell for this final form) cracks and shatters open, revealing a shorter and less bulky appearance. His horns and spikes disappear with his physique becoming entirely streamlined and his skin is now a pure, solid white with purple sections on his head, shoulders, forearms, chest and shins. All injuries taken in other forms are healed. This is the form that allows him to release his full potential. In fact Frieza is able to attain 100% power in this form, making his muscle mass become engorged compared to his previously sleek frame. This is the peak of Frieza's natural potential, and the maximum amount of power his body can output. At 100%, Frieza's strength increases immensely, to the point that he is able to overpower even Super Saiyan Goku during some moments of their fight. However, while in this form, Frieza's body is subjected to a muscle strain that slowly starts draining his energy, making him lose most of his speed and stamina. Becoming slower and less resilient, at the end of the fight Frieza is no match for Super Saiyan Goku, which ultimately results in Frieza's defeat. Being aware of this weakness, Frieza had tried to finish the fight as quickly as possible by destroying Planet Namek.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza's 6th Universe counterpart, Frost, also briefly uses this form during the Tournament of Power.


title: Frieza

text: After being cut in half by his own attack and being caught in Namek's huge explosion, what remains of the still-living Frieza is salvaged and rebuilt with cybernetic enhancements by scientists under the order of King Cold; this form is referred to as in video games. The whole of the lower half of his body and right side of his face are replaced, as is his left arm from the shoulder down, with scarring and metal accoutrements covering what little was left of his organic self. It is stated that these enhancements have made him even more powerful. However, he was never able to unleash his full power in this form, since he was quickly destroyed by Trunks.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza attains another transformation in the 2015 film "" and "Dragon Ball Super". According to Frieza, his sixth transformation is achieved after undergoing intensive training for four months, enabling him to gain the strength to progress even further beyond his previous transformations by drawing out all of his latent power (as he had never trained a day in his life beforehand). In this form, Frieza's physique is similar to his previous fourth form except his skin is now a golden color as opposed to white, with purple sections on his head, chest, forearms and shins, thus he is known as in this form. In this form at peak power, Frieza is able to overpower Goku in his Super Saiyan Blue form with relative ease. However, much like when he used 100% of his power in his sixth form, the transformation quickly drains Frieza's energy and stamina due to him not training himself further to become accustomed to the form, and thus is unsuitable for prolonged combat, as he soon finds himself unable to compete with Goku and Vegeta in their Super Saiyan Blue forms. After his second revival in the Tournament of Power Saga, Frieza reveals he mastered his Golden form due to intense meditation while in hell. This "True Golden Frieza" can be used indefinitely without any drain on Frieza's stamina or even while he is barely conscious. Frieza's Japanese voice actor, Ryūsei Nakao jokingly placed Golden Frieza's power level at "one hundred quintillion" (or 1.2 billion times stronger than the Fourth form).


title: Frieza

text: Frieza attains this form in "Dragon Ball Super" during the Granolah the Survivor saga. In "", Vegeta had foreshadowed the possibility that Frieza would take advantage of his restored life following the Tournament of Power to acquire a new form. According to Frieza, his seventh transformation was achieved when he found a hyperbolic time chamber by chance on one of his conquered planets and used it to undergo a 10-year training session within 10 days. Frieza uses his ability to easy overpower Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta. In this form, Frieza's physique is similar to his Golden Freiza form with his limbs and tail darkened while the rest of his body is silver with purple sections on his shoulders.


title: Frieza

text: In numerous filler episodes of the anime and "Dragon Ball GT", Frieza makes numerous cameo appearances, usually as comic relief, causing trouble in Hell, having somehow been permitted to keep his body despite his wrongdoings. In Hell, he is defeated and sent to prison by Goku and Pikkon along with Cell, his father and the Ginyu Force, and he is later seen watching Goku's final battle with Majin Buu in a crystal ball, comically hoping for Goku to lose (this appearance is later contradicted in "Resurrection "F"" and its "Dragon Ball Super" adaptation, where Frieza is depicted as unaware that Goku fought and defeated Buu, although for flashback sequences and such, "Super" alludes to "Dragon Ball Z Kai", where most filler material has been cut). In "", Frieza briefly escapes from Hell with an army of villains to attack Earth, but he is swiftly defeated by Gohan. In "Dragon Ball GT", when Goku is sent to Hell by accident, Frieza and Cell confront him, their bodies having been rendered temporarily immortal due to the unbalance between the two worlds. Using a joint attack, Frieza and Cell send Goku to a lower level where he is frozen by a witch, but the two villains end up frozen themselves when they foolishly venture downwards to gloat at Goku. Goku accidentally breaks the ice holding Frieza and Cell and it shatters to pieces, implying that Frieza and Cell have been erased from existence. However, in a future scene, Frieza and Cell are seen being taken away in a jail cell with tape over their mouths and appear in the live action GT show where he and Cell gained new forms to track down Goku. He appeared in a TV ad for "", as he makes a non-speaking appearance in the film.


title: Frieza

text: He also appears in a chapter of Toriyama's "Neko Majin" manga, published in August 2003, which also introduces Frieza's son, . He briefly appears in the 2006 "Dragon Ball" crossover chapter, , of Osamu Akimoto's manga "Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo". Frieza appears in Naho Ōishi's 2011 "Dragon Ball" spin-off manga "", but it predominately features his ancestor . He also appears in Toriyama's 2014 "" special.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza has made numerous appearances in other media. The Japanese nu metal/hardcore punk band Maximum the Hormone released the song "F" as part of a double A-side single on July 9, 2008. The entirety of the song references Frieza, with the single itself rising as high as number two on the Oricon music chart. The song was the source of reference used by Toriyama for the title of the film "Fukkatsu no F" and is featured in the movie. Seikima-II frontman Demon Kakka wrote and performed the song that appeared in two episodes of "Dragon Ball Kai" and on the 2009 "Dragon Ball Kai Song Collection" album.


