UNIT-THREE

THE ETHIOPIAN EMPIRE AND THE EMERGENCE OF

AITOCRACY 1906-1935

1.1. Internal Power Struggle and Foreign Intervention in the

th
early 2o c
1. Internal factors:-
 The problem of succession
 Emperor Menelik II suffered a stroke in 1906.
 The death of Ras Mokennen Wolde Mikael, at the same time
2. External factors
♥ The Tripartite Treaty of 1906, was signed between British, France and Italy.
֍ They dissatisfied by the opening of the German Legation in Addis Ababa in 1905.
֍ To safeguard their political and economic interest in Ethiopia.
 By this treaty they were interested in Ethiopia. Such as:-
 French wanted to control the railway zone from Djibouti- Addis Ababa
 British wanted to control the source of Blue Nile Basin
 Italy wanted to construct a rail way that would connect her, two colonies Eritrea and
Italian Somalia land.

Meneli k’s Rea cti on to I nterna l a nd Ex ternal Challen es

  He wrote a letter to the signatories of the Tripartite Treaty, in which he underlined the
need to maintain the unity and independence of his country.
 He established the council of ministers in October 1907.
 Menelik announce his heir Lij Iyasu & Ras Bitwaded Tessema Nadew as a regent in
May 1909.
Power Struggle between Empress Taytu and the Shoan Nobility
▲ Taytu did not have biological child of her own to inherit the throne.
▲ She preferred princess Zewditu married to Taytu’s nephew, Ras Gugsa Wolle Bitul.
▲ Until the death of Menelik, Ras Tessema & the council of ministers respectful to Taytu.
▲ But she exercised great power in expense of the Shoan nobility.

The Co up De’ta t aga i ns t Ta ytu :-

came from

 The Shoan nobility

 The opposition of Ras Mikael, father of Lij Iyasu fought against Ras Wolle,
brother of Taytu.
 Finally, Taytu was removed from government duties in March 1910 & exiled to
Entoto, stayed until 1918.

The Reign of Lij Iyasu (1913-16)

☺ He began to exercise political power in April 1911 taking opportunity of the death of his
regent, Ras Bitweded Tessema Nadew.

Modern Reforms of Lij Iyasu

♣ Modified the traditional methods of tithe (asrat) collection.

♣ Abolished the Quragna system. Meaning the accused and accusers were chained
together until until justice was given.
♣ Changed the traditional practice of Lebashay. Mean by unreliable method of thief
detection.
♣ Established a modern municipal police, Arada Zabagna (Trunbulle).
♣ Introduced an auditing system, meant to protect public property.
♣ Followed a liberal policy of religion. And
♣ Formed a separate department of education.

The Challenges of Lij Iyasu

 a. Internal Oppositions :-were came from:
☻ The old Shoan nobility & palace guards of Menelik began following the death of
Tessema Nadew.
☻ His opponents use his personal weaknesses. Such as:
 His polygamous marriages
 Lack of attention to government affairs in the capital.
 Had not respect for the old Shoan nobility.
 The coronation of his father, Ras Mikael as Negus of Wollo and Tigrai in 1914
and, Gojjam and Begemider in 1915.

b. External Opposition :-

Came from the members of Tripartite Treaty, because of his two policies. These are:-

 His friendly relation with Germany and Ottoman Turkey.

 His moral and material support of Somalia nationalist Sayyid Mohammed Abdile
Hassen, who had waged a war of resistance against British and Italian colonialism in
Somalia.

Deposition of Lij Iyasu

 Negus Mikael led a large army to restore his son to power, but he defeated by Shoan
nobility at Segale on 27 October 1916.
 His army defeated at Mieso, near Asebe Tafari (Chiro) town on 27 December 1916.
 Iyasu became a fugitive for five year in Tigrai until 1921 and detained at Fiche,
transferred to Gatamulata in Hararighe until 1936.
 Then, Zewditu crowned as Empress on 11 February 1917 and Ras Tafari, as her heir
to the throne and regent to avoid the problem of succession.

