The Last Emperor of Ethiopia - Haile Selassie
“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that as made it possible for evil to triumph” - Haile Selassie.
Emperor Haile Selassie is one of the most notable leaders in the post colonial African history. Ethiopia is one of the only two African countries that were never colonized — alongside Liberia.
This status had already cemented the country’s legacy before Emperor Haile Selassie came into power.
As one of the major Pan Africanists, he was responsible for the modernization of Ethiopia’s economical and social progress.
Haile Selassie, born as Tafari Makonnen in 1892 was a member of the Ethiopian royal family that had ruled the country for decades.
In his capacity as royalty, he joined the counties military efforts to assist Italy’s tempt to colonize the country. His distinguished military career is, in part, one of the reasons that his reign as an emperor was enthusiastically received positively.
He was briefly exiled from the country during Italy’s occupation due to his nobility status and
political relevance but he returned triumphantly to claim his position as the emperor once the opposing forces were defeated.
Haile Selassie reign as emperor can be defined by one word- progressive. His claim to power was based on his status as a member of Solomonic dynasty which traced its background to King Solomon and Queen Sheba.
He became the Emperor in 1930, just as the tension of World War II were developing. As a country that was uncolonized, Ethiopia did not become a proxy during the war - unlike its neighbors which were involved as British colonies.
In the post-war period, Ethiopia established itself as one of the dominant forces in the prevailing African push for independence. Emperor Selassie push for African independence was recognized when the headquarters of the African Union were based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital city.
His political progressiveness was marked by his country’s policy to criminalize intercontinental slavery and his push to have salaried and professional civil service. His reign was somewhat controversial, especially after he amended the constitution to limit the parliament’s power to make his office more powerful. He also diminished the powers of feudal chiefs and centralized the taxation system to the national government. His reign is also recognized as the defined factor when it comes to increasing the powers and numbers of the Ethiopian police system.
As the emperor, Selassie oversaw the country’s resistance efforts when Italy attempted to invade and colonize the country in 1935. As one of the earlier signatories to the League Of Nations, Haile Selassie gave an impassioned speech to seek help against the colonial aggressors – a speech that is still held in high reagrd in the diplomatic community. Despite no international intervention, Ethiopia prevailed against the technological advantage held by the Italian aggressors. This was mostly thanks to the superior tactical strategy that is attributed to Emperor Selassie.
Haile Selassie's reign is best defined by two facts. For one, he was the last Emperor of Ethiopia. After his reign, the country adopted a democratic system of government. He is also recognized as a deity by the Rastafarian religion which considers him as the second coming of Jesus Christ.
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