Since
the founding of the Ethiopian Empire, the country was ruled by
Emperors and grew to become on of the prominent monarchies in Africa.
The empire grew around the Kingdom of Aksum which first appeared
at around the 3rd Century B.C. The Christian religion was introduced
here by Frumentius in the 4th Century A.D of Syrian origin who
grew up in Axum. He converted the king and played an important
role in laying the foundations of the Church in Ethiopia.
During the late 19th Century, most of Africa was coming under
colonization. Ethiopia was at this time under the rule of Emperor
Menelik II. Attempted colonization by the Italians led to a full
scale war which resulted in the defeat of the Italians at the “battle
of Adowa” in 1896.
During the 2nd World War, when the country was under the rule
of Emperor Haile Selassie; Ethiopia fell under Italian occupation
which lasted between 1936 and 1941 when British and Ethiopian
forces expelled the Italians.
The end of the monarchy:
The end of the monarchy in Ethiopia came about in 1974 when
Emperor Haile Selassie was overthrown by the Derg (a Military
Junta). This led to a dark period in the country’s history.
There were a number of coups and attempted coups, and many
lives were lost. The Ethiopian economy suffered greatly during
this
period and there was also widespread famine.
The Country was
also embroiled in a long independence war with Eritrea. The
Derg regime eventually fell in 1991 and leader Mengistu Haile
Miriam
fled to Zimbabwe. A new constitution was adopted in 1994
and paved the way for the first multi-party elections in the
country.
