Getachew Abate
Encyclopedia
Getachew Abate was an army commander
and a member of the nobility
of the Ethiopian Empire
.
Abate Ba-Yalew. He had a church education followed by language training at the Menelik School (Ecole Imperiale Menelik II). Getachew Abate grew up in the palace of Emperor
Menelik II along with Menelik's grandson, Lij
Iyasu.
In 1919, Dejazmach
Getachew Abate was sent to Italy to congratulate King
Victor Emmanuel
on an Allied
victory. In 1921, he was part of the force sent to capture the deposed Lij Iyasu. In 1925, Getachew Abate represented Ethiopia at the Geneva
arms conference
.
In 1926, Getachew Abate was named Shum
of Kaffa, Goldiya, Maji, and Gera with the title of Bitwoded
. In 1928, he was named Ethiopia's representative to the League of Nations
. In 1929, Getachew Abate was appointed as Minister to France
.
In 1930, Getachew Abate returned to Ethiopia and, in 1931, he became the Minister of the Interior. In May 1933, Getachew Abate was elevated to Ras
In 1935, at the time of the Italian invasion, as the Shum of Kaffa Province, Ras Getachew Abate commanded the Army of Kaffa. On 31 March 1936, Ras Getachew Abate and the Army of Kaffa was with Emperor Haile Selassie at the Battle of Maychew
. When the Kebur Zabangna
was sent against the Italians at Maychew, Getachew Abate commanded them. As the Battle of Maychew came to an end, Getachew Abate was named by the Emperor as Asmach
. In command of the rear guard, he withdrew with the Emperor from Maychew to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa
.
As the Italians closed in on Addis Ababa, he went into exile with Haile Selassie. Getachew Abate departed from the royal party as it traveled through the British Mandate of Palestine. Getachew Abate then spent some time in Jerusalem. But ultimately he returned to occupied Ethiopia
and submitted to the Italians.
In 1941, after the Italians were driven out of Ethiopia
, Ras Getachew Abate was arrested by the liberators
. In an act of clemency, Haile Selassie told him "I forgive you, but I do not know if God will." Afterwards, Getachew Abate was exiled to remote parts of the Empire, Jimma
and Arsi
. He is said to have died of alcohol poisoning.
Army of the Ethiopian Empire
Armies of the Ethiopia have existed since earliest times. Ethiopia maintained a sizable contingent of her forces in her Sabbean Garrisons which expanded out to project power over colonies in Yemen and to protect Caravans or trade routes....
and a member of the nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
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...
.
Biography
Getachew Abate was the son of Lique MekwasEthiopian 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...
Abate Ba-Yalew. He had a church education followed by language training at the Menelik School (Ecole Imperiale Menelik II). Getachew Abate grew up in the palace of Emperor
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
Menelik II along with Menelik's grandson, Lij
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...
Iyasu.
In 1919, Dejazmach
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...
Getachew Abate was sent to Italy to congratulate King
King of Italy
King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire...
Victor Emmanuel
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
on an Allied
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
victory. In 1921, he was part of the force sent to capture the deposed Lij Iyasu. In 1925, Getachew Abate represented Ethiopia at the Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
arms conference
Geneva Protocol
The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, usually called the Geneva Protocol, is a treaty prohibiting the first use of chemical and biological weapons. It was signed at Geneva on June 17, 1925 and entered...
.
In 1926, Getachew Abate was named Shum
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...
of Kaffa, Goldiya, Maji, and Gera with the title of Bitwoded
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...
. In 1928, he was named Ethiopia's representative to the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. In 1929, Getachew Abate was appointed as Minister to France
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
.
In 1930, Getachew Abate returned to Ethiopia and, in 1931, he became the Minister of the Interior. In May 1933, Getachew Abate was elevated to 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...
In 1935, at the time of the Italian invasion, as the Shum of Kaffa Province, Ras Getachew Abate commanded the Army of Kaffa. On 31 March 1936, Ras Getachew Abate and the Army of Kaffa was with Emperor Haile Selassie at the Battle of Maychew
Battle of Maychew
The Battle of Maychew was the last major battle fought on the northern front during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The battle consisted of a failed counterattack by the Ethiopian forces under Emperor Haile Selassie making frontal assaults against prepared Italian defensive positions under the...
. When the Kebur Zabangna
Kebur Zabangna
Kebur Zabagna or Zebenya was the Ethiopian Imperial Guard. Also known as the First Division, this unit served the dual purposes of providing security for the Emperor of Ethiopia, and being an elite infantry division...
was sent against the Italians at Maychew, Getachew Abate commanded them. As the Battle of Maychew came to an end, Getachew Abate was named by the Emperor as Asmach
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...
. In command of the rear guard, he withdrew with the Emperor from Maychew to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
.
As the Italians closed in on Addis Ababa, he went into exile with Haile Selassie. Getachew Abate departed from the royal party as it traveled through the British Mandate of Palestine. Getachew Abate then spent some time in Jerusalem. But ultimately he returned to occupied Ethiopia
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
and submitted to the Italians.
In 1941, after the Italians were driven out of Ethiopia
East African Campaign (World War II)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles fought in East Africa during World War II by the British Empire, the British Commonwealth of Nations and several allies against the forces of Italy from June 1940 to November 1941....
, Ras Getachew Abate was arrested by the liberators
Gideon Force
The Gideon Force was a small British-led African regular force which acted as a Corps d'Elite amongst the irregular Ethiopian forces fighting the Italian occupation forces in Ethiopia during the East African Campaign of World War II...
. In an act of clemency, Haile Selassie told him "I forgive you, but I do not know if God will." Afterwards, Getachew Abate was exiled to remote parts of the Empire, Jimma
Jimma
Jimma, also Jima, is the largest city in southwestern Ethiopia. Located in the Jimma Zone of the Oromia Region, it has a latitude and longitude of . The town was the capital of Kaffa Province until the province was dissolved. Prior to the 2007 census, Jimma was reorganized administratively as a...
and Arsi
Arsi Province
Arsi was a province of Ethiopia with its capital at Asella. The province was reduced to a Zone of the Oromia Region with the adoption of the new constitution in 1995....
. He is said to have died of alcohol poisoning.