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Italo-Ethiopian War

The Ethiopian Campaign of Liberation was an Epic Military Feat

DID YOU KNOW that the Ethiopian liberation campaign, personally led by Emperor Haile Selassie I and fought by Ethiopian and British forces against the Fascist aggressors, was an epic and heroic enterprise, which led to the defeat of an Italian army 20 times larger ? His Majesty clearly states about this:
“On comparing the number of our soldiers with that of the enemy we found that we had one soldier for every 20 of his.” (Selected Speeches p. 336)
Thus the same legendary proportions of the battle of Gaugamela were realized, where in the 4th century BC Alexander the Great astonishingly defeated the numerically superior Persian army and marked the greatest military feat in history. In order to highlight this prophetical parallel, His Majesty said:
“History records that military science enabled Alexander the Great to conquer a large part of the world, often engaging his 30,000 soldiers against the adversary’s 600,000.” (Selected Speeches p. 42). Because of his conversion to Jewish Faith, Alexander the Great is also venerated in Ethiopia as a Saint (Qeddus Eskender ቅዱስ፡እስክንድር).
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Haile Selassie I - Anecdotes

The Fierce Lion Cub (1927)

“Our first meeting with the ruler of Prester John’s old Kingdom was most formal. We presented our credentials and he welcomed us to his country in a reserved – almost frigid manner. He was very much on his dignity. (…)

But Ras Tafari in his home was a different man from the regent we had called upon in the official reception hall. He was dignified always but he was also cordial and engaging host. (….)

We did not come really to know the ruler of Abyssinia until our fourth visit to his home. We had just returned to Addis from our first trek through the southern provinces. Ras Tafari was much interested in our trip (…)

We were having a tea in the large living room that afternoon and Fuertes showed him some paintings of the birds of Abyssinia, done in camp – but exceedingly well done. The Ras was much impressed, especially by one of a guinea-fowl, so much so, in fact, that he ordered an attendant to bring in a live guinea fowl. He compared the live bird to the picture and gasped at the resemblance (…)

Later, by way of diversion, a small lion cub was brought in and turned loose on the floor – to the great confusion of the Ras’s little brown dog that had been romping around the room. The lion was not more than two feet high but stalked about doing his best to imitate a full grown felis leo, growling and showing baby teeth threateningly. Tafari Makonnen was greatly amused at the cub’s attempt to be fierce. He caught up the baby lion and growling back at him hissed:

‘Tidlik ambassa kufanoo’, in a awed tone – fierce big lion – then added as an aside – ‘tinnish hyah’ – little ass.”

(Taken from “Savage Abyssinia”, James Baum, 1927)

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Haile Selassie I - Testimonies

N.S. Khrushchov, Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers – 1959

N.S. Khrushchov, Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers

Moscow, USSR
July 11 1959

“Your Imperial Majesty,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Comrades,

We have assembled here at a reception in honor of our Royal visitor, the Emperor of Ethiopia.

(…)

In your tour of our country you were certain to have noticed how deep – seated and sincere is that friendship and good will of the Soviet people for the people of Ethiopia. The friendship between our countries is known to have deep historical roots. But it is not just a matter of tradition. Soviet men and women respect the gallant people of Ethiopia, who for many decades were actually the only nation of Africa which had succeded in upholding the national freedom, and independence of its country in the fight against the colonialists.

They warmly sympathise with Ethiopia’s desire to make more extensive use of her natural wealth to develop her national economy. They think highly of Ethiopia’s foreign policy of peace based on the principles of Bandung.

Soviet men and women have a high personal esteem of Your Imperial Majesty as a man who, on ascending to the throne, did away with slavery in his country and carried out other reforms to develop the Ethiopian state.

The struggle of the Ethiopian people under your leadership against the Italian fascist aggressors aroused the admiration of our people, who had a high regard for the heroism of the sons of your country. They fought gallantly against the invader and upheld the national independence of their country. This is appreciated by the Soviet people especially highly because they too suffered an incursion by fascist hordes – German and Italian – and routed them in heroic struggle. The liberation struggle of our people against the fascist invader played a big part in bringing our countries closer together.

Soviet men and women are happy to welcome their Royal guests, who represent the independent countries of Africa, whose peoples are waging a struggle to root out completely the shameful colonial system…”

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Haile Selassie I - Testimonies

American Journalist and Hunter, James Baum – 1927

“There is little question that Tafari Makonnen is a humane man. Public hangings used to be the rule until recently. It was a common sight two of three years ago, to see the dried and rattling corpses of evil-doers swinging in the wind from a large wild fig tree in the market place in Addis. But the Regent has done away with such gruesome spectacles. And two persons – a man and a woman – who made an attempt upon his life a short time ago were not executed. Lidj-Yasu, the ex-ruler, deposed by Tafari for his flirtations with the Mohammedian church, was not put to death but is kept under guard in a outlying part of the country: Ras Tafari is more lenient than many other monarchs.