title: Frieza

text: In the manga "Black Cat", the character Sven Vollfied is often seen using his cell phone with a wrist strap of a miniature-sized badge of Frieza's head. A caricature of Frieza mixed with a grey alien was parodied as a mech pilot in an episode of "Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi". The anime "Yakitate!! Japan" featured a spoof re-enactment of the fight between Goku and Frieza, with a character clad in a refrigerator representing the latter. The Cartoon Network show "" had a parody of their own of the climactic fight and the Frieza character, with the Delightful Children From Down the Lane portraying him as a multi-headed monstrosity.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza has been featured in many of the video games based on the series. Often, he appears as both a playable character and boss, though more frequently the latter. He is also usually able to transform into his many different forms.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza appears in the Famicom game (and later Playdia remake) "". Frieza seems to be somehow resurrected, and he and other past villains start attacking Goku and his friends. Once it's revealed these are merely ghost-warriors meant to distract the heroes, however, the false Frieza and his allies are easily dealt with. Other games highlight Frieza in alternate story paths; including those where he successfully attains immortality and goes on to threaten Earth such as "", and "" where Frieza and Cell are resurrected and controlled by Bobbidi as a distraction for the player.


title: Frieza

text: Frieza also appears as a playable character in the crossover fighting games "Jump Ultimate Stars", "Battle Stadium D.O.N", "J-Stars Victory Vs" and "Jump Force".


title: Frieza

text: Yū Kondō, Toriyama's second editor from the Saiyan arc until the appearance of Perfect Cell, and Fuyuto Takeda, his third editor from Perfect Cell until the end of the series, said that "Dragon Ball" hit its peak in popularity during the Frieza arc. In a one-thousand ballot popularity poll held in "Weekly Shōnen Jump", "Dragon Ball" received 815 of them. In 2004, fans of the series voted Frieza the ninth most popular character for a poll in the book "Dragon Ball Forever". Frieza topped a poll of "Dragon Ball" antagonists by fan vote, the results of which was published by the March 2018 issue of "V Jump".


title: Frieza

text: Frieza was mentioned as one of the "most beloved characters" in an article by "GamePro". The casting and direction of his English voices has often been criticized over the years, with IGN's Ramsey Isler writing that, coupled with the ambiguous physical features, the "old lady" voice lead to some gender confusion with fans. "The Ledger"'s December 8, 1999 paper names him as one of the reasons that "Dragon Ball Z" was listed as a violent show for children, stating, "In one recent episode, beads of sweat form on the brow of a character named Vegeta, as he is nearly strangled to death by an evil foe named Frieza. In another, Frieza uses the horns on his head to impale a good guy named Krillin through the chest." The paper also comments on Frieza's appearance: "Little Gohan is abruptly in the icy metallic grip of one of his arch-nemeses, Frieza, a silvery androgynous giant who looks like a cross between the monster in "Alien" and Batman's Mr. Freeze." Comic Book Resources regarded Frieza's role in the original series as the reason why his arc is one of the darkest ever in the franchise due to the violence in fights, deaths and resolution of his fight against Goku, giving it an improvement in retrospect. Both Kotaku and Den of Geek regarded Frieza as the series' most entertaining villain in the entire series which led to the staff to revive him multiple times in order to appeal to returning fans.


title: Frieza

text: Response to Frieza's revival in "Resurrection F" has been mixed to negative. DVD Talk enjoyed the rematch between Frieza and Goku in "Resurrection F" but still lamented that its length was too much when compared with other subplots. IGN was more positive in regards Frieza's new powers and rivalry with Goku. Anime News Network lamented Frieza's role as he felt that he barely gave a decent fight in the movie as the writing fails to portray him as a menacing villain with the new powers of Goku and Vegeta easily surpassing him alongside other plot devices like the healing beans. In regards to the voice actors "Ayres’ brand of childish pompousness is a lot less threatening in a story where Frieza isn't in a position of power from the get-go. Ryusei Nakao's slightly more adult tone works a little better in this instance." Den of Geek found the fight between Goku's allies and Frieza's army as the best part of the movie in contrast to the lead's fights which he felt was "standard" to the point it gets "boring".


