Africa Defined

On September 27, 1916, Ethiopia’s Emperor Lij Iyasu was deposed by the country’s aristocracy. His downfall came after a series of controversial decisions, including his suspected conversion to Islam and efforts to align with the Central Powers during World War I. These actions outraged Ethiopia’s ruling class and ultimately led to his overthrow.

Lij Iyasu, the grandson of the legendary Emperor Menelik II, ascended the throne in 1913. Menelik had been a powerful ruler who consolidated Ethiopia’s independence in the face of European colonialism. However, with Menelik’s health failing, it became crucial to appoint a successor to ensure the country’s stability. Menelik considered several possible heirs, but eventually chose Iyasu, despite his youth and the challenges he would face.

Born to Ras Mikael, the Governor of Wollo, Iyasu came from a unique background. His father had been born Mohammed Ali and was originally Muslim before converting to Christianity. This duality in Iyasu’s heritage would later influence his approach to leadership. Upon taking the throne, Iyasu sought to break away from the rigid religious and ethnic divisions of Ethiopian society. He removed many of Menelik’s Christian governors and integrated Muslims into his administration, which sparked outrage among the Christian aristocracy.

During World War I, tensions escalated when Iyasu was rumored to have converted to Islam and entered secret talks with the Central Powers. His ambition was to regain Eritrea, which had been colonized by Italy, part of the Allied Powers. This move alarmed the Allies, who feared Ethiopia might join the war on the side of their enemies.

The Shewan aristocrats, already displeased with Iyasu’s leadership, saw this as an opportunity to act. They accused him of betraying Ethiopia’s Christian heritage and orchestrated a coup with the help of Iyasu’s cousin, Ras Tafari Makonnen, the future Emperor Haile Selassie. Iyasu was deposed and replaced by Empress Zewditu, Iyasu’s half-aunt.

Empress Zewditu became the first female head of an internationally recognized African country in the 19th and 20th centuries and the only woman to rule as Empress Regnant of Ethiopia. Throughout the rest of World War I, she maintained Ethiopia’s neutrality, restoring stability to the kingdom.

The deposition of Iyasu marked a turning point in Ethiopia’s history, setting the stage for the rise of Haile Selassie and the modernization of the Ethiopian Empire.