SELASSIE, HAILE (23 July 1892–27 August 1975), former emperor of Ethiopia and one of the most significant figures in African history. His reign from 1930 until his overthrow in 1974 was marked by a commitment to modernization, international diplomacy, and the defense of Ethiopian sovereignty. Selassie’s impact extended far beyond the borders of his country, and he became a symbol of resistance against colonialism and a champion for African unity and independence.
Selassie was born Tafari Makonnen in the Ethiopian town of Ejersa Goro near the city of Harar. His father, Ras (Prince) Makonnen, was a governor of Harar and advisor to Emperor Menelik II. Tutored at home by French missionaries, Tafari displayed intellectual acuity from an early age. His precocity impressed the emperor and he was granted the military title Dejazmach (governor of the gate) at age thirteen in 1905 and was made governor of Harar in 1910. In 1911 he married Wayzaro Menen, great-granddaughter of Menelik II.
When Menelik II died in 1913 his grandson Lij Yasu succeeded him. Yasu’s allegiance to Islam made him unpopular with Ethiopia’s Christian majority, and Tafari contributed to the popular movement to unseat him. After Yasu was deposed in 1916 Menelik II’s daughter Zauditu became empress and Tafari was named heir apparent. Tafari’s ascent to power was not predetermined by birthright; he had to navigate a complex political landscape to rise through the ranks of Ethiopian nobility. Though his lineage provided him with a certain legitimacy in Ethiopian society, it was through his political acumen that he ultimately secured his position as emperor. Upon assuming the throne in 1930 following the death of Empress Zauditu, Tafari took the name Haile Selassie I. As emperior Selassie would introduce Ethiopia’s first written constitution and abolish slavery. In seeking to modernize Ethiopia’s infrastructure and institutions while upholding traditional Ethiopian values and customs, Selassie faced numerous challenges both internally and externally. As he attempted to shift Ethiopia’s place in the world order through a commitment to internationalism, he confronted the looming threat of colonial expansion in Africa in the form of the fascist Italian regime of Benito Mussolini.
Selassie was widely celebrated for his defiance in the face of Italian aggression during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935–36). Despite Ethiopia’s lack of preparedness for modern warfare, Selassie personally led his army into battle. Although Ethiopia ultimately fell to Italian forces, Selassie’s impassioned plea for justice in his appeal to the League of Nations captured the world’s attention. His 1936 speech condemning the League’s failure to uphold collective security remains a poignant moment in the history of international diplomacy.
Forced exile during the Italian occupation did not diminish Selassie’s resolve. While residing in Bath, England, he tirelessly advocated for Ethiopian independence on the international stage, forging alliances with sympathetic nations, cultivating support for the Ethiopian cause, and countering Italian propaganda. His efforts culminated in Ethiopia’s liberation in 1941 with the assistance of Allied forces during World War II. On May 5, 1941, exactly five years after Italian forces had entered the country, Selassie returned to Ethiopia and addressed his people.
After his restoration to power Selassie embarked on an ambitious program of modernization and reform of the economy, educational system, and infrastructure to improve the lives of ordinary Ethiopians. As a result of his efforts Selassie enjoyed great prestige on the international stage.
Selassie’s reign was not without its critics. His centralized style of governance and resistance to democratic reforms led to discontent among segments of Ethiopian society, particularly intellectuals and students. Opposition to Selassie emerged in the 1960s as the global spread of communism reached the Ethiopian intelligentsia, many of whom were frustrated by Selassie’s increasing focus on foreign affairs. By the 1970s economic disparities had worsened and regional tensions simmered beneath the surface as increasing unemployment wreaked havoc on the country. A severe famine in Wollo, in northeastern Ethiopia, that killed tens of thousands of people between 1972 and 1974 was the breaking point.
The growing discontent and internal unrest culminated in a 1974 coup d’état led by the Derg, a Marxist-Leninist military junta. Selassie was deposed and placed under house arrest for the rest of his life, marking the end of his reign and the beginning of a tumultuous period in Ethiopian history. It is not clear whether Selassie died of natural causes or if the military government ordered his murder.
Within some sects of Rastafarianism, a religious movement that emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s, Selassie is worshiped as the messiah despite his own lifelong adherence to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. In the wider world Selassie’s legacy is still contested. Though often celebrated for his efforts at modernization, he has also been the focus of criticism owing to his autocratic tendencies. In 2020 a statue of Selassie in Cannizaro Park in London was destroyed by protestors.