Haile Selassie: The Life and Legacy of the Ethiopian Emperor Revered as the Messiah by Rastafarians

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents “By virtue of His Imperial Blood, as well as by anointing He has received, the person of the Emperor is sacred. His dignity is inviolable and His power indisputable.” – Article 4 of the revised Constitution of Ethiopia (1955) The modern history of Africa was, until very recently, written on behalf of the indigenous races by the white man, who had forcefully entered the continent during a particularly hubristic and dynamic phase of European history. In 1884, Prince Otto von Bismarck, the German chancellor, brought the plenipotentiaries of all major powers of Europe together, to deal with Africa's colonization in such a manner as to avoid provocation of war. This event—known as the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885—galvanized a phenomenon that came to be known as the Scramble for Africa. The conference established two fundamental rules for European seizure of Africa. The first of these was that no recognition of annexation would granted without evidence of a practical occupation, and the second, that a practical occupation would be deemed unlawful without a formal appeal for protection made on behalf of a territory by its leader, a plea that must be committed to paper in the form of a legal treaty. Before World War II, few in the West had ever heard of Abyssinia, and fewer still could point to a map and tell precisely where it was. On the eve of that war, in the autumn of 1935, as the forces of imperial Italy prepared to invade the sovereign territory of Ethiopia, the leaders of the Allies brimmed with sympathy for the imperiled African kingdom but offered nothing in the way of practical assistance. Rallying his subjects against the invaders was Negus Negusti, the “King of Kings,” Emperor Haile Selassie, the last ruler of the great Solomonic Dynasty of Ethiopia. The Italians, led by Benito Mussolini, were practically unassailable at that point, and while a bold resistance was mounted to hold back their invasion, the effort was ultimately futile. On May 2, 1936, as the Italian army bore down on the capital at Addis Ababa, Emperor Haile Selassie boarded a train and fled east to the French territory of Djibouti. From there, he was granted asylum in Britain. The Allies’ conquest of Ethiopia formed a cornerstone of the early phases of the North Africa Campaign during World War II, and the dramatic advance of Allied forces on Addis Ababa in the spring of 1941 placed Ethiopia very much at the forefront of Western affairs. In May of that year, Emperor Haile Selassie returned in triumph to the capital of his kingdom, the fanfare and hubris of which tended to project his personality to the forefront of the global political stage. Haile Selassie, a god-like figure among his devotees and followers, was recognized then as one of the great political personalities of the 20th century, and his influence over world affairs was disproportionate, bearing in mind the minor international significance of Ethiopia itself, a feudal society steeped in medieval traditions. His “Appeal to the League of Nations,” an address delivered to the world body in 1936 that admonished it for betraying its own principles, still ranks today as one of the greatest moments of political oratory ever recorded. In the West, of course, the focus on Ethiopia commonly comes from the Italian standpoint, which overlooks just how important a figure the Ethiopian emperor was in the 20th century. Far from merely being the ruler of a land being carved up by imperialists, Haile Selassie’s story is one of a remarkable rise, and his impact on the Rastafari movement and Ethiopia’s global standing remain strong today.

Genres: History, Biography, Africa

49 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 2019

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Anil Swarup · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ethiopia was perhaps the only country in Africa that could withstand the onslaught of aggression by countries from Europe. The book takes the reader through the history of the country well before Haile Selassie rose to the throne. It vividly portrays the character of this Emperor who was even treated as a Messiah as he carved out a niche for himself amidst powerful nations.

[Thornton R. Beaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a good brief synopsis of the life of Emperor Haile Selassie. Interesting to me as I was within ten feet of the man in 1959 when he came to get a milkshake at Kagnew Station in Eritrea. I had heard many years later he had been assassinated and the book confirmed this for me. He was a brilliant statesman that did much for his country in troubled and perilous times.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opens with 'the Scramble for Africa,' a time in which the European powers determined how to colonize Africa and avoid war amongst the European states. The German chancellor called a conference in 1884-85; white men decided how to divvy up Africa and control indigenous peoples.

Before the beginning of World War II, Benito Mussolini decided to overrun Ethiopia, a sovereign country in Africa.  With power aplenty, the Italians took over the country as its king, Haile Selassie, escaped on a train.  He spent some years of asylum in England.  When he returned to Ethiopia, he was busy modernizing the country.  He also became one of the earliest notable Africans on the world stage.

I thought the book made an interesting point that Selassie was the most forward thinker when he returned to Ethiopia but eventually his ideas were out-of-touch with the common man.  Although Selassie brought forward the Organization of African Unity and the Non-Alignment Movement, he did not bring democracy to Ethiopia.  He was dedicated to his monarchy and the 1960 attempted coup was a wake-up call.  The 1970s were a bad time for African status-quo.  As the Marxist movement infiltrated student and worker unions, people were less satisfied with the opulence of the monarchy vs. the poverty of most Ethiopians.

Haile Selassie's death has always been shrouded in mystery.  However, later it was determined that he was murdered by military officers.  After that, the country spiraled downward with poor leadership for two decades.  It wasn't until 2000 that Selassie's remains were found and formally buried according to Ethiopian Christian rites.

Before picking up this book, I knew next to nothing about Ethiopia and Haile Selassie.  After reading this rather short story, I felt that I had a much better understanding of the country and this unique leader.

[ruby2shoes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Journey of a Nation

Haile Selassie journey of leading his nation into modernization through his leadership is one of growth and determination that over came coups, wars, and internal strife. In this biography of Haile Selassie you see Ethiopia's government change from old traditional rule into what it has become today. Through forward thinking, education, and hard work Haile Selassie helped transform his nation as well as other African nations into joining the United Nations. Some people may not appreciate this man yet in this biography one will understand him and his works.

[J.R. Emry · Rating 5 out of 5]

That moment when the CIA and Mossad participated in overthrowing Haile Selassie (because they allegedly thought Ethiopia's parliament and court system wasn't enough of a 'division of power' in the country) and set up the communist Dirge. All those women systematically raped in Tigray as part of the infamous 'famine' - well, thanks for that America, I guess.

[Luke Eure · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fine for a 2-hour-audiobook overview of Haile Selassie, which is the main thing I wanted. Not particularly insightful or gripping, but has the basic facts. Features way more on northern African military strategy in WW2 than was really necessary.

[Keith Good · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very surface-level look at the rule of Haile Selassie. Gets the basic facts but lacks any depth or critical discussion.

[Brendan Pyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent summary of Selassie's influence

Great summary of Ethiopian and regional history, in the context of Selassie, his rise and fall and most importantly, what he stood for.