The power of the Regent is steadily increasing. (…) Ras Tafari, I believe, is trying to do away with the hereditary rulers of provinces and in some places a governor alien to the district has been appointed. (…) Again, it should be mentioned, Ras Tafari has one of the most difficult positions in the world.”

(Taken from “Savage Abyssinia”, James Baum, 1927)

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Italo-Ethiopian War More Speeches of Haile Selassie I

The Message of His Majesty for Liberty Magazine (Nov 9, 1935)

“CONQUERING LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH
HAILE SELASSIE I
ELECT OF GOD, KING OF KINGS OF ETHIOPIA
For Liberty
In the conflict with Italy, Ethiopia is conscious of having fulfilled all the international obligations resulting from our special treaty with Italy, as well as from the multilateral treaties to which we are parties and which constitute the fundamental basis of public international law.
Notwithstanding the fact that our adversary who seeks to possess Ethiopia has frequently insulted her and called her a barbarous nation, Ethiopia has unceasingly prosecuted efforts to compel the fulfillment of international obligations by her reluctant opponent, and has observed throughout the conflict a policy of conciliation which has demonstrated our steadfast attachment to the cause of peace, despite the belligerent disposition, military preparations, and avowed intention of our neighbor to initiate a war of conquest.
Peace is indispensable to Ethiopia in order that our people may be conducted along the way of progress. We hope that the statesmen of the great nations who preside over the destinies of the world will not permit that an unjust and destructive war be waged in Ethiopia and undo all that has been done in recent years in the way of modernization.
But if war must be brought to us by one of the great nations, and with it the proof that the methods evolved and accepted by modern civilization to insure the peaceful settlement of international disputes and to prevent war may be disregarded with impunity by any nation when to do so serves its own selfish purpose, we are determined to defend our freedom and our territory and to sacrifice if necessary all our resources of human lives and property.”
(Published on “Liberty” US weekly Magazine, November 9 1935)
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Ethiopia in Western Culture

Tacitus

Tacitus

Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus , was a Roman historian and politician of the I century A.D. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars.

In his major work, called Histories, he offers a chronicle of the Roman imperial policy of the first century: due to its important presence and activity in Judea and Jerusalem in that period, he also speaks about the Jews as people, and reveals the common roman persuasion that they were of Ethiopian origin (Book V, Chapter 2):

”plerique Aethiopum prolem, quos rege Cepheo metus atque odium mutare sedis perpulerit.”

“Many more claim them to be of Ethiopian stock, forced to migrate, out of fear and hatred, in the reign of Cepheus.”

This confirms the teachings of the Bible and the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition we have already explored:

“Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord.” (Amos 9,7)

Cepheus was the father of Andromeda, a relevant character of the mythological story of Perseus, enterely situated in Ethiopia. This idea about the origin of the Hebrew nation shows that in those days they should not appear as white europeans as they do now, after 2000 years of mixing with the western communities.

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Haile Selassie I - Anecdotes

The Farewell of Princess Hannah Mariam Meherete-Selassie before the Revolution (1974)

“This evening was unusual. I had to tell my great-grandfather that I was going to Europe. I was excited, and yet something did not feel right because my mother only gave me one day to pack my bags. I remember how she persuaded me to go. She said I was going to see my two cousins who had recently left for boarding school in England. Also, I would go on a skiing vacation to Geneva, Switzerland. I would be back in two weeks. After a lot of agonizing, I resolved to tell my mentor the impending news. I opened the door to his private residence area and saw him standing in the middle of the room near where he had his desk. I bowed down and greeted him with a kiss. He smiled at me and said, ‘Mendin new wedaje? [What is it, my friend?]’ I restated what my mother had told me in a flippant sort of way, hoping he would disagree with her. He had disagreed with her in the past about her insisting on me not wearing any pants because girls only wore skirts. I hoped that he would rule on my side again. I was feeling sad, and my eyes were almost filling with tears. My heart sank when he looked at me and said, ‘Malefia, yihun. [This is acceptable. So be it.]’

Knowing I could not change his mind, I sucked it up and told myself it was going to be OK. At the same time, I did not relish the idea of leaving my home and my family. Besides, I knew I had to travel alone, and that made me concerned. I had this feeling in my gut that this might be the last time I would see my great-grandfather, who had raised me like his daughter since a very young age. I thought to myself, ‘This can’t be happening. No way. I have to come back to Ethiopia one day. This is my birthplace. This is my home.’

