Contents
Haile Selassie
Leading Ethiopia during invasion, restoration and the emergence of continental African institutions.
League of Nations speech · African unity
- Born
- 23 July 1892
- Birthplace
- Ejersa Goro, Ethiopia
- Died
- 27 August 1975
More people
Haile Selassie
Haile Selassie was Ethiopia’s emperor from 1930 to 1974, apart from the period of Italian occupation.
Early life
Noble family
Was born Tafari Makonnen into an influential family.
Early government
Held regional administrative posts while young.
Career
- 1916–1930
Regency
Governed as regent before becoming emperor.
- 1930s–1941
Invasion and exile
Appealed against Italy’s invasion and later returned.
- 1941–1974
Restored rule
Led imperial Ethiopia until his overthrow.
Rule & public record
League of Nations speech
Appealed for collective action against aggression.
African unity
Helped establish the Organization of African Unity.
Modernisation
Expanded institutions while preserving concentrated royal power.
Beyond work
Rastafari
Became a central religious figure for Rastafarians.
Criticism
His government faced criticism over repression, inequality and famine response.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: unknown; according to [1] and [2] an official portrait of which b/w copies were distributed by the Ethiopian government. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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