Nikolay Leontiev

[3][4] According to Paul B. Henze, during the First Italo-Ethiopian War, Leontiev travelled around Europe and busied himself as a self appointed Ethiopian emissary to Italy, the Tsar and various other European dignitaries.[7] Seeking to hasten the departure of Leontiev as the Russian press began to discover his fraudulent credentials, Nicholas II sent him back to Ethiopia on an officially sanctioned mission.Italy became concerned about Leontiev's meddling in Ethiopia and rumors proliferated that his role was indicative of greater covert Russian involvement.He was refused by the Italian treasury department but later told the Russian government that he had been offered two million lire to secure an agreement.Leontiev formed the first regular battalion, the kernel of which became the company of volunteers of former soldiers he invited from Senegal, who were trained by Russian and French officers.[6] Leontiev later organized a second and a third investment scheme under the same pretenses,[6] bribing the Emperor's secretary Ato Gabriel Gobana into signing a document that allowed him a concession to prospect the empire for gold.
Aleksandriya uezdKherson GovernorateRussian EmpireFranceRussiangeographerAfricaBoxer RebellionRusso-Japanese WarKherson ProvinceLeib Guard regimentKuban Cossack armyAshinovRussian Geographical SocietyRussiaEthiopiaPaul B. HenzeFirst Italo-Ethiopian WarMenelik IIAlexander IIISaint PetersburgNicholas IIBattle of AdwaAddis AbabaLake RudolfCossacksporuchikregular Ethiopian armySenegalAlfred Ilgin PekingOrder of Saint VladimirCross of St. GeorgeOrder of the Star of Ethiopia, 1st DegreeOrder of the Seal of SolomonAlexander BulatovichLeonid ArtamonovNikolay GumilevWayback Machine