The Diarchy Rule (1917-30)

 In Ethiopian politics, the term diarchy refers to the period of Dual Rule.
 Ruled by Empress Zewditu and Ras Tafari. Divided into two political group.
1. The Traditionalist Group
♥ Consisted of the old Shoan nobility, the council of ministers, war minister Fitawrari
Habte Giorgis and bishop Abune Mathewos represented by Zewditu.
 2. The Progressive Group
 Represented by Ras Tafari, which supported by commercial strata, young and
educated Ethiopians.
 To secure his future plan, he dismissed the members of the councils of ministers in
1918, except Fitawrari Habte Giorgis.
 The ministers were removed by underground agitation against their corruption and
public demonstration of the Mehal Sefari, who were soldiers and civil servants
closely attached to the palace.
 Replaced by a new council known as the Crown council chosen by Ras Tafari’s
interest and also known as the advisor body.
 A newspaper named Brehanena Selam served as a forum of their critics.
I mpo rta nt Ev ents i n Tafari’s ri s e to
Power
 The removal of the old ministers
 Expanded modern education, established printing press and welcomed foreign
investors and missionaries
 Ethiopia became members of the League of Nation in 1923. As pre-condition to her
membership decree issued to anti-slave trade, eradication of domestic slavery.
 Ras Tafari and some of the nobility made tour in Europe in 1924.
 The capture of Lij Iyasu in 1921
 The death of Fiwtarari Habte Giorgis and Abune Mathewos in 1926
 Unconditional surrender of Dejazmach Balcha Safo in 1927
 The submission of Dejazmach Abba Wuqawo, commander of palce guard in 1928.

Then the supporter of Ras Tafari crowned as Negus Tafar in 1928. Following this Negus
Tafari defeated the ex-husband of Empress Zewditu, Ras Gugsa Wolle at the battle of
Anchim on 31 March 1930. Then, Tafari crowned as Emperor Haileselasie I on 2 Nov.1930.

1.2. Emergence of Autocracy in Ethiopia (1930-35)

Autocracy:- refers to a political system in which power has virtually concentrated in the
hands of one rule/ person/.

Modern Reforms of Emperor Haileselasie I

1. The 1931 written constitution

The constitution had two houses. These are:

1. The Chamber of Senate

2. Chamber of Deputies
Reasons for the introduction of the constitution
 Regulating the relations between the monarchy and the nobility
 Establishing friendly relations with foreign power, and
 Keep “fair rule” and guarantee “justice” for the people.

a. Internal Challenges/ reasons/

 He wanted to resolve the challenges of regional forces to the central government and
the problem of succession.
b. External Reasons
 He wanted to demonstrate his interest to modernize the country
2. Administration
► Adopted a policy of monarchical control over the province and aimed to eliminate the
possible of regional challenges to the central government.
► He established complete control over human and material resources of all provinces in
the empire and end local hereditary chiefs, and replace by loyal appointed officials.
► Most of the regions were fell under the central government, but Tigrai was the only
region allowed to continue to be ruled by descendants of local hereditary Ras Seyoum
Mengesha and Ras Gugsa Araya. Grand-sons of Emperor Yohannis IV.
3. Economy
 Introduced in the collection of the two major sources of state income, Land tax and
tax on goods.
 Collecting fixed tax in cash in 1935 and land sale became a common practice.
4. Military reforms
 Trained the Imperial Body Guard by Belgium officers in Addis Ababa in 1930.
 Opened the first modern military academy at Holeta Genet in 1934, trained by the
Sweden officers or instructors.
1.3. Socio-Economic Developments
 Development of Urbanization
  Addis Ababa was founded in 1886, by the choice of Empress Taytu.
 She was attracted by the Holy Spring Water or Feul Weha.
 The completion of the Djibouti-Ethiopia railway in 1917.
 Development of modern pattern of communications.

UNT-FOUR

AFRICAN RESISTANCE TO COLONIALISM AND THE

STRUGGLE AGAINST COLONIAL RULE

4.1. The Afri ca n Peopl es’ Res is ta nce Against Colonial

Expansion from the 1870s to 1914
 The African peoples resistance against colonialism divided into three (3). These are:
1. Early resistance
2. Struggle for independence, and
3. The emergence of organized national liberation movement.

There were several early resistance groups in Africa against European colonial rule. Such as:-

