Emperor Haile Selassie's Reign in Ethiopia

Emperor Haile Selassie's reign in Ethiopia has been described by the term Kleptocracy, indicating that the Emperor and his cronies plundered the country for their own benefit. Ethiopia was a poor country in any case, and it was poorer after Selassie had taken most of its wealth and left the peasants much worse off then they were when he arrived in office. Selassie was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He came to power at a time when Ethiopia had to deal with the expansionist policies of Italy prior to World War II. The world powers, especially those in the League of Nations, were not inclined to counter Italy's attack on Ethiopia in 1935. In the early years of the world war, however, Ethiopia was retaken from the Italians by the British, who would continue to dominate Ethiopian affairs after the war ended in 1945. Selassie was restored to power at that time and tried to implement reforms and modernize the state and certain sectors of the economy, but for the most part Ethiopia remained a "feudal" society (Ofcansky and Berry 4-5).

Haile Selassie was born Ras Tafari Makonnen in Ethiopia in 1892, and he died in 1975. His father was a noted general, and the boy was also the grandnephew of Emperor Menelik II. He was a brilliant student and became a favorite of Menelik, who made him a provincial governor at age 14. As a Coptic Christian, Tafari opposed Menelik's grandson and successor, who became a Muslim convert, and in 1916 compelled his deposition and establishe

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ly applauded their greeting, and the visiting naval band played the National Anthem, while outside cannons roared a salute of 101 guns, and cheer after cheer came from thousands of subjects massed in the vicinity of the Cathedral (Southard). Many in America followed Garvey's progress and his problems closely over the next several years. Black leader Marcus Garvey wrote about the troubles facing Selassie in 1936, beginning, Haile Selassie I, last Emperor of Ethiopia, has surrendered the ancient sceptre wielded for ages by an historic line of black sovereigns. He was forced to do this because of the unpreparedness of Ethiopia to meet the onslaught of the brutal spirit of Europe-the spirit made manifest by the barbarian Mussolini (Garvey). Garvey notes how Selassie was forced into exile. He also states that Ethiopia remains a backward country, but he pointedly refuses to blame Selassie for this because Selassie did not have long to make changes before being forced from his throne: For the time that he was head of the Empire he started to do good reform work, but it was the very attempt of these reforms that caused Italy to become impatient, feeling that if these reforms were allowed to continue the desire to conquer the

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