Emperor Haile Selassie I, Empress Zewditu & Freeing Slaves
Interesting footage and testimony of important facts about the relationship between Emperor Haile Selassie I and Empress Zewditu. Some books portray Emperor and Selassie as a dictator and that he had something to do with the Empress’ death. These accounts are published rivals who wanted changed and opposed the monarchy.
The true situation is different. Empress Zewditu might have questioned things she did not understand but after understanding, she gave permission for our Emperor to take the throne on November 2, 1930. So thinsg written in books about the disagreements between Empress Zewditu and Emperor Selassie are a false and should not associate our Emeperor with the death of the Empress. Empress Zewditu passed away of natural causes. She had diabetes and this was testified by doctors.
A year after his crowing, he presented Ethiopia with it’s first written constitution. The law started to govern, rule and regulations were made and slaves were freed. Everyone became proud to call themselves Ethiopians. It was Emperor Haile Selassie who taught people to say without fear, “I have the right!”
Emperor Haile Selassie faced strong opposition upon presenting the constitution. Many questioned the need for change as they claimed the traditional systems were effective enough.
Emperor Haile Selassie argued, “In the past, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, when Kings rules as they wished, there was so much grievance and disparity between the rulers and the people, and also among the family of the Kings. This was also the case in our country. Thus we will need laws that govern our ruling.”
He put all his efforts towards the modernity of Ethiopia. Ethiopia however, faced another obstacle. In 1935 Mussolini’s Fascist government invaded Ethiopia. Our Emperor tried all possibility to stop the aggression. He even attempted fighting the invaders personally to no success. The Italian army was not as before. The Italians had the advantage of much better and a larger number of modern weapons, including a large air force. They poured the banned poison mustard gas bombs on the Ethiopian Army and massacred millions of innocent Ethiopians in an unspoken Holocaust.
