Ethiopia

" For once [Europe is] looking at another part of the world with fear, and shivering at the chance of being beaten. They are realizing that Africa can not be tied down and can not be ruled."-Mr. Long, Chinese Ambassador

Ethiopia is a regional power on the African continent played by Vilageidiotx. The Ethiopian government is still governed by it's traditional Imperial line, however in keeping up with the march of progress the Emperor shares power with a constitutional parliament. Ethiopian politics been focused primarily on affairs on the Ethiopian continent itself, and during the reign of Emperor Yohannes Iyasu the nation underwent rapid expansion as the colonial powers of Africa retreated in light of colonial rebellion and the prioritization of other political matters. With the death of Emperor Yohannes, his sons Sahle Iyasu and Yaqob Iyasu entered into a civil war, with European powers supporting the older Sahle and the Ethiopian military supporting the younger Yaqob. Ethiopia's diplomatic ties had been with Germany and Austria over the course of the twentieth century during they reign of Emperor Iyasu V, but in recent years those relationships have deteriorated with Yohannes's opposition to Europe and growing diplomatic ties with China. Yohanne's sons were split on this matter, with Sahle favoring Europe and Yaqob favoring China. The civil war ended the decision, with the pro-east Yaqob coming to power.

Early History
Ethiopian history goes back into ancient times to the Kingdom of Aksum, which the was considered one of the great powers of the late classical period[1]. Aksum was one of the first kingdoms to convert to Christianity as a whole, and eventually the Emperors would claim decendency from the biblical Solomon through the Queen of Sheba[2]. Ethiopian civilization survived contact with Islam, and the two religions eventually found themselves cooexisting relatively peacefully in comparison to other places where the two religions were mingled. Occasionally, however, conflicts broke out between Ethiopia and it's neighbors, and during one of these wars Ethiopia would receive help from Portugal, the empires first signifigant contact with Western Europe[3]. Through this contact, European technology would appear in the form of guns and fortification, but the relationship with Portugal would be cut when the Portuguese transplanted Jesuit missionaries into the Empire, leading Emperor Fasilides to expell the Jesuits and start a tradition of Ethiopian Isolationism[4].

The following centuries were filled with a splintering of Imperial power and a century of disunity known as "The Age of Princes"[5]. Imperial power was returned under Emperor Tewodros II[6], who modernized the nation. The following decades were filled with multiple Emperors and conflicts with neighboring powers, but Ethiopia managed to avoid victimization to the European colonial Scramble for Africa[7]. The one notable exception took place during the reign of Menelik II, who's reign was marked b

y consolidation of power and the invasion of Italy. The Italian invasion was repelled at the battle of Adwa[8], which marked Ethiopia as a notable exception to colonialism in Africa.



Iyasu V
After Emperor Menelek II died in 1913, his chosen successor and daughter's son Iyasu V assumed the duties of Emperor, however his actual coronation was put off by the nobles who were unsure about his suitability for the position. Soon, rumors began to spread in the heavily Coptic Christian Ethiopia that Iyasu had converted to Islam. As the World War started in Europe, Western powers flirted with the African kingdom, hoping it would join their respective sides. Iyasu sided with the Central powers in with the goal of claiming nearby allied colonies in '''British Sudan and French Somaliland. This, combined with his alledged conversion to Islam, caused the Ethiopian nobles to rebel and name his Aunt as monarch in 1916. Iyasu's father Mikael of Wollo lead a countercoup, [EDITORS NOTE: THIS IS WHEN THE REAL WORLD AND THE PRECIPICE WORLD DIVERGE] and thanks to the supplies and modern weapons given to Iyasu and his supporters by the Germans and Austrians, the rebellious coup was quashed at the Battle of Segale. The nobility was devastated by the loss, and Iyasu's opposition fled the country in exile. Now in complete control of Ethiopia, Iyasu was named Emperor in 1917. Not suprisingly he officially converted to Islam in the same year, ending the centuries long Christian rule.

Iyasu, with the support of the Central powers, reformed the army and entered the Great War on their side. He followed this up by overthrowing the French, Italian, and British colonial powers in Somalia and Eritrea, and continued on to Sudan, where he ended up in stalemate against the British defenses there. The Armistice that came at the end of the Great War accepted Ethiopian control of Eritrea and Somalia, but all of Sudan remained British. The alliance formed between Germany, Austria, and Ethiopia continued into the following decades.

The nobles who had been driven from the country after their defeat at Segale were given sanctuary in Britain, but they did not intend to stay there. In 1929, several nobles lead by Ras Tafari landed in the southern part of the country and incited a rebellion. The army was quickly deployed, but suffered a devestating defeat at the Battle of Jijiga, where the rebels new British weaponry outperformed the decade old and improperly maintained German equipment of the Ethiopian army. This humiliation lead to massive reforms within the government and military of Ethiopia, and by 1931 the tide began to turn in the war. Several key rebel villages were captured, and in 1934 the nobles in charge of the rebellion fled to British held colonies in the south.