1. Samori Toure of the Mandingo

 He had admirable military skill and leadership qualities known as “The Napoleon of
West africa.”
 He was fought against French colonial expansion in West Africa.
2. The Ashanti Empire
 Established as a nation in the late of 17th c & built a large & strong empire in the 19th c.
 Ashantehen was the title of their kings.
 Fought against British colonial rule and defeated in 1900.
3. The Ura bi Pa sha ’s Rebel lio n
Egy pt
 Was a colonel in the Egyptian army when British & French imperialism dominated Egypt.
  He organized a nationalist army revolt against British and French imperialism and
the puppet Egyptian rulers.
 His army was defeated by British at the battle of Tel El-Kabir in 1881.
4. The Mahdist Movement in the Sudan
 Was a religious revivalist & anti-colonial resistance movement against Egypt in 1881.
 Founded by Mohammed Ahmed Ibn Abdallah defeated and killed the force Gordon.
 But defeated by General Kitchner led the joint Egyptian and British force at
Omdurman in 1898.
 Then, from 1898 Sudan fell under the joint British and Egypt rule. This was known as
the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium rule. But, British was real masters of Sudan.
5. The Maji Maji Rebellion in Tanganyika
☻ Germany controlled the Tanganyika mainland in Feb. 1885.
☻ The Maji Maji revolt broke out in 1905-07 against the oppressive colonial
policy of Germany.
☻ Caused by the German government to force growing cotton for export.
4.2. The First World War (1914-18)
a. Root causes of WWI
1. Rivalry among imperialist power
 The development of industrial revolution
 Nationalism- created tension between France and German.
2. Crisis Preceding the war
a. The Moroccan Crisis of 1905 & 1911
♠ British and France decided anti-Germany cordiale in 1904.
♠ In 1905 Germany challenged the French over Morocco.
♠ The 1905 conflict resolved by international agreement.
♠ Germany also challenged against France in Morocco in 1911.
♠ This disagreement resolved when French allowed Germany to control some part of
Congo and France controlled Morocco in 1912.
b. The Balkan Crisis:- Bosnian crisis
⸙ Bosnia-Herzegovina had been part of the Ottoman Empire.
⸙ But it was seized in 1878 and annexed in 1908 by Austrio-Hungarian Empire.
 ⸙ Serbia opposed Austro-Hungary. The Balkan rose up against the religious and
national oppression imposed by the Ottoman Turks and this lead to the Balkan war of
1912 and 1913.
3. Military Alliances
a. Triple Alliance:- first formed in 1882 by Germany, Italy and Austro-Hungary.
♥ Later named Central Power include German, Italy, Austrio-Hungary and Ottoman
Turkey in 1914.
♥ Bulgaria joined in 1915 and Italy left & joined the central entente in 1915.
b. Triple Entente:- first formed by Britain and France the Entente Cordiale in 1904.
Later transformed into Triple Entente when Russia joined in 1907. It consisted more
than 20 countries, including USA, Japan, the Union of South Africa, Portugal and
Rumania renamed the Allied Powers.
4. Owing to the Mutual Suspicion
 European powers engaged in arms race to get a head of others in terms of quality and
quantity of weapons.
 Germany increasingly built her industrial and military power since1871.
a. The immediate cause of WWI
► The assassination of Francis Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophia at Sarajevo
(Bosnia) by Gevrilo Princip, a Serb nationalist on 28 June 1914.

The Course of the First World War

As soon as the murder of Francis:-

 Germany entered the war to help Austria

 Russia want to help Serbia, and
 France helped Russia
 The War had two war fronts.
1. The Western war front
 Germany followed the Schlieffen plan, designed by a German chief of Staff Alfred
Von Schlieffen
 He planned to attack France through neutral Belgium and occupied Paris within 6
weeks in a “Swinging Door” operation. Then turn to East against Russia.
2. The Eastern war front
 ☻ Russia made rapid mobilization and attacked the German.
☻ Germany forced to transfer part of her army to the eastern front.
☻ Russia defeated by Germany at Tannenberg.

Therefore, on the western front, started a protracted struggle between France, Britain and
Belgium against Germany when opposing armies came to a Stalemate, they dug trenches that
run from English Channel to Switzerland. The space between opposing trenches came to be
known as “No Man’s land” where they fought a battle of attrition using new modern
weapon. Such as poisoning gas, tank and air plane.

Why the USA did joined the war?

 B/c the German submarine or under water boat sank a commercial ship and caused the
death of large number of people including many American citizens on 7 May 1915.
 USA declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917.
 Finally, the allied force became victorious over the central powers.

The Consequence of WWI

1. Social:- about 10 million soldiers lose their lives and over 20 million wounded, died
millions of civilians.
2. Economy:- total cost of the war is estimated over $300 billion.
3. Political:-
a. USA and Soviet Union /Russia became the leading world power.
b. 3 major European dynasties were dethroned. These were:
1. Hohenzollerns of Germany
2. Hapsburgs of Austria Hungary, and
3. Romanov of Russia
c. New national states arose in central Europe.
d. The formation of the League of Nation
e. Signed several peace treaties. Such as:
♥ The Versailles Treaty:-was signed on 28 June 1919 b/n the victorious powers with Germany.

