Ethiopian coup d'état of 1928
Encyclopedia
The Ethiopian coup d'état of 1928 was an attempt by supporters of Empress Zewditu to rid her of the heir apparent
and Crown Prince
, Ras
Tafari Makonnen
. With Tafari gone, Zewditu would be the sole ruler of the Ethiopian Empire
(Mangista Ityop'p'ya).
, a group of palace reactionaries
made a final bid to rid the Empress of Tafari. The group included some of Zewditu's courtier
s. The attempted coup d'état
was tragic in its origins and comic in its end.
When confronted by Tafari and a company of troops, the ringleaders of the coup took refuge on the palace grounds in Menilek's mausoleum
. Tafari and his men surrounded them only to be surrounded themselves by the personal guard of Zewditu. More of Tafari's khaki clad soldiers arrived and surrounded Zewditu's guard. Tafari's soldiers were equipped with newly imported rifles, machine guns, small cannon, and an obsolete but menacing tank. The tank, a Fiat 3000
, had been a gift to Empress Zewditu from the Duke of Abruzzi of Italy during a visit some years earlier.
In the end, the superiority of arms of the forces supporting Tafari decided the outcome in his favor.
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
and Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
, Ras
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
Tafari Makonnen
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974...
. With Tafari gone, Zewditu would be the sole ruler of the Ethiopian Empire
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire also known as Abyssinia, covered a geographical area that the present-day northern half of Ethiopia and Eritrea covers, and included in its peripheries Zeila, Djibouti, Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia...
(Mangista Ityop'p'ya).
Details
In September 1928, in Addis AbabaAddis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, a group of palace reactionaries
Reactionary
The term reactionary refers to viewpoints that seek to return to a previous state in a society. The term is meant to describe one end of a political spectrum whose opposite pole is "radical". While it has not been generally considered a term of praise it has been adopted as a self-description by...
made a final bid to rid the Empress of Tafari. The group included some of Zewditu's courtier
Courtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
s. The attempted coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
was tragic in its origins and comic in its end.
When confronted by Tafari and a company of troops, the ringleaders of the coup took refuge on the palace grounds in Menilek's mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
. Tafari and his men surrounded them only to be surrounded themselves by the personal guard of Zewditu. More of Tafari's khaki clad soldiers arrived and surrounded Zewditu's guard. Tafari's soldiers were equipped with newly imported rifles, machine guns, small cannon, and an obsolete but menacing tank. The tank, a Fiat 3000
Fiat 3000
The Fiat 3000, whose design was based on that of the French Renault FT-17, was the first tank to be produced in series in Italy. It was to be the standard tank of the emerging Italian armored units in World War I.-History:...
, had been a gift to Empress Zewditu from the Duke of Abruzzi of Italy during a visit some years earlier.
In the end, the superiority of arms of the forces supporting Tafari decided the outcome in his favor.
See also
- List of coups d'état and coup attempts
- Balcha SafoBalcha SafoBalcha Safo , also known by his title as Dejazmach Balcha, was an accomplished Ethiopian general, who served in both the First and Second Italo-Ethiopian Wars. He came from a non-aristocratic background...
- Gugsa Welle's Rebellion (1930)Gugsa Welle's Rebellion (1930)Gugsa Welle's Rebellion of 1930 was a rebellion raised by Ras Gugsa Welle and by supporters of Empress Zewditu to rid her of the Crown Prince and heir apparent, Negus Tafari Makonnen. With Tafari gone, Zewditu would be the sole claiment to succession as the ruler of the Ethiopian Empire...