title: Frieza

text: For the final arc of "Dragon Ball Super", Anime News Network had mixed feelings about the second return of Frieza to have him teamed up with Universe 7. He felt that while Frieza might be turning into a "Dragon Ball" cliche where most characters such as Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Piccolo, Vegeta and Majin Buu served as villains before becoming heroes, his actions were still ambiguous and it was satisfying to see him engage with Goku on a one-on-one to settle their rules in the Tournament of Power. Hobby Consolas commented that Frieza was overpowered by Jiren so many times that it became tiring to see. However, Frieza's team up with Goku in order to force their enemy out of the tournament's arena was found surprising for how such characters who have hated each other's for years have decided to join forces to the point even Vegeta is shocked at seeing this. IGN noted that Frieza was absent through so many episodes of the final arc and praised his team up with Goku not only due to their differences but also animation highlights. However, the fact that Frieza is not only revived but also given his own empire back left the reviewer in a dilemma in regards to the impact it might give the franchise in the future due to whether or not he will keep being evil as he kept interacting with Goku for a long time. Cine Premiere agreed that Frieza's future actions might be up to debate.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: The Battle of Adwa (; ; , also spelled "Adowa") was the climactic battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Ethiopian forces defeated the Italian invading force on Sunday 1 March 1896, near the town of Adwa. The decisive victory thwarted the campaign of the Kingdom of Italy to expand its colonial empire in the Horn of Africa. By the end of the 19th century, European powers had carved up almost all of Africa after the Berlin Conference; only Ethiopia and Liberia still maintained their independence. Adwa became a pre-eminent symbol of pan-Africanism and secured Ethiopian sovereignty until the Second Italo-Ethiopian War forty years later.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: In 1889, the Italians signed the Treaty of Wuchale with the then King Menelik of Shewa. The treaty, signed after the Italian occupation of Eritrea, recognized Italy's claim over the coastal colony. In it, Italy also promised to provide financial assistance and military supplies. A dispute later arose over the interpretation of the two versions of the document. The Italian-language version of the disputed Article 17 of the treaty stated that the Emperor of Ethiopia was obliged to conduct all foreign affairs through Italian authorities, effectively making Ethiopia a protectorate of the Kingdom of Italy. The Amharic version of the article, however, stated that the Emperor could use the good offices of the Kingdom of Italy in his relations with foreign nations if he wished. However, the Italian diplomats claimed that the original Amharic text included the clause and that Menelik II knowingly signed a modified copy of the Treaty.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: The Italian government decided on a military solution to force Ethiopia to abide by the Italian version of the treaty. As a result, Italy and Ethiopia came into confrontation, in what was later to be known as the First Italo-Ethiopian War. In December 1894, Bahta Hagos led a rebellion against the Italians in Akele Guzai, in what was then Italian controlled Eritrea. Units of General Oreste Baratieri's army under Major Pietro Toselli crushed the rebellion and killed Bahta. The Italian army then occupied the Tigrayan capital, Adwa. In January 1895, Baratieri's army went on to defeat Ras Mengesha Yohannes in the Battle of Coatit, forcing Mengesha to retreat further south.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: By late 1895, Italian forces had advanced deep into Ethiopian territory. On 7 December 1895, "Ras" Makonnen Wolde Mikael, "Fitawrari" Gebeyehu and "Ras" Mengesha Yohannes commanding a larger Ethiopian group of Menelik's vanguard annihilated a small Italian unit at the Battle of Amba Alagi. The Italians were then forced to withdraw to more defensible positions in Tigray Province, where the two main armies faced each other. By late February 1896, supplies on both sides were running low. General Oreste Baratieri, commander of the Italian forces, knew the Ethiopian forces had been living off the land, and once the supplies of the local peasants were exhausted, Emperor Menelik II's army would begin to melt away. However, the Italian government insisted that General Baratieri act.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: On the evening of 29 February, Baratieri, about to be replaced by a new governor, General Baldissera, met with his generals Matteo Albertone, Giuseppe Arimondi, Vittorio Dabormida, and Giuseppe Ellena, concerning their next steps. He opened the meeting on a negative note, revealing to his brigadiers that provisions would be exhausted in less than five days, and suggested retreating, perhaps as far back as Asmara. His subordinates argued forcefully for an attack, insisting that to retreat at this point would only worsen the poor morale. Dabormida exclaimed, "Italy would prefer the loss of two or three thousand men to a dishonorable retreat." Baratieri delayed making a decision for a few more hours, claiming that he needed to wait for some last-minute intelligence, but in the end announced that the attack would start the next morning at 9:00am. His troops began their march to their starting positions shortly after midnight.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: Estimates for the Ethiopian forces under Menelik range from a low of 73,000 to a high of over 120,000, outnumbering the Italians by an estimated five or six times. The forces were divided among Emperor Menelik, Empress Taytu Betul, "Ras" Wale Betul, "Ras" Mengesha Atikem, "Ras" Mengesha Yohannes, "Ras" Alula Engida (Abba Nega), "Ras" Mikael of Wollo, "Ras" Makonnen Wolde Mikael,"Fitawrari" Habte Giyorgis, "Fitawrari" Gebeyyehu, and "Negus" Tekle Haymanot Tessemma. In addition, the armies were followed by a similar number of camp followers who supplied the army, as had been done for centuries. Most of the army consisted of riflemen, a significant percentage of whom were in Menelik's reserve; however, there were also a significant number of cavalry and infantry only armed with lances (those with lances were referred to as "lancer servants"). The Kuban Cossack army officer N. S. Leontiev who visited Ethiopia in 1895, according to some sources, led a small team of Russian advisers and volunteers. Other sources assert that Leontiev did not in fact participate in the battle, rather he visited Ethiopia first unofficially in January 1895, and then officially as a representative of Russia in August 1895, but then left later that year, returning only after the Battle of Adwa.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: At the Battle of Adwa, Ethiopian fighters from all parts of the country rallied to the cause and took up positions on the battlefield that allowed them to come to each other's aid during combat. Armies who participated in the battle includes Tekle Haymanot's Amhara infantry and cavalry; Ras Mengesha’s Tigrayan army; Ras Mikael’s Oromo cavalry; Ras Makonnen's Harar army that composed of Amhara and Gurage infantry and Oromo cavalry; Wag-shum Gwangul's Agew and Amhara infantry from Wag and Lasta. Fitawrari Tekle led the Wellega Oromo cavalry while Ras Gugsa Olié's army was composed of Amharas from Semien and Quara. Empress Taytu Bitul led her own Begemder Amhara and Yejju fighters. The Fitawrari's army, normally the leader of the advanced guard, was commanded by Fitawrari Gebeyehu. The mehal sefari or central fighting unit mostly included Shewan Amhara infantry and Mecha-Tulama Oromo cavalry. The Ethiopian army at Adwa was, therefore, a mosaic of various ethnic groups and tribes that marched north for a common, national cause.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: The Italian army consisted of four brigades, totaling 17,978 troops with fifty-six artillery pieces. However, it is likely that fewer fought in the actual battle on the Italian side: Harold Marcus notes that "several thousand" soldiers were needed in support roles and to guard the lines of communication to the rear. He accordingly estimates that the Italian force at Adwa consisted of 14,923 effective combat troops. One brigade under General Albertone was made up of Eritrean Ascari led by Italian officers. The remaining three brigades were Italian units under Brigadiers Dabormida, Ellena and Arimondi. While these included elite Bersaglieri and Alpini units, a large proportion of the troops were inexperienced conscripts recently drafted from metropolitan regiments in Italy into newly formed "d'Africa" battalions for service in Africa. Additionally, a limited number of troops were from the Cacciatori d'Africa; units permanently serving in Africa and in part recruited from Italian settlers.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: The Italian operational corps in Eritrea was under the command of General Oreste Baratieri. The chief of staff was Lieutenant Colonel Giacchino Valenzano.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: Budget restrictions and supply shortages meant that many of the rifles and artillery pieces issued to the Italian reinforcements sent to Africa were obsolete models, while clothing and other equipment was often substandard. The logistics and training of the recently arrived conscript contingents from Italy were inferior to the experienced colonial troops based in Eritrea.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: On the night of 29 February and the early morning of 1 March, three Italian brigades advanced separately towards Adwa over narrow mountain tracks, while a fourth remained camped. David Levering Lewis states that the Italian battle plan: However, the three leading Italian brigades had become separated during their overnight march and by dawn were spread across several miles of very difficult terrain. Their sketchy maps caused Albertone to mistake one mountain for Kidane Meret, and when a scout pointed out his mistake, Albertone advanced directly into the Ethiopian positions.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: Unbeknownst to General Baratieri, Emperor Menelik knew his troops had exhausted the ability of the local peasants to support them and had planned to break camp the next day (2 March). The Emperor had risen early to begin prayers for divine guidance when spies from Ras Alula, brought him news that the Italians were advancing. The Emperor summoned the separate armies of his nobles and with the Empress Taytu Betul beside him, ordered his forces forward. Negus Tekle Haymanot commanded the right wing with his troops from Gojjam, Ras Mengesha in the left with his troops from Tigray, Ras Makonnen leading the center with his Harari troops, and Ras Mikael at the north side leading the Wollo Oromo cavalry. In the reserves on the hills just west of Adwa, were the Emperor Menelik and Empress Taitu, with the warriors of Ras Olié and Wagshum Guangul. The Ethiopian forces positioned themselves on the hills overlooking the Adwa valley, in perfect position to receive the Italians, who were exposed and vulnerable to crossfire.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: Albertone's Ascari Brigade was the first to encounter the onrush of Ethiopians at 06:00, near Kidane Meret, where the Ethiopians had managed to set up their mountain artillery. Accounts of the Ethiopian artillery deployed at Adwa differ; Russian advisor Leonid Artamonov wrote that it comprised forty-two Russian mountain guns supported by a team of fifteen advisers, but British writers suggest that the Ethiopian guns were Hotchkiss and Maxim pieces captured from the Egyptians or purchased from French and other European suppliers. The Ethiopian units closest to Albertone’s advanced position on the slopes of the Hill of Enda Kidane Meret first moved to the attack. These included troops under Menelik, Negus Tekle Haymanot, Ras Mikael, and Ras Mangasha, while those of Ras Makonnen and Ras Olié came up soon after, so a large proportion of the Ethiopian army was soon concentrated against Albertone’s isolated Ascari Brigade. Albertone's heavily outnumbered Ascaris held their position for two hours until Albertone's capture, and under Ethiopian pressure the survivors sought refuge with Arimondi's brigade. Arimondi's brigade beat back the Ethiopians who repeatedly charged the Italian position for three hours with gradually fading strength until Menelik released his reserve of 25,000 Shewans and overran the Italian defenders. Two companies of Bersaglieri who arrived at the same moment could not help and were cut down.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: Dabormida's Italian Brigade had moved to support Albertone but was unable to reach him in time. Cut off from the remainder of the Italian army, Dabormida began a fighting retreat towards friendly positions. However, he inadvertently marched his command into a narrow valley where the Wollo Oromo cavalry under Ras Mikael slaughtered his brigade, while shouting "Ebalgume! Ebalgume!" ("Reap! Reap!"). Dabormida's remains were never found, although an old woman living in the area said that she had given water to a mortally wounded Italian officer, "a chief, a great man with spectacles and a watch, and golden stars".