The next two decades passed uneventfully in Ethiopia. In 1948, Islam officially became the majority religion in the country. Though the government proclaimed this was due to the lack of an "oppressive christian theocracy", in reality it was due to the harsh treatment of non-muslims within the country. A council of the last underground christian priests in the southern regions sparked a second rebellion in 1952, causing many of the exiles return for a final attempt to overthrow Iyasu's government. The attempt failed, and this time many of the nobles were captured and executed for treason.

After the end of the second rebellion, the country finally was at peace for a time.[9]

Yohannes Iyasu
In 1959, the 64 year old Emperor Iyasu V died of heart failure. His son Yohannes Iyasu was quickly named Emperor to avoid any attempted coups. At 44 years of age, Yohannes was much more liberally minded then his father. In his twenties he studied at the University of Berlin as a guest of the German government. After his time in Germany, he toured German South Africa with a German friend Baron Ernst von Dresner, who's uncle was governor of the territory. It was here that he gained an interest in the plight of colonial Africans, and interest that would slowly build up into anti-european attitudes. His beliefs had been fueled by the things he had witnessed first hand while traveling the world. He was seen a west african woman starve to death within yards of a dinner party held by a German Merchant in Bagamoyo. These events had solidified his belief that the Europeans should be driven from the continent. beliefs had been fueled by the things he had witnessed first hand while traveling the world. He was seen a west african woman starve to death within yards of a dinner party held by a German Merchant in Bagamoyo. These events had solidified his belief that the Europeans should be driven from the continent. [http://His [10]]

Throughout the sixties, Emperor Yohannes's government secretly funneled money and weapons to rebel movements throughout the European colonies in Africa. This support caused a large increase in rebel activities throughout Colonial Africa, especially in the Belgian held Congo where authorities had lost control of all but a few major cities. As the decade neared its end, Ethiopian secret involvement in these rebellions ramped up, and the now 55 year old Emperor Yohannes's anti-European attitudes began to slowly become noticable to the world, straining his relationship with his old Allies in Germany and Austria[9].

Rise of Pan-African Ethiopia
At the beginning of the seventies, the Congolese rebellion was nearing it's end and the Ethiopian government secretly met with rebel leaders from several regions of Africa. At this time Yohannes revealed that his protection would from then on only be extended to rebellions who swore to become vassals of the Emperor should they succeed in freeing their states[http://His [11]]. Despite the Imperialist nature of this move, most of the rebel leaders accepted these terms. Shortly after, the Congolese rebellion succeeded and it's new president Mobutu accepted the Ethiopian conditions, increasing Imperial territory signifigantly[12].

At the same time the Congo was falling, the '''Ottoman Empire invaded Egypt under the pretenses of Jihad; a holy war to oust the Egyptian Sultan and gain control over his land, particularly the lucarative Suez Canal. Talks between Ethiopia and the Turks lead to the Ethiopian entrance into the war, as well as the deployment of Ethiopian troops to a Turkish island in the Pacific to aid in efforts to evacuate Europeans in Indo-China due to Chinese expansionism. Ethiopia in return would be granted Egypts southern desert territory in Sudan[13]. With the help of Sudanese partisans, Ethiopia quickly drove the remnants from the Sudanese territorial capital in Khartoum after heated battles at Otrub and in the streets of Khartoum itself [14][15]. Within weeks of the fall of Khartoum, the only Egyptian stronghold was in Port Sudan, where Bedouin rebels and those Egyptians who hadn't surrended held out against a blockade. Sudan was put in the control of John Garang; the leader of the allied partisans.

The victories in Sudan and the Congo lead to a rising golden age for the Ethiopian Empire. Industrialization was initiated and a plan to build Rails from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean was hatched[17]. To govern their now swollen Empire, a the Pan-African Constitution was put in place, giving the new vassal states signifigantly more autonomy, especially on local matters[18]. To control the effects of the newly organized and industrialized Ethiopian Empire, a Labor rights bill was put in place to make the transition into an industrial nation less painful[19].

Ethiopia Becomes an International Power
As Ethiopia industrialized and organized at a rapid pace, the rest of the world was becoming caught up in conflict. Communism was on the rise in Asia, creating tension across Eurasia, Russia had collapsed into anarchy after the assassination of the Tsar and return of the Bolsheviks, and a continent wide war had erupted across North America as Canada attempted to annex a vunerable United States and the young '''Floridian nation state continued it's violent war of aggression. The North American War gave the Ethiopian Empire an opportunity to flaunt it's new found central african stability, and as the North American War was winding down Ethiopia launched a rescue airlift of several east coasts cities in order to evacuate victims of the African diaspora[20].

