Two remarkable letters of state signed by Haile Selassie, bookending the Ethiopian struggle against Fascist Italy:
LS in Amharic signed by Haile Selassie as Emperor of Ethiopia, one page, 9.75 x 13.75, blindstamped letterhead with the Ethiopian seal of the 'Conquering Lion of Judah,' August 24, 1935. Selassie gives an impassioned plea to world leaders to intervene and avert war between Ethiopia and Italy. In part (translated): "In the conflict with Italy, Ethiopia is conscious of having fulfilled all the international obligations resulting from our special treaty with Italy, as well as from the multinational treaties to which we are parties and which constitute the fundamental basis of public international law. Notwithstanding the fact that our adversary who seeks to possess Ethiopia has frequently insulted her and called her a barbarous nation, Ethiopia has unceasingly prosecuted efforts to compel the fulfillment of international obligations by her reluctant opponent, and has observed throughout the conflict a policy of conciliation which has demonstrated our steadfast attachment to the cause of peace, despite the belligerent disposition, military preparations and avowed intention of our neighbor to initiate a war of conquest. Peace is indispensable to Ethiopia in order that our people may be conducted along the way of progress. We hope that the statesmen of the great nations who preside over the destinies of the world will not permit that an unjust and destructive war be waged in Ethiopia and undo all that has been done in recent years in the way of modernization. But if war must be brought to us by one of the great nations…we are determined to defend our freedom and our territory and to sacrifice if necessary all our resources of human lives and property."
LS in Amharic signed by Haile Selassie as Emperor of Ethiopia, two pages, 8 x 10.5, letterhead with the seal of the Emperor of Ethiopia, August 10, 1942. Letter to King Peter of Yugoslavia, then exiled in London, sent via the court of King George VI. Selassie conveys his wishes for the liberation of Yugoslavia during World War II, in part: "My Government, my People and myself are following with admiration the struggle which Your Majesty's armed forces are waging against the enemy, and we view with sympathy the suffering endured by those of your subjects now in the occupied parts of Your Majesty's Kingdom. We have not forgotten the way in which Your Majesty, your Government and your People so nobly supported our cause when our country was the victim of fascist aggression and occupation. We, who have undergone the same tribulations, can feel, better than any others, the sufferings and anxieties of Your Majesty, and we are confident that your just cause will soon prevail, with the help and sacrifices of the United Nations. Although the Ethiopian Nation has been delivered from the fascist yoke, we still wish to make available our resources to their utmost limit, so that we can help to make the world a place in which the small nations can live in peace and amity, secure from the threat of aggression. It is for this reason that we have informed President Roosevelt of our adherence to the Pact of the United Nations." In overall fine condition.
Ethiopia was first invaded by imperialist-minded Italy in 1880, but had maintained its independence up until this time. In 1928, Italy signed a treaty with Ethiopia—one it seemingly never intended to honor. Tensions escalated in December 1934, when a major clash occurred at the Italian outpost of Walwal in eastern Ethiopia. Italy demanded reparations, prompting Ethiopia to appeal to the League of Nations, which appointed a commission of arbitration.
On September 3, 1935—just two weeks after the first letter—the commission reported that neither side was at fault. Nevertheless, on October 3, Italy launched a full-scale invasion of Ethiopia, as well as neighboring Eritrea and Somaliland. The Ethiopian army suffered a decisive defeat at May Chaw on March 31, 1936, and Italian General Pietro Badoglio entered Addis Ababa on May 5, forcing Emperor Haile Selassie into exile.
In early 1941, during the East African campaign of World War II, Italy was defeated by the combined forces of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth of Nations, Free France, Free Belgium, and Ethiopian partisans. On May 5, 1941, Selassie was restored to power, triumphantly returning to the capital of Addis Ababa and marking the re-establishment of a sovereign Ethiopia.
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