title: Battle of Adwa

text: Two Alpini companies under Baratieri himself were outflanked and destroyed piecemeal on the slopes of Mount Belah by the warriors of Ras Makonnen. Menelik watched as Gojjam forces under the command of Tekle Haymanot made quick work of the last intact Italian brigade. By noon, the survivors of the Italian army were in full retreat and the main battle was over. The Ethiopian pursuit continued for nine miles until the late afternoon, while local peasants alerted by signal fires killed Italian and Ascari stragglers throughout the night.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: According to Richard Caulk the losses of the Italian army were 5,900 killed and 1,000 wounded in the battle and subsequent retreat back into Eritrea, with 1,681 taken prisoner. Brigadiers Dabormida and Arimondi were amongst the dead. Caulk records that Ethiopian losses were 3,886 killed and 6,000 wounded. In their flight to Eritrea, the Italians left behind all of their artillery and 11,000 rifles, as well as most of their transport. As Paul B. Henze notes, "Baratieri's army had been completely annihilated while Menelik's was intact as a fighting force and gained thousands of rifles and a great deal of equipment from the fleeing Italians." The Italian prisoners, who included Brigadier Albertone, appear to have been treated as well as could be expected under difficult circumstances, though about 200 died of their wounds in captivity.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: However, 800 captured Eritrean Ascari, regarded as traitors by the Ethiopians, had their right hands and left feet amputated. Augustus Wylde records when he visited the battlefield months after the battle, the pile of severed hands and feet was still visible, "a rotting heap of ghastly remnants." Further, many Ascari had not survived their punishment, Wylde writing how the neighborhood of Adwa "was full of their freshly dead bodies; they had generally crawled to the banks of the streams to quench their thirst, where many of them lingered unattended and exposed to the elements until death put an end to their sufferings." There does not appear to be any evidence for reports that some Italians were castrated and these may reflect confusion with the atrocious treatment of the Ascari prisoners.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: Baratieri was relieved of his command and later charged with preparing an "inexcusable" plan of attack and for abandoning his troops in the field. He was acquitted on these charges but was described by the court martial judges as being "entirely unfit" for his command.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: Public opinion in Italy was outraged. Chris Prouty offers a panoramic overview of the response in Italy to the news:


title: Battle of Adwa

text: The Russian support for Ethiopia led to the advent of a Russian Red Cross mission. The Russian mission was a military mission conceived as a medical support for the Ethiopian troops. It arrived in Addis Ababa some three months after Menelik's Adwa victory.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: In 1895, Emperor Menelik II invited Leontiev to return to Ethiopia with a Russian military mission. Leontiev organized a delivery of Russian weapons for Ethiopia: 30,000 rifles, 5,000,000 cartridges, 5,000 sabres, and a few cannons.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: Emperor Menelik decided not to follow up on his victory by attempting to drive the routed Italians out of their colony. The victorious Emperor limited his demands to little more than the abrogation of the Treaty of Wuchale. In the context of the prevailing balance of power, the emperor's crucial goal was to preserve Ethiopian independence. In addition, Ethiopia had just begun to emerge from a long and brutal famine; Harold Marcus reminds us that the army was restive over its long service in the field, short of rations, and the short rains which would bring all travel to a crawl would soon start to fall. At the time, Menelik claimed a shortage of cavalry horses with which to harry the fleeing soldiers. Chris Prouty observes that "a failure of nerve on the part of Menelik has been alleged by both Italian and Ethiopian sources." Lewis believes that it "was his farsighted certainty that total annihilation of Baratieri and a sweep into Eritrea would force the Italian people to turn a bungled colonial war into a national crusade" that stayed his hand.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: As a direct result of the battle, Italy signed the Treaty of Addis Ababa, recognizing Ethiopia as an independent state. Almost forty years later, on 3 October 1935, after the League of Nations's weak response to the Abyssinia Crisis, the Italians launched a new military campaign endorsed by Benito Mussolini, the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. This time the Italians employed vastly superior military technology such as tanks and aircraft, as well as chemical warfare, and the Ethiopian forces were defeated by May 1936. Following the war, Italy occupied Ethiopia for five years (1936–41), before eventually being driven out during World War II by British Empire forces and Ethiopian "Arbegnoch" guerillas.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: "The confrontation between Italy and Ethiopia at Adwa was a fundamental turning point in Ethiopian history," writes Henze. On a similar note, the Ethiopian historian Bahru Zewde observed that "few events in the modern period have brought Ethiopia to the attention of the world as has the victory at Adwa".


title: Battle of Adwa

text: The Russian Empire had sold many artillery pieces to the Ethiopian forces and paid enthusiastic compliments to the Ethiopian success. One of the documents of that time stated "The Victory immediately gained the general sympathy of Russian society and it continued to grow." The unique outlook which polyethnic Russia exhibited to Ethiopia disturbed many supporters of European nationalism during the twentieth century. The Russian Cossack captain Nikolay Leontiev with a small escort was present at the battle as an observer.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: This defeat of a colonial power and the ensuing recognition of African sovereignty became rallying points for later African nationalists during their struggle for decolonization, as well as activists and leaders of the Pan-African movement. As the Afrocentric scholar Molefe Asante explains,


title: Battle of Adwa

text: On the other hand, many writers have pointed out how this battle was a humiliation for the Italian military. Italian historian Tripodi argued that some of the roots of the rise of Fascism in Italy went back to this defeat and to the perceived need to "avenge" the defeat that started to be present in the military and nationalistic groups of the Kingdom of Italy. The same Mussolini declared when Italian troops occupied Addis Ababa in May 1936: "Adua è vendicata" (Adwa has been avenged).


title: Battle of Adwa

text: Indeed, one student of Ethiopia's History, Donald N. Levine, points out that for the Italians Adwa "became a national trauma which demagogic leaders strove to avenge. It also played no little part in motivating Italy's revanchist adventure in 1935". Levine also noted that the victory "gave encouragement to isolationist and conservative strains that were deeply rooted in Ethiopian culture, strengthening the hand of those who would strive to keep Ethiopia from adopting techniques imported from the modern West – resistances with which both Menelik and Ras Teferi/Haile Selassie would have to contend".


title: Battle of Adwa

text: The Adwa Victory Day is a public holiday in all regional states and charter cities across Ethiopia. All schools, banks, post offices and government offices are closed, with the exceptions of health facilities. Some taxi services and public transports choose not to operate on this day. Shops are normally open but most close earlier than usual.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: The Victory of Adwa, being a public holiday, is commemorated in public spaces. In Addis Ababa, the Victory of Adwa is celebrated at Menelik Square with the presence of government officials, patriots, foreign diplomats and the general public. The Ethiopian Police Orchestra play various patriotic songs as they walk around Menelik Square.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: The public dress up in traditional Ethiopian patriotic attire. Men often wear Jodhpurs and various types of vest; they carry the Ethiopian flag and various patriotic banners and placards, as well as traditional Ethiopian shields and swords called Shotel. Women dress up in different patterns of handcrafted traditional Ethiopian clothing, known in Amharic as Habesha kemis. Some wear black gowns over all, while others put royal crowns on their heads. Women's styles of dress, like their male counterparts, imitate the traditional styles of Ethiopian patriotic women. Of particular note is the dominant presence of the Empress Taytu Betul during these celebrations.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: The beloved and influential wife of Emperor Menelik II, Empress Taytu Betul, played a significant role during the Battle of Adwa. Although often overlooked, thousands of women participated in the Battle of Adwa. Some were trained as nurses to attend to the wounded, and others mainly cooked and supplied food and water to the soldiers and comforted the wounded.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: In addition to Addis Ababa, other major cities in Ethiopia, including Bahir Dar, Debre Markos and the town of Adwa itself, where the battle took place, celebrate the Victory of Adwa in public ceremonies.