The international cause of decolonization had seen other successes. China was forming a superpower from the remnants of European colonies in Asia, and Persia was tossing off Western corporate interests. Persia and Ethiopia began to pursue a relationship to strengthen their position as decolonized states in areas rife with European influence. China's isolationist policy held back it's involvment in these relations.

The Floridian government, looking to pay off war dept from the year long series of wars that spanned the nations lifetime, made use of their signifigant supply of military hardware by selling Ethiopia one hundred newly produced Floridian SU-27's, which was a boon from the signifigantly outdated Ethiopia airforce[21]. Any further relations between the two nations was cut short by the cataclysmic collapse of the Floridian nation in a crisis of dept, disease, and assassination.

South Africa, still held by the British colonial authorities, rebelled across South Africa and into Rhodesia, where Guerrilla Liberators of South Africa and the Tswana movements were respectively striking out that British power [22][23]. The initial Ethiopian reaction to this was, like in the Congo, selling arms to the rebels. More important to Ethiopia at that time was the sudden and unexpected Indian invasion of the Arabian peninsula; a disorganized attack that was responded to by Iran with their own invasion to hold back Indian expansion. Concerned with the possibility of an Indian conquest of Islamic holy sites, Ethiopia launched a invasion of Hejaz while the Arabs fought India and Iran on the other side of the continent[24]. With very little in the way of a defense, Hejaz was easily conquered after the heated Battle of Taif[25]. Hejaz entered the Ethiopian Empire just in time for New Years 1971.

The Year of Aggressive Decolonization
Just shy of the new year, and following the decisive success of the Taif invasion,, Ethiopia officially recognized South Africa as an independent nation and pledged air support in the continuing war to drive the British out[26]. The Tswana rebellion sent envoys to personally ask for the same support, prompting Emperor Yohannes to give his infamous Anti-West speech, which condemned all non-native powers holding territory on the continent[27]. The fallout of this was signifigant negative press from the neighboring Spanish Empire, prompting concerns withing the Ethiopian government that Spain, which had been expanding it's presence in Africa right across the border from the Ethiopian Empire, might take this opportunity to invade some portion of the Empire [28]. The has also managed to impress the isolationist China, prompting the Chinese to get in contact with Ethiopia in order to look into opening up relations of some sort between the two nations. Initial plans to open up trade we drawn up by the two nations, but the Chinese isolationist tendencies made the proccess of rather slow and bureacratic.

The Tswana rebellion achieved independence soon after Ethiopian involvement started, but the Commander of the Ethiopian military, Ras Hassan, secretly and apart from the rest of the government, ordered the execution of the Tswana rebel leaders to justify an occupation of the country[29]. Ironically, at the same time this was going on, the rest of the Nation was remembering the Battle of Segale, the Great War, and how important peace was. At this time too, the rise of Communism in Finland prompted the creation of a Western Coalition, lead by Spain, to invade the Communist Finns and reinstate the traditional government. Ethiopia hosted peace talks between the Western coalition and Communist nations in order to find a solution to the conflict.

The Fall of Yohannes Iyasu
As the years dragged on into 1972, the attention of Ethiopia would go to Tswana, where the Ethiopian occupation was beginning to turn bloody. Unapproving of Ethiopia's occupation and seeing it as another move from a new master to oppress them, the Tswanians acted violently. Elements of the former Botswanan rebels fought against the Ethiopian army.

The violence in Tswana continued to heat up in 1973 with more open violence towards Ethiopia coupled with civilian protests. Bloody fighting was not uncommon as Ethiopia clashed with anti-Ethiopian Botswanians. By the summer of that year the rebels were finally pushed from all major cities and for a time things seemed peaceful. By September though, a renewed effort by the rebels had been unrolled. By December of that year they had devastated Ethiopia's occupational forces. Meanwhile in Ethiopian Gaborone rebels had totally over-taken their occupiers and freed themselves from Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia itself, the mass unrest on the fringes of the Empire was fueling a popular democratization movement. Although they were a Constitutional Monarchy, they were obviously not well represented.

In 1974 the democratization exploded, representing Coptic Christians and non-Ethiopians. The fire burned hot enough and the Emperor was assassinated that year. In a state of panic, Yohannes Iyasu's son Sahle Yohannes was crowned emperor, fleeing to Austria shortly after for fear of sharing his fathers fate. Pressure in Tswana prompted the retreat of the Ethiopian army ending the Ethiopian-Botswanian war.

