in these years, one of the most prominent political figures was francesco crispi, whose actions as prime minister were characterised by a nationalism that often appeared as a form of obsession for the national unity and defence from hostile foreign countries. italy managed to colonize the east african coast of eritrea and somalia, but failed to conquer ethiopia with 15,000 italians dying in the war and being forced to retreat. then, italy waged war with the ottoman empire from 1911 to 1912 and gained libya and the dodecanese islands from turkey. however, these attempts to gain popular support from the public failed, and rebellions and violent protests became so intense that many observers believed that the young kingdom of italy would not survive.