How much do you know about Ethiopia's peasant rebellions under Haile-Selassie's...

Peasant Rebellions in Ethiopia During Haile-Selassie's Rule

• Peasant revolts against Haile-Selassie's regime were numerous in the southern territories, where the imperial government had rewarded its supporters with land grants, thereby reducing the local peasantry into tenancy.
• The first peasant resistance against imperial rule took place in Tigray, known as the Woyane rebellion, due to the inequities of the system and short-term factors such as corruption and administrative inefficiency.
• The Woyane rebellion had the support of members of the nobility who perceived their position to be endangered by the expansion of central authority.
• The Woyane rebellion was a continuation of the government’s punitive campaign against the region’s peasants in the late 1920s.
• The rebel forces scored an astounding victory fighting a well-equipped government army in Addi Awuna, 15 km away from Hewane in southern Tigray.
• The imperial army under the command of Abebe Aregay with the support of the British Royal Air Force crushed the rebellion in October 1943.
• Overt dissidence of Yejju peasants in Wollo occurred three times during Haile-Selassie’s rule.
• In 1948, peasants rose against the system after their appeal against land alienation was ignored by the government.
• Throughout the 1950s, localized skirmishes between government forces and peasants expanded to Qobo, Hormat, Tumuga, Karra-Qore, etc., led by prominent figures like Ali Dullatti (Aba Jabbi).
• In 1970, peasants revolted against the introduction of mechanized agriculture that encroached on pastureland and killed Qegnazmach Abate Haylu, a member of the local nobility and direct beneficiary of the new development.
• The Yejju rebellion was suppressed by the local militia.
• The government exiled or imprisoned the leaders of the Woyane rebellion, and the emperor took reprisals against peasants suspected of supporting the Woyane.

Test your knowledge on the peasant rebellions that occurred in Ethiopia during Haile-Selassie's rule. This quiz will cover the Woyane rebellion in Tigray, the Yejju rebellion in Wollo, and other localized skirmishes between government forces and peasants. Learn about the causes, key players, and outcomes of these uprisings that challenged the imperial government's policies on land ownership and mechanized agriculture. Keywords: Ethiopia, Haile-Selassie, peasant rebellions