title: Battle of Adwa

text: Several images and symbols are used during the commemoration of the Victory of Adwa, including the tri-coloured green, gold and red Ethiopian flag, images of Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytu Betul, as well as other prominent kings and war generals of the time including King Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam, King Michael of Wollo, Dejazmach Balcha Safo, Fitawrari Habte Giyorgis Dinagde, and Fitawrari Gebeyehu, among others. Surviving members of the Ethiopian patriotic battalions wear the various medals that they collected for their participation on different battlefields. Young people often wear T-shirts adorned by Emperor Menelik II, Empress Taytu, Emperor Haile Selassie and other notable members of the Ethiopian monarchy. Popular and patriotic songs are often played on amplifiers. Of particular note are Ejigayehu Shibabaw's ballad dedicated to the Battle of Adwa and Teddy Afro's popular song "Tikur Sew", which literally translates to "black man or black person" – a poetic reference to Emperor Menelik II's decisive African victory over Europeans, as well as the Emperor's darker skin complexion.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: The Battle of Caporetto (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, the Battle of Kobarid or the Battle of Karfreit) was a battle on the Italian front of World War I.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central Powers and took place from 24 October to 19 November 1917, near the town of Kobarid (now in north-western Slovenia, then part of the Austrian Littoral). The battle was named after the Italian name of the town (also known as "Karfreit" in German).


