Ethiopian Empire

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Ethiopian Empire
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1270 - 1936
1941 - 1975		 →
 
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Flag Coat of arms
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Ethiopia
Capital Addis Ababa
Government Monarchy
Emperor
 - 1270-1285 Yekuno Amlak (first)
 - 1930-1974 Haile Selassie I (last)
History
 - Overthrow of Zagwe kings 1270
 - Italian occupation 1936
 - Liberation 1941
 - Coup d'etat 1974
 - Monarchy abolished March 12, 1975

The Ethiopian Empire, also known as Abyssinia, in what is now Ethiopia and Eritrea existed from approximately 1270 (beginning of Solomonid Dynasty) until 1974 when the monarchy was overthrown in a coup d'etat. It was in its time the oldest state in the world[citation needed], and the only native African nation to successfully resist the Scramble for Africa by the colonial powers during the 19th century.

Contents

[edit] Early History

Human settlement in Ethiopia is very ancient with earliest ancestors to the human species discovered. Together with Eritrea and the southeastern part of the Red Sea coast of Sudan, it is considered the most likely location of the land known to the ancient Egyptians as Punt whose first mention dates to the 25th century BC. The beginnings of a state were evident in the area that would become Abyssinia by 980 BC, which also serves as its legendary date of establishment. This date may have more to do with dynastic lineage than the actual establishment of a state.

[edit] Zagwe Dynasty

The history of independent Abyssinia begins with the death of the last Aksumite king and overlord at the hands of the founder of the Zagwe Dynasty. This occurred around 1137. The Zagwe were of the Agaw dynasty, whose power never extended much farther than their own ethnic heartland. Nevertheless, they continued the Christianity of Aksum and constructed many magnificent churches such as those at Lalibela. The dynasty would last until its overthrow by a new regime claiming descent from the old Aksumite kings.

[edit] Solomonid Dynasty

In 1270, the Zagwe dynasty was overthrown by a king claiming lineage with the Aksumite emperors and thus that of Solomon (hence the name "Solomonid"). The Solomonid Dynasty was born of and ruled by the Habesha, from whom Abyssinia gets its name.

The Habesha reigned with only a few interruptions from 1270 until the late 20th century. It is under this dynasty that most of Ethiopia's modern history is formed. During this time, the empire conquered and incorporated virtually all the peoples within modern Ethiopia and Eritrea. They successfully fought off Arab and Turkish armies and made fruitful contacts with some European powers.

[edit] Scramble for Africa and Modernization

The 1880s were marked by the Scramble for Africa and modernization of Ethiopia. Conflicts with Italy resulted in the Battle of Adowa in 1896, whereby the Ethiopians surprised the world by defeating the colonial power and remaining independent under the rule of Menelik II. Italy and Ethiopia signed a provisional treaty of peace on October 26, 1896.

[edit] Italian Invasion and WWII

In 1935 Italian soldiers commanded by Marshal Emilio De Bono invaded Ethiopia. The war lasted seven months before an Italian victory was declared. The invasion was condemned by the League of Nations, though as with the Manchuria Incident, not much was done to end the hostility. Ethiopia became part of Italian East Africa until its liberation in 1941 by Allied forces in North Africa.

Ethiopia received Eritrea after World War II, which remained within it after the dissolution of the monarchy until Eritrea's separation in 1993.

[edit] Rise of Derg

In 1974 a pro-Soviet Marxist-Leninist military junta, the "Derg", led by Mengistu Haile Mariam, deposed Haile Selassie and established a one-party communist state. Haile Selassie was imprisoned and died under unclear circumstances, possibly because of being denied medical treatment.

[edit] See also