Timeline

Date	Event
March 17th, 1930	The African Trade Union is formed.  It's official purpose is to negotiate trade treaties between the European nations regarding their African colonies.  It's real purpose is to begin a five year plan for unification and independence of Africa.  Secret camps are set up all over the African interior where stockpiles of weapons and equipment are slowly and quietly stored out of the prying eyes of Europe.  Agents are sent to all the colonies and native populations to make friends with the local leaders, gather information on European troop location and to prepare.
October 3rd, 1935	Mussolini invades Ethiopia.  Ethiopia declares war on Italy and Emperor Selassie petitions the League of Nations to intervene.
December 20th, 1935	Zulu chief Akalut along with General Edward Reynolds of the South African Defense Force stage a bloodless coup in South Africa financed by the African Trade Union.  Letters of Intent are sent to the Egyptian king, Halle Selassie and President Edwin Barclay of Liberia for a meeting in Capetown on the 1st of January. A Union mediator is sent to Egypt to negotiate with the British for administrative control over their southern colonies.
January 2nd, 1936	British respond favorably to Union mediator.  With financial troubles at home, and the threat from Germany on the rise, they are looking for a way to secure their African holdings without spreading their resources too thin.  The Union offers to buy administrative control outright, and make Britain a majority trading partner.  The British representative says that they will think about it. The Union meets in Capetown.  They vote Warren Andrew as the chairman of the African Union Council.  Ethiopia, Liberia and South Africa agree to join the council.  Egyptian king Faud has sent his son, Farouk to the meeting and must take word back to Egypt so the king can deliberate.  Although the king looks favorably on an African alliance, he is reluctant to risk causing trouble for the British who still own the Suez Canal and have troops stationed there.  France and Italy protest the claims of the African Union but do not take any immediate action but Portugal declares war on what they see as a dangerous and illegal government. Reynolds is placed in overall command of the military and Although Akalut retains his new South African government in Capetown, he accepts a subordinate role in the military.  Reynolds immediately begins organizing the military.  Akalut will command the 1st Zulu infantry division and Reynolds the 2nd SAF infantry division.  1st Army will be formed around Akalut's division.  2nd Army will be formed in Ethiopia around Halle Selassie, and 3rd Army will be formed around Reynolds division.  Vice Admiral Drake will command the two destroyer groups and six transport flotillas. Reynolds assumes that Portugal will eventually attack from their South African colonies of Angola and Mocambiq when they are prepared, so he launches a pre-emptive strike.  Akalut marches on the port of Inhambane.  4 Militia divisions are sent to Walvis Bay to stage an invasion of Angola.  Reynolds forces in Capetown prepare for an amphibious attack on Benguella using admiral Drakes squadron.
January 3rd, 1936	While the Unions military is small, without any air power, the industry of South Africa is in worse shape, hurt by civil unrest before the coup and is still in the process of being rebuilt.  The Union has stashed several cache's of equipment, but had planned more long term than 1936.  South Africa has forced their timetable too speed up, but they aren't ready.  Some stockpiles of equipment will take time to recover and utilize, and until then the training and equipping of new units will proceed painfully slowly.
January 4th, 1936	Insurgents in Ethiopia topple Selassie's government in order to stave off what they believe is inevitable destruction at the hands of the Italians.  Selassie and one division of loyal soldiers retreat to Kenya.  The Union is in no position to help him take back his country and with Italian troops already within the borders, even the emperor himself agrees to a delay while the Union consolidates their infrastructure and negotiations with the British are completed.  In the meantime, Reynolds has asked and the British will allow Selassie to remain in Kenya and prepare for the possibility of an Italian invasion.  Britain gives up administrative control of Kenya and the empires southern colonies pending the disposition of the North African holdings and payment by the Union. Musillini accepts the new Ethiopian governments unconditional surrender.  The Italian king, Vittorio Emmanuele III assumes the title of Emperor of Abbysinia, although the current parliment can keep their positions for domestic affairs with Lij Johannes as Prime minister.  As a virtual puppet state, Ethiopia retains her sovereignity in name only.
January 6th, 1936	General Reynolds leaves Capetown with his division to attack Benguella.  Although he expects no resistance since Portugal has not had the time to send troops, the militia will be in a position to support the invasion with an overland attack by the 15th.