By this Treaty Germany

 ☻ Lost her territories and colonies
☻ Put a strict limit on Germany’s military power
☻ Rhine land rich in mineral deposits taken away from Germany & occupied by allied powers.
☻ Cancelled the unfair Treaty of Brest-Litovsk w/c signed b/n Germany & Russia in 1918
☻ Required to pay a huge war reparation
☻ The American president Woodrow Wilson forwarded “14 points” served as guide
line of peace settlement. Example:- the right of self-determination of nation.
4.3. The Russian Revolution
Causes of the Russian Revolution
♥ Economic and political factors the peasant and workers demanded to establish democratic
government, called Social Revolutionaries.
♥ The most radicalist groups were the Marxist follow the teaching of Karli Marks. They
founded the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) in 1898.
♥ Later divided into two. These were:-
1. Bolsheviks /Majority/:- led by Lenin, whose real name was Valdmir Ilich Ulyanov.
Wanted to have a party with small numbers of selected and dedicated members only.
2. Mensheviks /Minority/:- wanted to include all supporters of Marxist ideas.
1. The 1905 Revolution was caused by:-
 The defeat of the Russian army in the Russo- Japanese war of 1904-1905.
♣ On Sunday 21 January 1905, peaceful demonstrators led by priest father Gapon
and others marched to Czar’s palace to present petition. But, Czar Nicholas II’s
troops fired on the peaceful and unarmed demonstrators.
♣ This day known as “Blood Sunday.”
♣ However, this led to the revolution to changed government from 1905- 07. As a
result of this, Czar Nicholas agreed to establish the Duma or parliament.
 The entrance of Russia to WWI on the side of Triple Entente.
2. The Road to the 1917 Revolution
The March 1917 Revolution was caused by:-
 The assassination of Ras Putin in 1916
 The defeat of Russian army in the WWI
 Shortage of food and inflation
However, politicians in duma demanded that Czar should introduce reforms. Then the
soldiers, peasants and workers in Petrograd came together and formed Soviets /Councils or
Coordinating bodies/. Czar Nicholas II deposed which ended Romanov dynasty on 3 March
1917. Following the provisional government set up, but failed to meet the demand of peoples.
Then the Bolsheviks dissolved the provisional government and held different popular
slogans. Such as:-

o All powers to the soviets

o Peace, land and bread to all people
3. The October 1917 Revolution

Bolsheviks took power and established the reign led by Lenin and war minister Leo-Trotsky.

Reforms of Bolsheviks

 Decree of an 8 hours working a day

 Decree of land or land to peasant
 Decree of peace, and
 Decree on Russia withdrew from the alloy of WWI after the Brest-Litovsk Treaty
signed with German in 1918.

Therefore, the Bolsheviks measure disliked by those who lost their land and power in the
government. This lead to outbreak of civil war between the White army (the former
officials) and the Red army (the Bolsheviks) up to 1922. Finally, the Red army became
victorious.

Bolsheviks or Lenin introduced

1. The New Economic Policy

2. Turned the country into union of soviet socialist republic (USSR) in 1918.
3. Established the secret police force known as Chaka.

Lenin was died in 1924, replaced by Joseph Stalin, he strengthened his power b/n 1928-1938.
He introduced:-

 The Five year economic plan

 Abolished all foreign influence in Russian industry
 Rapid progress of industrialization
 Effects of the Russian Revolution

 Russia became industrialized state in the world in 1941.

 Became an inspiration for those fighting against oppressive forces.
 Africa and Asia were hearted in their anti-colonial struggle.
 Changed the international balance of power.
 Became supporters of national liberation movement in Africa.
4.4. Anti-Colonial Struggle b/n the two world wars

The African struggle for independence developed after the First World War. Had two forms

1. The Welfare Association

a. The Young Kikuyu Association in Kenya:- was native association organized
by African workers in urban areas and white farmlands against British colonial rule.
Led by Harry Thuku, a telephone workers, because British chose the Kenyan
highlands for white settlement. Finally defeated by British in 1922.
b. The Bataka Association in Uganda:-was formed by the Young & educated
Ugandans to oppose the participation of the Kabaka or kings of Buganda and the
chiefs in the Lukiko(mean British colonial assembly). Bataka was the title of clan
heads peoples of Buganda
2. The Emergence of Political parties
1. The African National Congress (ANC)- was formed in south Africa in 1912.
2. The National Congress of British West Africa founded by Gold coast lawyer. J.E.
Casely Hayford in 1918.
3. The National Democratic Party was formed in Nigeria in 1922.
4. The Wafd /delegation/ party formed in 1922 by Saad Zaghlul Pasha in Egypt, who led
delegation to the Versailles peace conference and demanded Egyptian independence.
Then British recognized Egyptian independence, but the British soldiers clear out in 1956.
5. Neo-Datsur / party of the constitution/:- formed in Tunisia by Habib Bourgiba in 1934
against French colonial rule.
6. Riff Communities of Morocco led by Abdel Kerim against French and Spain.