While all these thoughts were speeding through my mind, I noticed he slipped a small, sealed white envelope into my hands. ‘This is for your journey,’ he said. I accepted the envelope and bowed again—this time with a lump in my throat—but I was determined not to cry. I turned around toward the door that led out to the hallway. When I opened the envelope, I found several crisp US hundred-dollar bills, which I placed in my purse.”

(Taken from “It was Only Yesterday”, Hannah Mariam Meherete-Selassie, 2018)

Categories
Haile Selassie I - Testimonies

President of the Foreign Press Association in U.S. – 1963

Press Conference at the U.N. Headquarters
New York, 4th of October 1963

President of the Foreign Press Association in U.S. :

“With deference, we are happy to pay tribute to Your Imperial Majesty, and in so doing, on behalf of many of us, I should like to express our emotion at seeing You in the United Nations. For men of my generation, particularly, brought up in our youth in the cult of freedom and dignity, you already, twenty-eight years ago, were an authentic hero of legends, namely, a man who dedicated his courage and faith to the defence of human rights, be they of His country of anywhere else in the world.

The destiny of Your Imperial Majesty was and still is a great one, and Your presence today in this great home, a distant heir of the League of Nations that was so tragically unjust to You, is one of the very few symbols of poetic justice. But You have seen the immense emancipation of Africa, and it was You who were the first and the greatest inspiration of it. It is, therefore, only fair and just that the forward of African independence be organized and decided upon in Your capital.

We, Sir, are extremely honoured at the visit of Your Imperial Majesty, and we sincerely hope the best for You, Your person and Your country, Sir.”

EMPEROR: “I wish to thank you for your kind words and I trust that all you have said will be found in history. You have repeated it, and I thank you for so doing.”

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HIM Visits USA 1954

Chicago Defender June 12, 1954 – SELASSIE’S SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR NEGROES

Chicago Defender, Saturday June 12, 1954
By James L. Hicks

“SELASSIE’S SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR NEGROES

Emperor Haile Selassie Wednesday advised the colored people of the United States to continue to press their social and intellectual advancement forward ‘with Christian courage’ and to be confident that justice and equality will eventually triumph throughout the world.

The direct message to Negro Americans was given by the Emperor in the first exclusive interview he has granted since arriving here May 25.

The message came after this reporter had informed the Emperor’s staff that there was confusion in the minds of colored Americans as to the Emperor’s position on the racial question and asked the Emperor directly if he had a message for the colored people of America.

The Emperor’s direct reply to this reporter’s question was:

‘My message to the colored people of the United States is that they continue to press forward with determination, their social and intellectual advancement, meeting all obstacles with Christian courage and tolerance, confident in the certainty of the eventual triumph of justice and equality throughout the world’. #QHS

During the brief but exclusive interview the Emperor also exploded the oft repeated rumor that the people of Ethiopia do not wish to be identified with the colored people of America or associate themselves with their problems.

With this rumor in mind I asked the Emperor this question:

KINDRED FEELING

‘Is there a kindred feeling between your people and the colored people of America?’

The Emperor replied: ‘The people of Ethiopia feel the strongest bond of sympathy and understanding with the colored people of the United States. We greatly admire your achievements and your contributions to American life and the tremendous development of this great nation’. #QHS

‘I have’, the Emperor said, ‘been deeply impressed by the warmth of the reception which the colored people of the United States have reserved for me’.” #QHS

Categories
Haile Selassie I - Anecdotes

Nkrumah’s Resistance at OUA Conference (1963)

“Yet however different the delegates’ political standpoints may have been, Haile Selassie threw all his weight behind ensuring that the conference was a success. When Nkrumah saw that his plan for a United States of Africa was not well received by his fellow leaders, he was determined to leave the conference without more ado. Even the most impassioned pleas could not alter the Ghanaian president’s resolve, and the meeting seemed on the verge of imminent failure. At the eleventh hour, however, Haile Selassie took Sekou Toure on one side. Clutching his hand, the emperor looked deep into his eyes and addressed the president of Guinea: ‘Mon fils, je vous prie’ (‘My son, I beg you’), imploring him to prevail upon his ‘brother’ Kwame Nkrumah to come back to the conference table. Moved by this intervention, Sekou Toure replied: ‘Oui pere, je vais essayer.’ (‘Yes father, I’ll try’). And he did indeed succeed in getting Nkrumah to return to the negotiations.”

(Taken from “King of Kings”, Asfa-Wossen Asserate, Haus Publishing, 2015 p. 232)