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: Austro-Hungarian forces, reinforced by German units, were able to break into the Italian front line and rout the Italian forces opposing them. The battle was a demonstration of the effectiveness of the use of stormtroopers and the infiltration tactics developed in part by Oskar von Hutier. The use of poison gas by the Germans also played a key role in the collapse of the Italian Second Army.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: The rest of the Italian Army retreated to the Piave River, its effective strength declined from 1,800,000 troops down to 1,000,000 and the government of Paolo Boselli collapsed.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: Throughout the spring and summer of 1917, the Italians had launched numerous offensives on the Austro-Hungarian Lines in the Isonzo Sector, with the 11th Battle of the Isonzo being the most successful in pushing back the Austro-Hungarians. After the Italian success in the 11th Battle of the Isonzo, Emperor Karl knew a breakthrough was going to happen at any moment, as both the Austro-Hungarians and Italians were exhausted, and running out of men to sustain the war. So, he wrote to Kaiser Wilhelm II and requested that German forces be deployed to Italy.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: In August 1917 Paul von Hindenburg and Arthur Arz von Straußenburg decided to send troops from the Eastern Front to the Isonzo Sector. Erich Ludendorff was opposed to this but was overruled. Later, in September three experts from the Imperial General Staff, led by the chemist Otto Hahn, went to the Isonzo front to find a site suitable for a gas attack. They proposed attacking the quiet Caporetto sector, where a good road ran west through a mountain valley to the Venetian Plain. The Germans also sent Lieutenant General Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen, an expert in mountain warfare to reconnoitre the ground.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: The Austro-Hungarian Army Group Boroević, commanded by Svetozar Boroević, was prepared for the offensive. In addition, a new 14th Army was formed with nine Austrian and six to eight German divisions, which were commanded by the German Otto von Below. The German divisions were Ludendorff's general reserve. Lieutenant Colonel Georg Wetzell, Ludendorff's strategic adviser, advised Ludendorff to use the German divisions to attack a weakpoint in the Italian line. The Italians inadvertently helped by providing weather information over their radio.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: The German and Austro-Hungarian battle plan was to use Otto von Below's German divisions, which would be guided by Konrad Krafft to attack a part of the Julian Alps which was near the northeastern corner of the Venetian salient. Meanwhile, Svetozar's Austro-Hungarian army would attack the eastern end of the salient and a stretch of ground near the Adriatic shore.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: The buildup of German and Austro-Hungarian military forces in the region was noticed by the Italian air reconnaissance.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: Foul weather, as well as lack of readiness in some of the Austro-Hungarian divisions and in particular of their artillery, delayed the attack for two days but on 24 October there was no wind and the front was misted over. At 02:00, in the northern area of the battle (near Bovec/Plezzo) 894 metal tubes similar to Livens Projectors (), dug into a reverse slope, were triggered electrically to simultaneously fire canisters containing of chlorine-arsenic agent and diphosgene, smothering the Italian trenches in a dense cloud of poison gas. Knowing that their gas masks could protect them only for two hours or less, the defenders fled, though 500–600 were still killed. Other parts of the valley were bombed with gas from common grenades. Then the front was quiet until 06:00, when all the Italian wire and trenches to be attacked were bombarded by mortars.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: At 06:41, 2,200 guns opened fire, many targeting the valley road along which reserves were advancing to plug the gap. At 08:00 two large mines were detonated under strong points on the heights bordering the valley and the infantry attacked. Soon they penetrated the almost undefended Italian fortifications in the valley, breaching the defensive line of the Italian Second Army between the IV and XXVII Corps. To protect the attackers' flanks, Alpine Troops infiltrated the strong points and batteries along the crests of the adjoining ridges, Matajur and Kolovrat, laying out their telephone lines as they advanced to maintain contact with their artillery. Specially-trained and equipped stormtrooper units led attacks, making good use of the new German model 08/15 Maxim light machine gun, light trench mortars, mountain guns, flamethrowers and hand grenades.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: The attackers in the valley marched almost unopposed along the excellent road toward Italy, some advanced on the first day. The Italian army beat back the attackers on either side of the sector where the central column attacked, but von Below's successful central penetration threw the entire Italian army into disarray. Forces had to be moved along the Italian front in an attempt to stem von Below's breakout, but this only weakened other points along the line and invited further attacks. At this point, the entire Italian position was threatened.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: The Italian 2nd Army commander Luigi Capello was bedridden with fever. Recognizing that his forces were ill-prepared for this attack and were being routed, Capello requested permission to withdraw to the Tagliamento. Cadorna, who believed the Italian force could regroup and hold out, denied the request. Finally, on 30 October 1917, Cadorna ordered the majority of the Italian force to retreat to the other side of the Tagliamento. It took the Italians four full days to cross the river, and by this time the German and Austro-Hungarian armies were on their heels, ambushing the defenders whenever they could. These ambushes would become known as the Battle of Pozzuolo. Eventually, the retreating Italian soldiers were able to break through the Austro-German encirclement and retreat to the Tagliamento River. Then, on 2 November, after Captain Emil Redl's 4th Battalion of the 4th Bosnian Infantry Regiment attack, the 55th Infantry Division (Austria-Hungary) established a bridgehead across the Tagliamento River. About this time, however, the rapid success of the attack caught up with them. The German and Austro-Hungarian supply lines were stretched to the breaking point and unable to launch another attack to isolate a part of the Italian army against the Adriatic. Cadorna was able to retreat further and by 10 November had established a position on the Piave River and Monte Grappa.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: Even before the battle, Germany was struggling to feed and supply its armies in the field. Erwin Rommel, who as a junior officer won the Pour le Mérite for his accomplishments in the battle, often bemoaned the demands placed upon his "poorly fed troops". The Allied blockade of the German Empire, which the Kaiserliche Marine had been unable to break, had led to food shortages and widespread malnutrition in Germany and the Central Powers in general. The inadequate provisioning, as well as the grueling night marches preliminary to the Battle of Caporetto, took a toll on the German and Austro-Hungarian forces. Despite these logistical problems, the initial assault was extremely successful. However, as the area controlled by the combined Central Powers forces expanded, an already limited logistical capacity was overstrained. By the time the attack reached the Piave, the soldiers of the Central Powers were running low on supplies and were feeling the effects of exhaustion. As the Italians began to counter the pressure put on them, the German forces lost momentum and were once again caught up in another round of attrition warfare.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: Brian R. Sullivan called Caporetto "the greatest defeat in Italian military history." John R. Schindler wrote "By any standard, Twelfth Isonzo [Caporetto] and its aftermath represented an unprecedented catastrophe for Italian arms." The disaster "came as a shock" and "triggered a search for scapegoats," culminating in a 1919 Italian military commission that investigated the causes of the debacle. At Rapallo, a Supreme War Council was created to improve Allied military co-operation and develop a common strategy. Luigi Cadorna was forced to resign after the defeat, a final straw according to the Prime Minister, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando. Cadorna was known to have maintained poor relations with the other generals on his staff and by the start of the battle, had sacked 217 generals, 255 colonels and 355 battalion commanders.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: In addition, he was detested by his troops as being too harsh. Cadorna had been directing the battle some behind the front and retreated another to Padua. Cadorna was replaced by Armando Diaz and Pietro Badoglio, who commanded one of the corps easily overwhelmed by the Germans in the early stages of the battle, but escaped from all charges during the commission hearings. Italian propaganda offices were established, promising land and social justice to soldiers. Italy also accepted a more cautious military strategy from this point on. Diaz concentrated his efforts on rebuilding his shattered forces while taking advantage of the national rejuvenation that had been spurred by invasion and defeat.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: Italian losses were enormous: 13,000 were killed, 30,000 wounded and 265,000–275,000 were taken prisoner. Morale was so low among the Italian troops, mainly due to Cadorna's harsh disciplinary regime, that most of these surrendered willingly. 3,152 artillery pieces, 3,000 machine guns and 1,712 mortars were lost, along with a vast amount of stores and equipment. In contrast, the Austro-Hungarians and Germans sustained between 20,000 and 70,000 casualties.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: The last push of Austro-Hungarian and German forces was met and defeated by Italian forces at the First Battle of Monte Grappa: they had advanced more than in the direction of Venice, but they were not able to cross the Piave River. Up to this point the Italians had been left to fight on their own but, after the Battle of Caporetto, Britain and France sent reinforcements to the Italians. They were reinforced by six French infantry divisions and five British infantry divisions as well as sizeable air contingents. However, these troops played no role in stemming the advancing Germans and Austro-Hungarians, because they were deployed on the Mincio River, some behind the Piave, as the British and French strategists did not believe the Piave line could be held.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: The Piave served as a natural barrier where the Italians could establish a new defensive line, which was held during the subsequent Battle of the Piave River and later served as springboard for the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, where the Austro-Hungarian army was finally defeated after eleven days of resistance. On November 5, Allied officials came together at Rapallo to form the Supreme War Council.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: Opera Nazionale Combattenti, an Italian charitable organisation, was set up in December 1917 in the immediate aftermath of the battle, to provide assistance to veterans of the First World War; it was closed in 1977.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: After the battle, the term "Caporetto" gained a particular resonance in Italy. It is used to denote a terrible defeat – the failed General Strike of 1922 by the socialists was referred to by Mussolini as the "Caporetto of Italian Socialism". Many years after the war, Caporetto was still being used to destroy the credibility of the liberal state.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: The Battle of Caporetto has been the subject of a number of books. British writer and military historian Cyril Falls's one volume "The Battle of Caporetto" is an operational and tactical account of the battle as the centerpiece of the larger campaign in northeastern Italy. "Infanterie greift an" ("Infantry Attacks"), an interwar memoir and military handbook written by the future German field marshal Erwin Rommel, features the actions of then lieutenant Rommel and units he led during the battle, providing insight into "stormtrooper" tactics. The Swedish author F.J. Nordstedt (pseud. Christian Braw) wrote about the battle in his novel "Caporetto". The bloody aftermath of Caporetto was vividly described by Ernest Hemingway in his novel "A Farewell to Arms". Curzio Malaparte wrote an excoriation of the battle in his first book, "Viva Caporetto", published in 1921. It was censored by the state and suppressed; it was finally published in 1980. The battle also features prominently in the novel "Questa storia" by Alessandro Baricco.


title: Battle of Caporetto

text: Today, a museum in the town of Kobarid is dedicated to the Isonzo Battles in general, and the Caporetto Battle in particular.


title: Noémie Merlant

text: Noémie Merlant (; born 27 November 1988) is a French actress and director. She has been nominated for her performances twice at the César Awards, including a nomination for her breakout role in "Portrait of a Lady on Fire".


title: Noémie Merlant

text: Merlant was born on 27 November 1988 in Paris. Both of her parents are real estate agents. She was raised in Rezé near Nantes.


