Haile Selassie I was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia under Empress Zewditu between 1916 and 1930. Widely considered to be a defining figure in modern Ethiopian history,he is accorded divine importance in Rastafari,an Abrahamic religion that emerged in the 1930s. A few years before he began his reign over the Ethiopian Empire,Selassie defeated Ethiopian army commander Ras Gugsa Welle Bitul,nephew of Empress Taytu Betul,at the Battle of Anchem. He belonged to the Solomonic dynasty,founded by Emperor Yekuno Amlak in 1270;Amlak's successors claimed that he was a lineal descendant of Menelik I,the legendary Emperor of Ethiopia who was supposedly born to King Solomon and Queen Makeda of the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Sheba,respectively. Historians regard the Solomonic lineage claim as unfounded,created by Amlak to justify wresting power from the Zagwe Dynasty.
Lij Iyasu was the designated Emperor of Ethiopia from 1913 to 1916. His baptismal name was Kifle Yaqob. Ethiopian emperors traditionally chose their regnal name on the day they were crowned,and since he was never crowned,he is usually referred to as Lij Iyasu,"Lij" meaning child,especially one born of royal blood.
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.
Princess Tenagnework Haile Selassie,GBE was the eldest child of Emperor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen Asfaw.
Princess Tsehai Haile Selassie was the third daughter and fourth child of Emperor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen Asfaw of Ethiopia.
Gore is a town in south-western Ethiopia. Located south of Metu in the Illubabor Zone of the Oromia Region,this town has a latitude and longitude of 8°9′N35°31′E and an elevation of 2085 meters.
Princess Sophia Desta was the youngest daughter of Ras Desta Damtew and Princess Tenagnework Haile Selassie,and granddaughter of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. She was educated at Clarendon School for Girls in the United Kingdom together with her three sisters,Aida,Hirut Desta (Ruth) and Sebel. Princess Sophia was imprisoned,mistreated and humiliated in the Alem Bekagn Kerchele prison,Addis Ababa together with her sisters,other princesses of the Imperial Family,from 1974 until 1988.
RasDesta Damtew KBE was an Ethiopian noble,army commander and a son-in-law of Emperor Haile Selassie I. He is known for his leadership in the Ethiopian Army during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. He was executed on 24 February 1937,by the Italian Armed Forces shortly after Ethiopia's loss in the war.
The March of the Iron Will was an Italian offensive occurring from 26 April to 5 May 1936,during the final days of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. Its goal was to capture the Ethiopian capital,Addis Ababa,in a show of force for Fascist propaganda. An Italian mechanized column under the command of Pietro Badoglio,Marshal of Italy,advanced from the town of Dessie to take Addis Ababa. The march covered a distance of approximately 200 miles (320 km).
Haile Selassie Gugsa CBE (1907–1985) was an Ethiopian army commander and member of the Imperial family from Tigray. He is known for betraying his country during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and becoming a fascist collaborator.
Hailu Tekle Haymanot,also named Hailu II of Gojjam,was an army commander and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire. He represented a provincial ruling elite who were often at odds with the Ethiopian central government. Hailu Tekle Haymanot was an independent-minded potentate who,throughout his life,was mistrustful of and mistrusted by the Emperor.
LijAbiye Abebe was an Ethiopian politician and son-in-law of Emperor Haile Selassie.
Ethiopia–Japan relations are the international relations between Ethiopia and Japan. Before the Second Italo-Ethiopian War the Japanese worked towards economic goals with the Ethiopians in attempts to expand Japan's trade with the rest of the world.
Clifford Henry Fitzherbert Plowman CMG OBE BA JP was a British diplomat and Colonial Service administrator. He was the only child of the Rev'd Herbert William Thomas Plowman MA and Louisa Plowman. He was educated at King's Ely and Trinity College,Cambridge.
The attack on the United States embassy in Addis Ababa was an assault against the chancery of the embassy of the United States to the Ethiopian Empire by shiftas. It occurred in early May 1936 following the collapse of the Ethiopian government and the departure of Emperor Haile Selassie from the city prior to the Italian conquest of Addis Ababa. The attack forced the temporary abandonment of the compound and the evacuation of its personnel by the British Army.
Addison E. Southard was an American diplomat who served as Minister Resident and Consul General to multiple countries. After serving in administration roles in the Philippines and diplomatic roles in the Middle East and Southeast Asia Southard reestablished relations between the United States and Ethiopia. He later served as the Consul General for Hong Kong and Macau until Hong Kong fell to the Japanese.
Ethiopia–France relations are the international relations between Ethiopia and France. Before World War II,France competed for influence over Ethiopia against the British and the Italians.
During World War I,Ethiopia briefly forged an alliance with the Allied Powers,following Italy's entry into the war in 1915. In June 1916,a dynastic conflict emerged when the uncrowned Emperor,Lij Iyasu,was alleged to have converted to Islam under the influence of the Ottoman Empire,which led him to be charged with apostasy. As a result,then-regent Ras Tafari Mekonnen,later known as Emperor Haile Selassie,orchestrated a coup d'état in September,deposing Lij Iyasu and installing Empress Zewditu on the throne. Throughout the war,Empress Zewditu maintained a stance of neutrality.
