Haile Selassie Gugsa
Haile Selassie Gugsa | |
---|---|
Dejazmatch of Ethiopia | |
House of Solomon | |
Father | Leul Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie |
Religion | Orthodox Christianity |
Haile Selassie Gugsa
Biography
Haile Selassie Gugsa was the son of
Shum of eastern Tigray
In April 1932, Gugsa Araya Selassie died and Haile Selassie Gugsa replaced him as Shum of eastern Tigray with the title of Dejazmatch.
On 15 June 1932,[
At the same time as the marriage of Haile Selassie Gugsa to Zenebework Haile Selassie,
Italo-Ethiopian War
On 3 October 1935, as
Betrayal
On 10 October, Haile Selassie Gugsa went over to the advancing Italians and announced his submission to Italian rule. The Italians immediately released photographs of Haile Selassie Gugsa participating in war councils with the Italian commander on the northern front, General de Bono. Furious Ethiopian patriots in Mek'ele promptly set fire to Dejazmach Haile Selassie Gugsa's home in the town. On 8 November, Mek'ele fell.[4]
Some sources indicate that Haile Selassie Gugsa and his forces played an active part in aiding the Italian invasion.[5] Other sources indicate his men were soon disarmed. Either way, Haile Selassie Gugsa remained loyal to the Italians who, at a minimum, used him for propaganda purposes during the balance of the invasion and during the five years of occupation. He was honoured by the Italians with the title of Ras which had been denied him by Emperor Haile Selassie, as well as an Italian pension, and recognition as the senior Tigrean prince over his rival Seyoum Mengesha.
Italian East Africa
In May 1938, Haile Selassie Gugsa was in
By 27 September 1939, during the
Liberation of Ethiopia
In 1941, towards the end of the
Life sentence
In 1946, after continued requests for extradition, Haile Selassie Gugsa was returned to the Ethiopians. In 1947, he stood trial and was declared a fascist collaborator and a traitor. Haile Selassie Gugsa then threw himself on the mercy of the Emperor. As a result, his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. He was placed under house arrest at Gore, and later at Ambo for twenty-eight years.[8] His Italian-supplied honorific title of Ras was not recognised and he reverted to his old title of Dejazmach.
In 1947, eastern Tigray was incorporated into western Tigray and was governed by Ras Seyum Mangasha as hereditary prince of all Tigray. Dejazmach Haile Selassie Gugsa and his side of the family of Emperor Yohannes IV fell from grace. They no longer enjoyed favour either from the Emperor in Addis Ababa or from Ras Seyum Mangasha in Tigray.
The Derg and Death
In 1974, the Derg toppled the Ethiopian monarchy and Dejazmach Haile Selassie Gugsa was freed. However, even after he was released, the Derg continued to regard him as a fascist collaborator and as a traitor to his country. Haile Selassie Gugsa remained under effective house arrest at Ambo in western Ethiopia from that point on although technically no longer a state prisoner. Haile Selassie Gugsa died in early 1985.[8]
Honours
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Foreign honours
See also
- Monarchies of Ethiopia
- Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
- Desta Damtew – Another son-in-law of Haile Selassie
- Beyene Merid – Another son-in-law of Haile Selassie
Notes
- Footnotes
- Citations
- ^ "The Infamous Haile Selassie Who Betrayed Ethiopia by Siding with the Italians in 1935". 8 June 2019.
- ^ "The Infamous Haile Selassie Who Betrayed Ethiopia by Siding with the Italians in 1935". 8 June 2019.
- ^ Mockler, Haile Sellassie's War, p. 391
- ^ Nicolle, David, The Italian Invasion of Abyssinia 1935–1936, p. 8
- ^ Time magazine, Gugsa Makes Good
- ^ Time magazine, Germany/Italy: $20,000,000 Visit
- ^ Mockler, Haile Sellassie's War, p. xxxiv
- ^ a b c Haile Selassie I, Volume II, p. 174
References
- Haile Selassie I, Edited by Harold Marcus with others and Translated by Ezekiel Gebions with others (1999). My Life and Ethiopia's Progress: The Autobiography of Emperor Haile Selassie I, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Volume II. Chicago: Research Associates School Times Publications. p. 190. )
- Marcus, Harold G. (1994). A History of Ethiopia. London: University of California Press. pp. 316. ISBN 0-520-22479-5.
- Mockler, Anthony (2002). Haile Sellassie's War. New York: Olive Branch Press. ISBN 978-1-56656-473-1.
- Nicolle, David (1997). The Italian Invasion of Abyssinia 1935-1936. Westminster, MD: Osprey. pp. 48 pages. ISBN 978-1-85532-692-7.
External links
- Time magazine, Monday, 18 November 1935, Gugsa Makes Good
- Time magazine, Monday, 16 May 1938, Germany/Italy: $20,000,000 Visit
- Newspaper clippings about Haile Selassie Gugsa in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW=