Battle of Segale

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Battle of Segale
Part of Palace Coup against Lij Iyasu
Date 27 October 1916
Location Segale, 40 miles north of Addis Ababa
Result Lij Iyasu's chief supporter crushed, removing his ability to keep the Imperial throne
Combatants
Regents of Ethiopia Loyalists to Lij Iyasu
Commanders
Fitawrari Habte Giyorgis Negus Mikael
Strength
120,000 80,000
Casualties
TBD TBD

The nobility of Ethiopia had grown uneasy with the rule of Emperor Iyasu V. At last, on 27 September while Iyasu was absent from the capital Addis Ababa, the nobles convinced Abuna Mattewos to excommunicate Iyasu on the accusation of having converted to Islam, and announced that he had been deposed in favor of Empress Zawditu. Iyasu started to march on Addis Ababa, but was defeated at Mieso and fled into the Ogaden desert. Inexplicably passive during this sudden chain of events, his father, Negus Mikael of Wollo, did not march south upon the capital to restore Iyasu to the throne until the middle of the next month. Although he easily annihilated the garrison at Ankober and occupied the old Shewan capital, the nobles had been able to gather a sizable army, and under the command of Fitawrari Habte Giyorgis, this force marched north to do battle.

After maneuvering for position over several days, the two armies faced each other at Segale. Afterwards, the then Ras Tafari stated that because "bloodshed among Ethiopians themselves is extremely saddening, I arranged that monks from the monasteries of Debre Libanos and Zequala ... [should] come with their crosses to request Negus Mikael to go back to Wollo without making war." Negus Mikael is said to have simply arrested these emissaries, ignoring their message.[1]

Negus Mikael opened the battle early in the morning, but his artillery was put out of commission by his opponent and his machine-gunners ran out of ammunition. Although both sides fought fiercely, by noon (five hours after the battle started) it was over and Negus Mikael was a prisoner. Casualties for both sides, according to Paul Henze, probably reached 10,000.

Amnesty was offered to the soldiers from the losing side, provided that they swear loyalty to the new Empress. As for the deposed Lij Iyasu, he had just reached Ankober by the time the battle ended; he led his small army of 6,000 into the desert back to Dessie, arriving there 8 November. When the Imperial army reached that town 10 December, he fled further north to the old stronghold of Magdala, further away from the center of power.

Henze states that "Segale was Ethiopia's greatest battle since Adwa."[2] Bahru Zewde succinctly comments: "The Wallo forces were defeated. Negus Mikael was captured. The coup [of 27 September] was now sanctioned by blood."[3] And the young Ras Tafari had taken another step on his upward path towards becoming Emperor Haile Selassie.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ As quoted in Haile Selassie, My Life and Ethiopia's Progress (Chicago: Frontline Distribution International, 1999), pp. 54f.
  2. ^ Paul B. Henze, Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia (New York: Palgrave, 2000), p. 196.
  3. ^ Bahru Zewde, A History of Modern Ethiopia (London: James Currey, 1991), p. 128.
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