The Ethiopian Civil War
While this was going, the Yohannes's second son, Yaqob Iyasu who now lived in exile in China after the completion of Chinese military officers training he started when Yohannes was in charge and the two nations had good relations, was put under greater watch (despite being considered an officer in the Chinese army). To respond to the instability and to protect their ambassadors, one hundred Chinese soldiers were dispatched to the Embassies and ensure their protection. The wires to the Ethiopian Embassy in Beijing were tapped to watch for potential pro-European sentiment and get a better picture of what's going on in Ethiopia.

In the spring of 1974 Sahle was beginning to fear Chinese influence in the nation-wide unrest. In March he publicized his anti-Chinese sentiments and China responded by cutting off trade ties with the country. Sahle's incompetence in this matter sparks unrest amongst even pro-Imperialists and a movement begins to promote his younger brother, China-based Yaqob as emperor.

In the summer Sahle met with German and British Corporate leaders. In exchange for support in his regime, he allowed them rights to Ethiopia's natural resources and oil reserves as well as corporate privileges on trade to and from the country. With an agreement struck, Sahle returns to Ethiopia, joined by troops belonging to his European supporters. Following this, General Hassan; Commander and Chief of the Ethiopian military, announced his distaste with Sahle and mounted an offensive against the emperor. Utilizing European support Sahle entered a guerrilla war with the experienced general. This war didn't help Sahle's cause, and the democratization movement chooses to follow Hassan's.

By 1975 Hassan openly declared Sahle as a false emperor and denounced his European-supported throne. He declared Yaqob as the true Emperor. By March, China heard of the declaration and moved to show their support for Yaqob. They relieved many of the security measures and gave the perceived popular-emperor a mansion formerly owned by a pre-revolution Opium Baron on the Yangtze in the Hunan country-side. From here he was allowed to meet with intelligence officials to discuss the likelihood of Chinese intervention in Ethiopia, as well as connecting with supporters in Ethiopia.

In July Hassan captured the city of Kinshasha, prompting Yaqob to publicly support the rebellion and applaud them for their efforts. Aided by the Chinese New People's Network the news is filmed and sent to Kinshasha. Afterwords Yaqob's efforts to prompt Chinese intervention grew more aggressive and he urged his hosts to more seriously consider the move.

Sahle mounted a counter-siege on Kinshasha in September and put the city under renewed siege, ultimately forcing Hassan back into the jungles by December [30].

Civil War Continues
As April of 1976 opened, Hassan's rebellion was fighting to keep their supply lines open with the help of an eccentric criminal organization under the command of a Congolese Psychoanalyst named Dr. Sisi. Through this contact, supplies have trickled in to Hassan's camp from benefactors in Austria, and Sisi's men have managed to start similar deals with the newly formed New England Republic and China. Confident of these supplies, an assault was launched on the market town of Bouar to grind the German occupation into a deadlock.

Sahle's power had slipped further into the hands of his European benefactors, with his own Prime Minister being a British oil man. The Walinzi, a replacement for the Homeguard Intelligence that operated under Hassan, was put in German hands and launched an investigation of the activities of Yohannes Iyasu's government despite the protestations of the Emperor himself. The action was seen as financially unrewarding by the British corporate interests, however, and the possiblity of their withdrawal puts Sahle's government at risk of being over run by the democritization movement that alledgedly killed his father.

Yaqob spent his time in exile studying whatever he can get in great detail. His time in China was invested in looking into how to balance the traditional culture and imperialism of Ethiopia with the modernized and extensively Marxist left in a way that would make a functional civilization.

In late August and September, revolts shook the eastern part of Ethiopia, prompting the loss of Somalia and Kenya to Yaqobist forces. These events sent a shockwave that reverberated across the Empire, and was felt by the European regimes that supported Sahle. Shortly after the fall of Somalia to revolutionary forces at the Mogadishu Riots, the Germans, Belgians, and BP pulled out of the conflict. The result was the fall of the country to Hassan's forces.

Addis Ababa was the last part of the country to fall to Hassan. A week before Hassans arrival, the city erupted in chaos as Yaqobist forces attacked Sahlian forces across the city in an event that would become known as "September days". During this time, Sahle attempted to flee the city disguised as a woman, but was caught. Hassans entrance into the city shortly after marked the end of the Civil War.

Yaqob Crowned as Emperor
Arriving from China, Yaqob returned as Emperor; promising to bring about peace and unity through policies that reflected a mixture of the values of the democracy movement and the values of the socialist left. His first acts were to reorganize the government, creating a constitution that clearly defined where power was located.

In the early days of Yaqob's government, acts were put in place that reorganized the military and economy of the Ethiopian nation. Federated states were formed, allowing for more localized governments. Sahle was hidden away in a guarded mansion on the shores of Lake Tana.

Constitution
See: Constitution of Ethiopia