Second Italo-Abyssinian War: The Italian Air Force destroyed a Swedish Red Cross field hospital in Dolo, Ethiopia, in retaliation for the earlier execution of an Italian prisoner of war.

The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression waged by Italy against Ethiopia, which lasted from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is often referred to simply as the Italian Invasion, and in Italy as the Ethiopian War. It is seen as an example of the expansionist policy that characterized the Axis powers and the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations before the outbreak of World War II.

The Italian Air Force is the air force of the Italian Republic. The Italian Air Force was founded as an independent service arm on 28 March 1923 by King Victor Emmanuel III as the Regia Aeronautica. After World War II, when Italy became a republic following a referendum, the Regia Aeronautica was given its current name. Since its formation, the service has held a prominent role in modern Italian military history. The acrobatic display team is the Frecce Tricolori.

On 30 December 1935, a Swedish Red Cross field hospital was destroyed in an airstrike by the Regia Aeronautica in Dolo, Ethiopia, killing between 22 and 30 people, mostly Ethiopians. The attack was reportedly part of an Italian reprisal for the earlier execution of an Italian prisoner of war by Ethiopian troops or civilians.

The Swedish Red Cross is a Swedish humanitarian organisation and a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Founded in 1865, its purpose is to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever and whenever it occurs, voluntarily and without discrimination. Within Sweden, it operates more than 1,000 local branches, which are run by local committees.