title: Noémie Merlant

text: Merlant began her career as a professional model before attending the Cours Florent acting school in Paris.


title: Noémie Merlant

text: She had her first breakthrough in the 2016 film "Heaven Will Wait" for which she was nominated for the César Award for Most Promising Actress.


title: Noémie Merlant

text: In 2019 Merlant starred in "Portrait of a Lady on Fire". She won the Lumières Award for Best Actress for her performance and was nominated for the César Award for Best Actress alongside her co-star Adèle Haenel.


title: Noémie Merlant

text: In 2020 she starred in Zoé Wittock's "Jumbo", a film about a woman who falls in love with an Amusement Park ride. She also starred in Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar's A Good Man.


title: Noémie Merlant

text: In 2022 Merlant plays Francesca Lentini, a musician and personal assistant to the celebrated composer/conductor Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) in the movie "Tár", directed by Todd Field. <ref>


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: The Flesch–Kincaid readability tests are readability tests designed to indicate how difficult a passage in English is to understand. There are two tests: the Flesch Reading-Ease, and the Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level. Although they use the same core measures (word length and sentence length), they have different weighting factors.


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: The results of the two tests correlate approximately inversely: a text with a comparatively high score on the Reading Ease test should have a lower score on the Grade-Level test. Rudolf Flesch devised the Reading Ease evaluation; somewhat later, he and J. Peter Kincaid developed the Grade Level evaluation for the United States Navy.


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: "The Flesch–Kincaid" (F–K) reading grade level was developed under contract to the U.S. Navy in 1975 by J. Peter Kincaid and his team. Related U.S. Navy research directed by Kincaid delved into high-tech education (for example, the electronic authoring and delivery of technical information), usefulness of the Flesch–Kincaid readability formula, computer aids for editing tests, illustrated formats to teach procedures, and the Computer Readability Editing System (CRES).


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: The F–K formula was first used by the Army for assessing the difficulty of technical manuals in 1978 and soon after became a United States Military Standard. Pennsylvania was the first U.S. state to require that automobile insurance policies be written at no higher than a ninth-grade level (14–15 years of age) of reading difficulty, as measured by the F–K formula. This is now a common requirement in many other states and for other legal documents such as insurance policies.


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: In the Flesch reading-ease test, higher scores indicate material that is easier to read; lower numbers mark passages that are more difficult to read. The formula for the Flesch reading-ease score (FRES) test is:


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: "Reader's Digest" magazine has a readability index of about 65, "Time" magazine scores about 52, an average grade six student's written assignment (age of 12) has a readability index of 60–70 (and a reading grade level of six to seven), and the "Harvard Law Review" has a general readability score in the low 30s. The highest (easiest) readability score possible is 121.22, but only if every sentence consists of only one one-syllable word. "The cat sat on the mat." scores 116. The score does not have a theoretical lower bound; therefore, it is possible to make the score as low as wanted by arbitrarily including words with many syllables. The sentence "This sentence, taken as a reading passage unto itself, is being used to prove a point." has a readability of 69. The sentence "The Australian platypus is seemingly a hybrid of a mammal and reptilian creature." scores 37.5 as it has 24 syllables and 13 words. While Amazon calculates the text of "Moby-Dick" as 57.9, one particularly long sentence about sharks in chapter 64 has a readability score of −146.77. One sentence in the beginning of "Swann's Way", by Marcel Proust, has a score of −515.1.


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: The U.S. Department of Defense uses the reading ease test as the standard test of readability for its documents and forms. Florida requires that insurance policies have a Flesch reading ease score of 45 or greater.


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: Use of this scale is so ubiquitous that it is bundled with popular word processing programs and services such as KWord, IBM Lotus Symphony, Microsoft Office Word, WordPerfect, WordPro, and Grammarly.


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: These readability tests are used extensively in the field of education. The "Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level Formula" presents a score as a U.S. grade level, making it easier for teachers, parents, librarians, and others to judge the readability level of various books and texts. It can also mean the number of years of education generally required to understand this text, relevant when the formula results in a number greater than 10. The grade level is calculated with the following formula:


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: The result is a number that corresponds with a U.S. grade level. The sentence, "The Australian platypus is seemingly a hybrid of a mammal and reptilian creature" is an 11.3 as it has 24 syllables and 13 words. The different weighting factors for words per sentence and syllables per word in each scoring system mean that the two schemes are not directly comparable and cannot be converted. The grade level formula emphasizes sentence length over word length. By creating one-word strings with hundreds of random characters, grade levels may be attained that are hundreds of times larger than high school completion in the United States. Due to the formula's construction, the score does not have an upper bound.


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: The lowest grade level score in theory is −3.40, but there are few real passages in which every sentence consists of a single one-syllable word. "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss comes close, averaging 5.7 words per sentence and 1.02 syllables per word, with a grade level of −1.3. (Most of the 50 used words are monosyllabic; "anywhere", which occurs eight times, is the only exception.)


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: Leah Borovoi from the Infinity Labs has calculated the Flesch score for the seven Harry Potter books that were located at the Glozman Website. The average Flesch score for Harry Potter was 72.83, with the highest score (81.32) for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and the lowest score (65.88) for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: Readability of newspaper content (by topic and by newspaper) has been measured on a big-data scale, showing strong topic-readability correlations.


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: Leah Borovoi also calculated the Flesch score for 2,000 articles about people on Wikipedia. According to this study, the most readable articles are about sportspeople and entertainers (actors and actresses), while the least readable articles are about scientists and philosophers. The least readable scientists are economists (Flesch score = 41.70), psychologists (42.25), chemists (42.81), and mathematicians (43.35).


title: Flesch–Kincaid readability tests

text: According to the Flesch score, the most readable Wikipedia articles about people are the articles about sports figures. For example: basketball player Larry Bird (72.60), former Olympic Skater Bonnie Blair (70.43) and basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (70.11).