20th century
Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s restoration of sovereignty during the early years of the Second World War marked a sharp reversal of European imperial expansion in Africa. The extract contrasts this recovery with the apparent strength of colonial rule in 1939 and treats it as an early sign of the rapid political changes that culminated in wider decolonisation.
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The Story
Before the Second World War, Ethiopia was described as Africa’s one truly independent state. Its defeat by colonialist forces in 1936 provoked widespread protest among educated African elites, who viewed the loss of Ethiopian sovereignty as a direct challenge to the political possibilities of African independence.
The restoration of Ethiopian sovereignty followed within two years of the opening of hostilities in Europe. This reversal occurred while European colonial powers still appeared firmly established across most of the continent. Ethiopia’s recovery therefore stood as an early indication that the imperial order created during the late nineteenth century was not politically permanent.
The episode occupied a central place in the transition from interwar colonial stability to post-war decolonisation. It demonstrated that African sovereignty could be restored even as European empires remained powerful elsewhere, and it formed part of the sequence that later included Libyan and Angolan independence.
20th century
Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s restoration of sovereignty during the early years of the Second World War marked a sharp reversal of European imperial expansion in Africa. The extract contrasts this recovery with the apparent strength of colonial rule in 1939 and treats it as an early sign of the rapid political changes that culminated in wider decolonisation.
Continue exploring
The Story
Before the Second World War, Ethiopia was described as Africa’s one truly independent state. Its defeat by colonialist forces in 1936 provoked widespread protest among educated African elites, who viewed the loss of Ethiopian sovereignty as a direct challenge to the political possibilities of African independence.
The restoration of Ethiopian sovereignty followed within two years of the opening of hostilities in Europe. This reversal occurred while European colonial powers still appeared firmly established across most of the continent. Ethiopia’s recovery therefore stood as an early indication that the imperial order created during the late nineteenth century was not politically permanent.
The episode occupied a central place in the transition from interwar colonial stability to post-war decolonisation. It demonstrated that African sovereignty could be restored even as European empires remained powerful elsewhere, and it formed part of the sequence that later included Libyan and Angolan independence.