From Adwa to Obedience: How Ethiopia Became Africa’s Greatest Betrayal

Adwa, Africa’s Victory (1896)

In March 1896, the Battle of Adwa shattered the myth of European supremacy. Ethiopian fighters dealt Italy a crushing defeat, inspiring Africans and oppressed peoples worldwide. Adwa became a symbol of resistance — proof that empire was not invincible. It was not just Ethiopia’s triumph, it was Africa’s pride.

But as history unfolded, that pride was reshaped into obedience. The very state that once carried Africa’s banner of defiance would later become a tool for Western powers, and a willing participant in undermining African sovereignty. Ethiopia was not only betrayed — it became part of the betrayal.

From Adwa to obedience, Ethiopia’s journey exposes how both Western powers and Ethiopian rulers turned Africa’s brightest symbol into Africa’s greatest letdown.

The League of Nations Betrayal (1923–1936)

In 1923, Ethiopia joined the League of Nations, raising hopes that African sovereignty had finally entered the international stage. But the test came in October 1935, when Mussolini’s fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia. Poison gas rained on civilians. Ethiopian appeals for help were ignored.

The League condemned the invasion but excluded oil, steel, and coal from sanctions. Worse, Britain allowed Italy to use the Suez Canal to transport troops. By May 1936, Addis Ababa had fallen. Haile Selassie addressed the League in June, declaring: “It is us today. It will be you tomorrow.”

Here lies the double betrayal:

The West abandoned Ethiopia to fascism.

But Ethiopia, in trusting the League and appealing to those same powers, revealed its dependence — a dangerous obedience that would echo for decades.

The UN Stage Prop (1941–1945)

In 1941, Britain and its allies expelled Italy from Ethiopia and restored Haile Selassie. But Ethiopia’s sovereignty was conditional: British officers controlled finances, the army, and foreign policy for years after. Ethiopia was back, but on a leash.

By 1945, Ethiopia stood among the few African states admitted into the newly created United Nations, alongside Liberia and South Africa. To Western powers, Ethiopia’s presence was not about empowering Africa but about optics. It made the UN look global while most of Africa was excluded.

And Ethiopia played its part. By accepting the federation of Eritrea in 1952 under UN guidance — against Eritrean wishes — Ethiopia served Western strategy in the Red Sea. The betrayal was not just external. Ethiopia had agreed to be the enforcer of someone else’s design.

Cold War Chains (1950s–1980s)

Through the Cold War, Ethiopia “jumped when told.”

Under Selassie, Ethiopia aligned with Washington. The U.S. built Kagnew Station in Asmara (1953), one of its most important spy bases. In return, Ethiopia received military aid, which it used to crush Eritrean resistance.

After Selassie’s fall in 1974, the Derg regime pivoted to Moscow. Ethiopia now jumped for the Soviets, embracing Marxist slogans while still waging brutal wars against Eritrea and its own people.

The famine of 1983–1985 turned Ethiopia into a global symbol of pity. Western powers broadcast starving children while maintaining the debt and trade structures that fueled the famine. But Ethiopia’s rulers also bear blame — famine was weaponized domestically, with food aid manipulated to punish dissent.

Here, the betrayal doubled again: Western powers exploited Ethiopia’s suffering for propaganda, while Ethiopian regimes used obedience and repression to secure foreign backing.

From Adwa to Obedience — The Lesson

In the post–Cold War era, Ethiopia returned to America’s embrace. Under Meles Zenawi (1991–2012), Ethiopia became Washington’s darling in Africa, sending troops into Somalia for the “War on Terror” in 2006. Praise and aid flowed, while Ethiopia silenced opposition at home. Once again, Ethiopia leapt at the West’s command, prioritizing foreign approval over African solidarity.

The verdict is clear:

The West betrayed Ethiopia, using it as a mask for legitimacy and a pawn in global power games.

But Ethiopia’s rulers betrayed Africa by accepting the role, enforcing Western agendas, and turning against Eritrea and others in the Horn.

From Adwa in 1896 to famine in 1985, from UN membership in 1945 to Somalia in 2006, the arc is undeniable. Ethiopia’s proudest symbol became its deepest obedience.

For us, the lesson is not just about Ethiopia — it is about Africa’s vulnerability. Sovereignty cannot be outsourced. Symbols cannot protect us if they are surrendered to outsiders. Ethiopia’s history must be told honestly: not as pure victimhood, but as a cycle of collaboration and betrayal.

✍🏾 From Adwa to obedience, Ethiopia’s story shows how the West manipulates — and how African states, when they obey, become partners in their own betrayal. The challenge before us is simple: will Africa keep repeating Ethiopia’s mistakes, or will we finally break the chain?