Glad to hear Abyssinia avoids the Abyss avoided the abyss!
<crikets chirp>
I'll show myself the door...
<crikets chirp>
I'll show myself the door...
Abyssinia avoids the Abyss
- Thread starter Hunam
- Start date
The Korean War, 1950-1954
1950
Governor Thomas Dewey (R-NY) / Senator Richard Nixon (R-CA): 397 EV, 40 states
However, not every party was able to get off the ground. The Emperor had passed several laws making “Marxist, Communist, Fascist, and secessionist parties illegal. Such parties are and underlying threat to the state.” However, enforcement of these laws was spotty and mostly aimed at left-wing parties. This kept the Ethiopia Communist Party underground, but other movements would still be able to plant roots throughout the country.
1950
Statistics, 1950:
Population: 23.12 million
Immigrants: 75 thousand (0.325%)
50,000 African Americans
25,000 Jewish (non-Bete Israel)
10,000 Others
Urban Population: 1.78 million (7.7%)
Rural Population: 21.34 million (92.3%)
GDP: US$ 8.04 billion
Annualized Growth Rate: 3.5%
GDP PC: US$ 347
January:
The German Democratic Republic joins Comecon.
Most of Malay is now under anti-communist control. The Kagnew Regiment is sent back to Ethiopia, where the Emperor will hold a victory parade in Addis Ababa and endow the Regiment with "Imperial Unit Citation," clearly modeled after the United States Presidential Unit Citation.
February:
Chiang Kai-Shek is reelected as President of China.
Rastafarians begin immigrating to Ethiopia in large numbers, almost universally for religious reasons; their presence goes unnoticed for a while as they blend in with the other immigrants in Addis Ababa.
March:
With the Kagnew Regiment back home, Emperor Haile Selassie reorganizes the Ethiopian Military. The officers of the Kagnew Regiment are reshuffled throughout the Kebur Zabanga. With substantial American military coming in, the Kebur Zabanga is changed from being denoted as a straight-leg force to a "mobile force," centered around the 1000 M3 Half-Tracks and 250 M4 Shermans that were either delivered or on order. Emperor Haile Selassie's goal is to fully mobilize the Ethiopian Army by the middle of the next decade so that "we can proudly stand on our own two legs."
June:
A protest takes place in Addis Ababa, centered around the Jewish, Rastafarian, and African American immigrant communities. All groups are demanding increased representation in the national government; both houses of the current legislature are appointed by the Emperor. The Emperor promises additional reforms and forms a "constitutional committee" with representatives of the nobles, American and Jewish expatriates, and American legal advisors. The Constitutional Committee is the first time many of the immigrants come face-to-face with Ethiopia's feudal leadership, and the meetings are not pleasant. Progress on a constitution is very slow, but noticeable.
The 1950 World Cup is held in Uruguay. Ethiopia does not participate. Uruguay wins the competition.
July:
Coptic Pope Joseph II of Alexandria promotes Ethiopia to an autocephalous Patriarchate. 5 Ethiopian bishops are consecrated to select a patriarch for the Ethiopian Church.
North Korea forces march across the 38th parallel on July 7, sparking the Korean War. In the following weeks, President Truman convinces the UN Security Council to pass a resolution recommending that all UN member states join in supporting South Korea. The Soviet Union, boycotting the UN Security Council as the Republic of China held permanent veto power instead of the People's Republic of China.
July 7- August 25: The Revolt of the Mesafint. The Ethiopian nobility has a great distaste for Emperor Haile Selassie, especially his land reform policies and being forced to mix with the riffraff on the constitutional committee. Fearing further curtailing of their power and the spread of Kibbutzim, members of the Mesafint stage a coup to topple the Emperor. The coup was focused heavily with the nobility of the Shewa, Arsi, Bale, Hararge, and Kafa provinces, although a number in the Gojjam, Begmender, and Welega provinces will join the coup. Lead by Tekle Hawaryat, the nobles contended that the Emperor had become a dictator who megalomania exceed that of even Il Duce Benito Mussolini and that he plotted with foreign powers to sell off Ethiopia. The coup found support amongst several provincial army units, especially in Shewa and Arsi, and fighting broke out in the Shewa and Arsi provinces [1]. The coup, however, made two fatal mistakes: the first, selecting Malaka-Tsahay Iyasu as their claimant, which kept the Ethiopia Orthodox Tewahedo Church firmly in favor of Haile Selassie's throne [2], the second; they struck while the Emperor was in Alexandria discussing the autocephaly of the Ethiopian Church. This allowed the Emperor to fly back to Addis Ababa with due haste, rather than the longer wait that would take place if he was on another continent.
The coup quickly seized several major cities, including Goba (of Bale) and Debre Berhan (of Shewa). But the tide quickly turns against the coup in Shewa. The immigrant population of over 100 thousand was concentrated in Shewa and on the whole rejected the attempt to depose Haile Selassie [3]. The Kebur Zabanga, under the direction of General Mulugeta Bulli, struck back at the revolt in Debrhe Birhan and Addis Ababa, using the newly equipped American M4s and M3s to surround and crush the undertrained provincial units in and around Shewa. Upon the Emperor's triumphal return to Addis Ababa, he was greeted by throngs of followers and denounced the revolt in the harshest language. Promising "peace, unity, and prosperity for all," during a radio address to the nation on July Ninth, the Emperor vows to bring the "treasonous group opposed to the advancement of Ethiopia to justice [4]." He further calls on loyal citizens of Ethiopia to rise up against the revolting Mesafint and crushes them utterly.
Riots break out in several major cities by July Tenth, including Asawa, Goba, Nazaret, and Jimma. Lead by disorganized peasants, the riots are suppressed in most cities. But in Nazaret, the peasant riot gains a stronger footing. The Jewish Kibbutz near Nazaret was burned to the ground by a local noble and his troops, which fueled peasant anger; the Kibbutz had become somewhat popular with local peasants as it offered a literacy program in Hebrew, Amharic, and as of the previous month, Oromiffa for the locals [5]. Striking a popular institution offering skills training and a conceptual reform (the very idea of the Kibbutzim Movement), the riot in Nazaret become incredibly intense. It was put down with extreme violence by the local nobles on the 11th; about 1000 peasants were killed during the suppression of the riot. When word spread of the Massacre of Nazaret, the Emperor ordered General Mulugeta Bulli to drive towards Nazaret and bring the involved nobles to him personally.
Nazaret fell to Imperial armor by July Fourteenth and the nobles involved with the massacre were given a short trial a summarily hung for "crimes against humanity." Over the next few weeks, the Revolt of the Mesafint began sputtering out; the Massacre of Nazaret was quickly getting peasants up in arms and turning them strongly against the coup. A few southern and Shewa Mesafint would surrender rather than be crushed militarily and were leniently treated; most who submitted peacefully had their land confiscated and were instead given a smaller plot of government-held land in other provinces. The last holdouts near Abaya Hayk (Lake Abaya) were finally beaten on August 25, marking an end to the Revolt of the Mesafint.
By August 25, approximately 15,000 people had died in the Revolt; most of them were provincial soldiers or civilians killed during riots. In the aftermath, the Emperor promised major reforms of the Ethiopian state. At the end of the revolt and the reallocation of land from deposed or dead Mesafint, the Emperor had approximately 500,000 hectares of prime agricultural land which he could use as he saw fit [6][7].
August:
With the Korean War now ablaze, the Emperor wants to fight against the attempted communist Anschluss of the peninsula. However, the Revolt of the Mesafint has left Ethiopia divided and the Emperor sees a need for further modernization of the military. The Emperor also sends out the word, through his ambassadors, for advisors to help assist with the training his military and providing advice for further modernization. He gets a response from a surprising source; General George S. Patton, Jr. (ret.) offers his services on behalf of the United States [8]. Knowing Patton only by reputation, his services are accepted heartily. Patton arrives in Ethiopia by the end of September.
September:
By September, the Republic of Korea and US forces have been pushed to the Pusan perimeter.
Allied forces land at Inchon and begin counter-attacking against the Korean People's Army Forces.
The Emperor passes the first round of reforms, focused on the distribution of land. Most of the land is turned over to the tiller peasants as a reward for their "steadfast loyalty" during the Revolt. Other pieces of land are held as rewards for military service or for "other purposes" that the government will delineate later. Approximately 300,000 hectares of the 500,000 hectares are granted to the "loyal peasants."
October:
UN forces cross the 38th Parallel and work northwards.
Patton, given the honorary rank of Asmach (literally: Commander of the Rear Guard; nominally, he's a Brigadier General) in the Ethiopian Army, advises numerous changes to the organization of the Kebur Zabanga. While approving of the transformation of the Ethiopian Army into a mobile force, he found that the army did not place enough emphasis on logistics or engineering, instead being prone to buy tanks, planes, and other pretty, ego-boosting weapons and a culture of nepotism. "Dammit! If you want to be a real nation instead of a toy principality in the middle of a God-forsaken desert, you need to be able to get supplies from point A to point B. All the tanks in the world don't mean shit if you can't keep 'em fueled and armed" the Emperor later recalled Patton saying in his memoirs. Both his superior, Brigadier General Fitawrari (Literally: Commander of the Vanguard) Mengistu Neway and Emperor Haile Selassie eventually come to agree with Patton (and appreciate his blunt nature) and Ethiopia begins focusing more on developing its logistical and engineering skills, and the Emperor creates a set of laws designed to combat nepotist behavior in the military. The laws have some effect at reducing the unhealthy culture in the military.
The second major reform for the military is the partial dismantling of the provincial forces. The tribal nature of the uprising (at least, among the military) has convinced the Emperor that it is best to leave the Kebur Zabanga as the Empire’s premier fighting force and relegate the provincial forces to a secondary, reserve status. However, there remains a strong reactionary element to the military which hampers Haile Selassie’s attempts to completely overhaul the Army’s structure.
At Patton's recommendation (and pulling a few strings with his friends in Congress & elsewhere), various Ethiopian officers are sent to West Point and Virginia Military Institute, after decrying the sorry state of much of the officer corps; most of it had not received overseas training since before the Second World War. Patton's influence also weakens the previous system of diversifying military training; from this point on, Ethiopia comes to rely on the United States more and more for equipment and training.
November:
UN forces come within 50 kilometers of the Yalu River. On November 12, the People's Liberation Army intervenes in Korea.
The 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution passes, instituting term limits for Presidents.
December:
The Emperor announces the next set of reforms, focusing on improving the states weak educational foundation and, more importantly, its appalling illiteracy rate. Funding for education is set to increase, especially for instruction in Amharic. Despite protests by Oromo and other linguistic minorities, the focus of the literacy campaign will be almost exclusively on preserving Amharic as the lingua franca of the state.
Also, the constitutional committee is shaken up again; the dismissal of most of the reactionary committee members who had links the Revolt has opened the door for the Emperor to put more hand-picked men in line with his vision to write the constitution. The committee begins making much more progress than the preceding months.
1951
January:
Addis Ababa University is established with a royal charter. In its first year, it will form relationships with the Ohio State University, Oklahoma State University, and New York University. Several lecturers will come to AAU and help build the agricultural and technical programs at AAU, especially from the African American community.
February:
The Gold Coast parliamentary elections are held for the first time under universal suffrage. Kwame Nkrumah's socialist Convention People's Party won a supermajority of seats, and Nkrumah becomes the Prime Minister. He campaigns for increased autonomy for the Gold Coast, along with economic reform.
March:
The United States starts conducting a series of nuclear tests in Nevada and the Marshall Islands.
Greece and Turkey are accepted into NATO.
After some discussion with the United States, Ethiopian-US relations are upgraded to ambassadorial status. The United States also opens a radio station at an abandoned Italian facility in Eritrea to help maintain communication with forces operating in the Arabian Sea and Red Sea.
April:
Operation Ripper, the UN counteroffensive to retake Seoul begins. UN forces retake Seoul on April 17 and continue pushing north.
With the Korean situation stabilizing with a front south of Seoul, the Ethiopian Expeditionary Force (the Kagnew Regiment) depart for Korea.
The United States detonates the world’s first hydrogen bomb, furthering the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union.
June:
Shockley's team at Beckham Instruments develops the first junction transistor, a major leap forward for electronics technology.
Through diplomatic channels, Emperor Haile Selassie points out how the Gold Coast parliamentary election is most likely a harbinger of things to come and highlights Nkrumah's communist sympathies, hinting at Ethiopia's potential role as a counterbalance to socialist states. President Truman listens respectfully and promises to consider the matter.
July:
The UN launches another offensive aimed at Yonch'on. The Ethiopian Expeditionary Force (EEF) is part of the assault, and successfully break across the Imjin River line. Asmach George Patton highlights the success of the forces he helped direct, even though the offensive ultimately failed in capturing its objective. Because of Patton’s rambunctious nature, reporters tend to congregate around the General. The General will go on record praising the Ethiopian troops for their valor and devotion to duty, saying that they reminded him of the 761st Tank Battalion (an American force of African American tankers during the Second World War).
September:
The EEF 1st Battalion armed with American M3 half-tracks participate in Operation Hammerfall, the offensive to capture Kaesong. Hammerfall is ultimately a success, and the 1st Ethiopian Battalion is the first unit to make it to the Yeseong River.
December:
On December 31, Libya is declared an independent country. It marks the true beginning of decolonization in Africa, although many countries would not become independent for another decade.
The Kibbutzim movement in Ethiopia has taken off and now nearly 250 Kibbutzim scatter the highland country, particularly in the underdeveloped south.
The United Kingdom detonates its first atomic bomb; the United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union now form a “nuclear club” in the increasingly hostile, bipolar world.
1952
January:
King George VI of England dies. Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne of England.
February:
Winter Olympics in Olso. Ethiopia doesn't participate. It is the first Olympics in which the Soviet Union participates.
Fulgencio Batista seizes power in Cuba. His regime will be backed by the United States, but is met with condemnation by human rights groups around the world.
March:
Beginning of the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya. Emperor Haile Selassie condemns the British colonial policies, including the creation and continuation of tenancy for many of the Kikuyu. However, the Emperor also decried increasing violence of the Mau Mau and offered to function as a mediator for both parties. While Dedan Kimathi, the leader of the Mau Mau, was open to the possibility of “real, binding arbitration,” the antipathy of the British towards Ethiopia precluded “... any entrance of foreigners into the internal affairs of British colonies,” as the British Secretary of State stated. The uprising continues to gain steam.
May:
Kwame Nkrumah is elected president in the Gold Coast. The Emperor will use this election as a means of leveraging more aid from the United States, under the guise of “creeping socialism” in Africa.
The Ethiopian Football Federation becomes affiliated with FIFA after the Ethiopian National Team beats the Greek National Team in a friendly match. The EFF, along with the Egyptian and South African federations will petition FIFA for a continental federation for Africa.
July:
July 7-11: Republican National Convention: The Republican National Convention is another mess, although less so than the last convention. However, the infighting between the conservatives and the liberals remained fairly strong, although MacArthur's failure of a campaign had wounded the conservatives. General Dwight Eisenhower, declining to run for office, left the party without a clear winner against the Democrats. Dewey remained the strongest force in the party but would have probably lost the first ballot if Senator McCarthy had folded his campaign before the convention. Harold Stassen again folded after the first ballot and backed Dewey. The next ballot also saw Senator McCarthy and his fairly small base fold, eventually backing Dewey's commitments to containing Communism [9]. After the fourth ballot, Robert Taft conceded and Dewey became the presidential nominee. Dewey would go on to pick Senator Richard Nixon, a staunch anti-communist and fierce campaigner who helped shore up Dewey's reputation of changing his position on fighting communism as well as shore up support from conservatives. Some argue that Nixon's selection was part of a bargain between Dewey and Taft during the convention, although there is not enough evidence to support the indictment.
July 21-26: Democratic National Convention. After a long debate, Truman decides not to run for another term, leaving the Democratic field wide open. Governor Adalai Stevenson of Illinois, considered a shoe-in for the nomination, declined to run which further opened the field. After several ballots, moderate Senator Estes Kefaur beat out other hopefuls like Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, conservative Senator Richard Russell of Georgia, and Vice President Alben Barkley. He selected Senator John Sparkman of Alabama as his running mate in the hopes of appeasing the Dixiecrats. As the party's platform included efforts to fight racial discrimination and build up multilateralism, the isolationist, rascist Dixecrats instead ran another counter ticket this year.
On his 60th birthday, Emperor Haile Selassie promulgates the new Ethiopian Constitution. The document is a radical departure from the previous document, as it outlines the first attempt to institute democracy nationwide in Ethiopia [10]. Among the major changes to the earlier constitution was the establishment of elections for the Chamber of Delegates (formerly, the Chamber of Deputies) and for part of the Senate, and the legalization of political parties in Ethiopia. The Chamber of Deputies consisted of 500 members selected from 2-seat districts of roughly equal population using a proportional method for distributing seats, while the Senate consisted of 355 seats; 140 of these were "elected seats" at 10 per province or state, chosen from party lists and to be elected every 5 years (with half of these seats standing for election every 5 years). The other 215 seats were "noble seats," whose members would be chosen by a nonpartisan election of the Mekawint and Mesafint every 5 years. The Emperor publicly hoped that the Senate could function as a meeting place between the peasants and the nobility and soothe anger from the Revolt of the Mesafint.
Inspired heavily by the United States Constitution, the document formally recognized a number of rights, including speech, press, assembly, voting, and equality under the law. An independent judiciary was established, and citizens had a right against self incrimination & unlawful searches and seizures, as well as a right to a speedy trial. A great change was the creation of "states" within the Ethiopian Empire, entities with semi-autonomous rule, done in part to sooth the fears of unionists in Eritrea and immigrants in Shewa that the Emperor planned to be an autocrat instead of a constitutional monarch. The states could maintain small forces of their own and had the freedom to run their own affairs, but were subordinate to the national government. The only state at the time of the documents promulgation, however, was Eritrea. The remaining subdivisions of Ethiopia were provinces.
Still, the Emperor exercised considerable clout [11]. The Emperor held a seat on the Supreme Court, controlled Ethiopia's foreign affairs, and had almost all executive powers, although he'd leave the day-to-day running of affairs to ministries that'd be under the partial direction of the legislature. He also remained the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and controlled the coining of currency.
Reaction to the new constitution was mixed. The immigrants and Eritrean unionists were bolstered by the new constitution, while the nobility and independence faction of Eritrea wanted nothing to do with the new piece of paper, especially the nobility who was forced to mix in with the riff-raff of the Senate. The peasants, despite being uneducated, reacted positively to the document as political parties began forming in cities around the country. Elections were scheduled for 1955 to constitute the first elected parliament in Ethiopian history.
Inspired heavily by the United States Constitution, the document formally recognized a number of rights, including speech, press, assembly, voting, and equality under the law. An independent judiciary was established, and citizens had a right against self incrimination & unlawful searches and seizures, as well as a right to a speedy trial. A great change was the creation of "states" within the Ethiopian Empire, entities with semi-autonomous rule, done in part to sooth the fears of unionists in Eritrea and immigrants in Shewa that the Emperor planned to be an autocrat instead of a constitutional monarch. The states could maintain small forces of their own and had the freedom to run their own affairs, but were subordinate to the national government. The only state at the time of the documents promulgation, however, was Eritrea. The remaining subdivisions of Ethiopia were provinces.
Still, the Emperor exercised considerable clout [11]. The Emperor held a seat on the Supreme Court, controlled Ethiopia's foreign affairs, and had almost all executive powers, although he'd leave the day-to-day running of affairs to ministries that'd be under the partial direction of the legislature. He also remained the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and controlled the coining of currency.
Reaction to the new constitution was mixed. The immigrants and Eritrean unionists were bolstered by the new constitution, while the nobility and independence faction of Eritrea wanted nothing to do with the new piece of paper, especially the nobility who was forced to mix in with the riff-raff of the Senate. The peasants, despite being uneducated, reacted positively to the document as political parties began forming in cities around the country. Elections were scheduled for 1955 to constitute the first elected parliament in Ethiopian history.
Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Ethiopia participates, sending several athletes to the running events, but does not place.
August:
A socialist coup, led by the Free Officers Movement, overthrows King Farouk of Egypt and establishes a nationalist, pan-Arab socialist government under the stewardship of the newly formed "Free Officers Committee." Elections are promised in 1953, renunciation of claims to Sudan in 1954, as well as support full independence for Sudan.
August 12-14: The States' Rights Democratic National Convention. The Dixiecrats again split the Democratic ticket this year, with Governor Strom Thurmond of South Carolina leading the charge and selecting Senator Richard Russell of Georgia bringing up the rear. The duo make headway in the South, splitting an otherwise unified Democratic bloc.
September:
The Treaty of San Fransisco formally ends the Second World War between Japan and the Allies. Japan returns to self-government.
November:
The United States Presidential Election. Following the repeat of the 1948 split between the Solid South and the remainder of the Democratic Party, the Republicans swept the election by their widest margins since the 1928 Election of Herbert Hoover, capturing nearly 75% of the votes in the electoral college. Electoral exhaustion, a weak and divided Democratic Ticket, and a surge for a third party candidate contributed to the Republican sweep. Further helping the Republicans was Dewey's commitment to ending the war in Korea, containing Communism through collective security, and clearing out the cronyism and corruption "which exists thanks to nearly 15 years of Democratic dominance in our government." Despite accusations that the Republicans were fear-mongers playing on the growing Red Scare, Dewey remained a staunch advocate for personal liberty at home.
One of the greater surprises of the 1952 Election was the capture of Alabama; Senator Sparkman and Governor Thurmond both campaigned heavily in the state which split the Democratic vote in the South so thoroughly that Governor Dewey won the state with only 35.1% of the popular vote, one of the lowest margins in history for that state and a clear signal to the Democrats and the Dixiecrats; either work out their problems or risk marginalization [12].
One of the greater surprises of the 1952 Election was the capture of Alabama; Senator Sparkman and Governor Thurmond both campaigned heavily in the state which split the Democratic vote in the South so thoroughly that Governor Dewey won the state with only 35.1% of the popular vote, one of the lowest margins in history for that state and a clear signal to the Democrats and the Dixiecrats; either work out their problems or risk marginalization [12].
Governor Thomas Dewey (R-NY) / Senator Richard Nixon (R-CA): 397 EV, 40 states
Senator Estes Kefaur (D-IL) / Senator John Sparkman (D-AL): 100 EV, 6 states
Governor Strom Thurmond (SR-SC) / Governor Fielding Wright (SR-MI): 34 EV, 4 states
December:
The Korean war has ground to a stalemate; the UN forces hold a line along the Yeseong River for several kilometers that then trends roughly straight west. Despite several attempts at the establishment of a ceasefire, the war has continued and become a steady meat grinder, although this affects the Korean People’s Army and the People’s Volunteer Army (of China) more than anyone else.
1953
January:
The KPA launches its most ambitions offensive yet, planning to capture the city of Kaesong. Instead, the offensive leads to enormous causalities for the KPA as they cross UN trenches only to be bombed or napalmed. Several breakthroughs occur and at one of these points the Ethiopian Expeditionary Force is cut off from the US 8th Infantry Division (which it had been attached) for several days. Despite being outnumber 4:1, the EEF holds out Kaesong until the 8th Infantry successfully reestablishes contact. For their service, the EEF will awarded the Korean Presidential Unit Citation.
February:
James Watson and Francis Crick announce the discovery of the structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid.
Mau Mau rebels kill 20 British settlers in Kenya.
March:
Greece, Turkey, and Yugoslavia sign the Balkan Pact, aimed at providing mutual defense for each of the signatory nations. The pact is not very sturdy as Yugoslavia is being pulled towards Moscow and the socialist ideals of its founding.
April:
After the exhausting assault on Kaesong, the Chinese and North Koreans finally sit across from the United Nations and discuss an armistice. The talks are extremely slow and it takes several months to come to tentative agreements. Despite Stalin’s insistence that the war continue, the Chinese and North Koreans are growing weary of the conflict and feel that they can’t afford much more bloodshed.
The Mau Mau rebellion becomes increasingly violent, as the rebels kill several hundred Kikuyu natives cooperating with the British authorities. The British forces retaliate and several rebel strongholds (revealed by survivors of the Mau Mau’s killing of Kikuyu civilians) are hunted out and burned to the ground.
May:
General George S. Patton dies of a stroke in Seoul, South Korea. His death is mourned worldwide as soldiers commemorate the death of “Old Blood and Guts”. The General was a very influential figure in the Ethiopian military establishment and his impact is only beginning to be felt. Several streets in major Ethiopian cities are named after The Old Man.
June:
With the legalization of political parties, several parties have been forming, although this is mostly among the urban elite. Among the immigrant communities, the Socialist Labour Party has gained ground; the party drew support from Ethiopia’s 25,000 Jewish immigrants and roughly encapsulated a similar ideology to Israel’s Mapai party, emphasizing the development of the nation and the establishment of programs to alleviate the rampant poverty in the country.
The large African American immigrant community also saw a flourishing of political activism; the Democratic Socialist Party, ideologically similar to Europe’s myriad of Democratic Socialist Parties, found a niche, as did the New Democratic Party (inspired by the US New Deal Democratic Party of the 1930s and 1940s) and the smaller paleoconservative Republican Party. For the urban native population which had not become attached to the growing urban immigrant political parties, the Ethiopian Forces of the Left, Pan-African Coalition, and Ethiopian Conservative Party all found members eager to exercise their newfound political voices.
Eritrea was a hodgepodge of various political forces; the newly formed Federation of Eritrean Unionists was formed as a broad counterweight to the various Ertirean secessionist parties, including the Ertirean Liberation Front and the “non-secessionist” Eritrean Autonomy Council (which emphasized Eritrea’s need for “additional autonomy” under Ethiopian Law, without specifying what ”additional autonomy” actually meant). However, political organization was mostly limited to the urban population, while many in the rural part of the country were disorganized and easily manipulated by tribal divisions.
Eritrea was a hodgepodge of various political forces; the newly formed Federation of Eritrean Unionists was formed as a broad counterweight to the various Ertirean secessionist parties, including the Ertirean Liberation Front and the “non-secessionist” Eritrean Autonomy Council (which emphasized Eritrea’s need for “additional autonomy” under Ethiopian Law, without specifying what ”additional autonomy” actually meant). However, political organization was mostly limited to the urban population, while many in the rural part of the country were disorganized and easily manipulated by tribal divisions.
However, not every party was able to get off the ground. The Emperor had passed several laws making “Marxist, Communist, Fascist, and secessionist parties illegal. Such parties are and underlying threat to the state.” However, enforcement of these laws was spotty and mostly aimed at left-wing parties. This kept the Ethiopia Communist Party underground, but other movements would still be able to plant roots throughout the country.
July:
The European Economic Community, Western Europe’s first attempts to form a common market, is founded in Strasbourg. Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands are the founding members.
August:
The National Democratic Party, the ideological successor to the socialist Free Officers Movement, wins a majority of the seats in the Egyptian parliament. The National Democratic Party, led by Gamel Abdel Nasser, claimed “Arab Socialism” as its ideology. While clearly influenced by Marxism, Arab Socialism emphasized Pan-Arab unity and was less devoted to outright hostility towards the West than the Soviet Union or People’s Republic of China. However, Nasser provides covert supplies for the Marxist rebels in Northern Sudan.
September:
The United States and Ethiopia conclude another set of accords which provides Ethiopia with additional M3 Half-Tracks, older American M4s, and other equipment useful for building a modern logistical infrastructure. Some Ethiopian equipment is “lost” but instead is provided to rebels in south Sudan. Sudan is increasingly split between the Christian-Animist South and Muslim-Socialist South as de facto rebellion breaks out as the two groups struggle for power. But the biggest impact of the agreements was providing Ethiopia with the necessary capital to construct a series of dams in Shewa, Arsi, Bale, Gojjam, and Welega for electrification and to provide water for irrigation.
October:
Yugoslavia forms diplomatic relationships with the People’s Republic of China; the Soviet Union halts attempts to form formal diplomatic relations with the Balkan country.
The French win a major victory against Indochinese forces at Dien Bien Phu, although the victory is for naught. The French government decides to withdraw from Indochina as the war has become increasingly unpopular. Talks are held between Indochinese and French representatives about the formation of an independent Indochina.
November:
The Communists and UN forces come to an armistice agreement, formally ending the Korean War. UN forces will be slowly withdrawn from Korea for the next two years, slowly stepping down until the United States and Republic of Korea are the only nations maintaining forces.
November 19: In a very public speech, Premier Stalin denounces the armistice as a capitalist attempt to undermine the unity of the Communist bloc countries. Because of the extensive costs of the war, Mao has little interest in reviving the conflict and has come to the conclusion that cooperating with the West has its advantages, at least in the short run. Stalin’s speech highlights the growing rift between the Russians and Chinese which will only grow more acute with time. Historians will later highlight the November 19 speech as the beginning of the Sino-Soviet split.
The Soviets begin arming Communist forces in Austria, increasing tensions in Europe.
December:
British forces kill over a hundred Kikuyu natives in an attempt to smoke out Mau Mau rebels, further inflaming the populace.
Total American Aid to Ethiopia since the Second World War exceeds $50 million this year. Much of this aid has gone to building schools, rail, road, and other important infrastructure, especially the Asmara-Addis Ababa line, which is nearing completion.
1954
January:
The Soviet Union detonates its first hydrogen bomb, matching the US feat.
February:
As Soviet criticism of Yugoslavia has become more intense, President Tito has been distancing Yugoslavia from the Soviet Union. Stalin’s ongoing criticism, ever since the Second World War, of Albania’s management and treating Albania as little more than a colony of international communism, has also pushed Hoxha away from Stalinism [13]. In a series of talks between Yugoslavia’s and Albania’s leadership, Albania announces it is joining Yugoslavia. After a “vote” is held, Albania becomes the seventh republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Stalin is outraged by the move and diplomatically isolates the newly swollen Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia instead begins making moves towards Maoist China and Tito proposes that the Balkan Pact begin actively working together.
March:
Following the joining of Albania and Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union cracks down on dissent in the socialist nations of Eastern Europe. In a meeting between the heads of East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria announces the creation of the Warsaw Pact. While on the surface the organization is a mutual defense organization like NATO, the Warsaw Pact goes a step further. The organization plans on an “eventual” full unification of all the member nation’s militaries and intelligence organizations into a single entity, going farther than even NATO’s plans.
The creation of the Warsaw Pact begins the “Austrian Crisis“ when the Warsaw Pact nations recognize the newly announced “People’s Socialist Union of Austria,” more properly called East Austria. The nascent communist state flies in the face of negotiations between the European nations and the Soviet Union. NATO and Warsaw Pact forces began conducting exercises as the democratic forces in Austria prepare to fight to unify Austria.
April:
In a landmark case, the US Supreme Court rules that the segregation of public schools is unconstitutional. The issue deeply divides the Dixiecrats and national Democratic Party, further stalling talks between the two groups.
Mayor Basha James L. Farmer publicly becomes a member of Democratic Socialist Party.
May:
After two months of desperate negotiations, the NATO and the Warsaw Pact come to an agreement over the Austrian Crisis. East and West Austria will exist as separate entities and the Warsaw Pact will not expand any farther West while NATO will not expand any farther East. West Germany and West Austria are brought into NATO while East Austria is brought into the Warsaw Pact. The interim West Austrian government in Salzburg publicly decries the division of Austria but bows “... to the need for peace.”
The Austrian Crisis leads to a cascade of changes for the European security alliances. The Balkan Pact, which formerly was a military alliance in name only, conducts its first joint military exercises along the Greek-Yugoslavian border. The period after the Austrian Crisis precipitated a time of détente between the United States and Yugoslavia. While Yugoslavia was still a socialist country, Yugoslavia would continue to oppose Soviet expansionism and cooperated with NATO in some minor matters.
France withdraws from Saarland several years earlier than expected. The city-state is returned to West Germany [14].
June:
Egypt renounces its claims to Sudan and urges Britain to withdraw from the country. Left without a legal reason to occupy the country, the United Kingdom agrees to withdraw from Sudan on January 1, 1955. The fighting between rebel groups becomes increasingly heated as they struggle for control.
June 16-July 4: The 1954 FIFA World Cup is held in Switzerland. Ethiopia defeats Egypt during the qualification, but is defeated by Israel in 86' a painful loss that keeps Ethiopia from advancing [15]. In a surprising upset, the United States defeats Mexico to make the Round of 16, then upsets France to advance to the quarter finals. However, they loose to Brazil in the quarter finals. West Germany defeats Brazil in the finals, a much needed moral boost for the free Germans.
July:
Concerned about further communist expansion, the Philippines, Thailand, the United States, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand form the Southeast Asia Treaty Association. Modeled closely on NATO, SEATO will be a mutual defense pact designed to check communist expansion in Southeast Asia and Oceania. A separate agreement between the Republic of China and the United States is signed.
August:
After months of failed negotiations, China occupies Tibet. The Dali Lama is forced to flee to India.
A coup attempt against Emperor Haile Selassie falls flat; the coup, unlike the 1950 Coup attempt is poorly organized by various Communist groups. The bomb that was the center of the plot went off several hours early and most of the conspirators, members of Ethiopian Worker’s and Student’s League (an underground Marxist group) with the support of a few members Mekwanint and Mesafint, are round up and executed. The 1953 Coup attempt, thanks to its Marxist background and the fact that some irate members of the Mesafint and Mekwanint joined it, force Ethiopian society to confront the growing rift between the Emperor and the nobility. Since the nobility had always been a strong anti-communist bloc and several prominent, humiliated members of the Mesafint took part in the coup attempt, the Mesafint’s hostility towards the Emperor is blunted [16]. Despite the Emperor’s liberalizing attitude, he still displays a conservative personality and more importantly is unlikely to try and wipe out the nobility, unlike what the literature of the Ethiopian Worker’s and Student League promised. Opposition to the Emperor’s reign by the Mesafint starts to blunt and a sizable minority are willing to publicly participate in this “new system,” if only to avoid the Marxists.
September:
Senator Joseph McCarthy is condemned by the Senate for his actions.
October:
Uri Avnery, leader of the Socialist Labour Party, makes a public speech arguing for further cooperation between Israel, the United States, and Ethiopia on matters of defense and trade. He decries Nasser’s role in heightening tensions between Israel and Egypt and contributing to the growing civil war in neighboring Sudan. Through his contacts in Israel, he publishes adverts in Israeli newspapers advertising Ethiopia as “a peaceful alternative to war-torn Israel.” While relatively small, Israeli/Jewish immigration to Israel will continue to total several thousand per annum and several Israeli Kibbutzim are established yearly.
November:
Paul Robeson is given back his passport, and he immigrates to Ethiopia later this month.
December:
Brought by African American immigrants, baseball has started to enter the Ethiopian consciousness in Shewa and Asmara. Buoyed by several Negro League players who immigrated to Ethiopia (for any of a number of reasons) as Major League Baseball began integrating, the first minor league consisting of four teams: the Addis Ababa Elephants, the Saint George Baseball Club (associated with the football club), the Nazaret Knights, and Debre Berhan Baseball Club. While the league has a strong financial backing (thanks to the relative wealth of the immigrant community), the sport remains a niche for the urban elite. Major figures working in the Ethiopian Baseball League include Buck O’Neil, Henry Kimbro, and Gene Smith, who provide valuable experience and help keep the league together.
Despite good attendance and many radio broadcasts the first year for baseball, football remains entrenched as the country’s national sport.
===============
[1]- Basically, the Amhara are getting really restless over how much power the Tigre, the Oromo, and the Somalis are getting, especially after the land reforms the Emperor proposes. Land’s a really big issue to a society that is based mostly on sustenance agriculture.
[2]- The Church's support for Haile Selassie is, in part, thanks to the fact that the Emperor, a devout Ethiopian Orthodox, changed little of the Church's power yet. Further reinforcing this fact are the rumors of Lij Iyasu's conversion to Islam, making his line illegitimate in the eyes of the Church.
[3]- Haile Selassie's semi-cult of personality and generally good disposition towards immigrants has won him many friends, even among the far leftists in the immigrant community.
[4]- Most of the nation, of course, doesn't have radios. But the big cities like Debre Birhan, Addis Ababa, Awasa, and Nazaret have a number of radios. A nice portion of large cities are in the south. And, of course, most nobles have radios as well.
[5]- A big problem in the development of Ethiopia (and Africa in general) is a resistance to education which is invariably tied to a cultural preference for substance agriculture; you need the kids to work the land, not sit all day in a building learning useless things like poetry or calculus. On the other hand, basic literacy and mathematics neither takes exorbitant amounts of time to teach (when compared to, let's say, western education), so it is considered tolerable or even beneficial. Couple the Kibbutz's teaching of the lingua franca (Amharic) and just starting to give literacy training in the dominate local language (Oromiffa), and you've got good fuel for peasant anger.
[6]- If anything, I'm underestimating the amount of land available. The government of Ethiopia redistributed around 5 million hectares (50,000 km^2, or a little less than 5 Lebanons) between 1945 and 1974. I'd figure that the southern nobility could hold as much as 2.5 million hectares, but I'll stick with a low-ball estimate of 500,000 hectares, since I can't get precise numbers.
[7]- Of course, the northern Mesafint are still influential, but their ownership of land is much weaker in the Amharic-speaking provinces, and there's only a smidgen of Kibbutz at this point. So there's less political reason to revolt with the foundation of the joint stock Kibbutzim, although they are still getting riled up against Haile Selassie.
[8]- Patton didn't die in the car crash as IOTL. However, his big mouth got him in trouble and he was not-so-quietly retired in 1948. He's proven to be a bit of a bug-bear once back in the states; Truman and Patton don't see eye-to-eye on the threat of communism and he has become increasingly vocal since the outbreak of war in Korea, making speeches at Republican rallies & the like. Truman sees shipping him out to Korea as a means of shutting Patton up and giving him what he really wants: another chance to fight, despite his old age. On the flip side, being attached to the Ethiopians means that Patton's chances of getting into trouble are greatly reduced, and it is unlikely that the Ethiopians will play a major role during the war anyway. And he's an old man, so this'll probably be his last hurrah.
[9]- Dewey's positioned has morphed from that of a non-interventionist in 1940 to an internationalist in the mid 1940s to a moderate anti-communist by the 1950s ITTL.
[10]- I'll post a more precise list of what the new constitution legalizes later; here is just the broad strokes.
[11]- IOTL, there were numerous references to the restriction of rights as a matter of law; ITTL, the constitution, under the influence of leading civil rights figures and Jewish immigrants, is much more steadfast in its guarantees of rights, at least on paper.
[12]- They’re not really at any risk of marginalization, but there’s still panic driving the national Democratic Party. The infighting between the Dixiecrats and the other Democrats has finally cost them an election.
[13]- Stalin has lived longer, but his mental faculties have degraded more and he is therefore more paranoid than he would be otherwise, leading to a more strong-handed approach to Eastern Europe and facing down against the United States. He's neither crazy or stupid enough to initiate a nuclear war, but his brinkmanship is running rather fine.
[14]- The Austrian Crisis has prompted France to withdraw its claims to the Saarland. This also leads to the Saarland's National Football Team withdrawing from the World Cup
[15]- Okay, since Ethiopia, Israel, and Egypt were accepted to this competition and Saarland and Austria are not competing, the groups shake out a little differently. Here’s the nation list and the groups they fall into (Green are qualifiers, red withdrew from the competition):
Host and Champion
Switzerland, Uruguay
Europe (10 seats)
West Germany, Norway, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, Denmark
South America (1 seat)
Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Chile
North American Football Confederation (1 seat)
Mexico, United States, Haiti, Canada
East Asia (1 seat)
South Korea, Japan, Republic of China
West Asia & Africa (1 seat)
Egypt, Israel, Ethiopia
Group 1:
West Germany
France
Norway
Denmark
Group 2:
Netherlands
Belgium
Luxembourg
Group 3:
England
Wales
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Group 4:
Romania
Poland
Czechoslovakia
Bulgaria
Group 5:
Italy
Yugoslavia
Greece
Turkey
Group 6:
Spain
Portugal
Ireland
Group 7:
Brazil
Paraguay
Peru
Chile
Group 8:
United States
Mexico
Canada
Haiti
Group 9:
Japan
South Korea
Republic of China
Group 10:
Israel
Ethiopia
Egypt
[16]- This is very much the “Did they almost hand this country over to the Communists?” type of reaction.
Well I found the play on words funny
.=========
Hope the next instalment was worth the wait.
Anyway, here's a mappo for those who are so inclined. The World as of January 1, 1955:
Yay for an update, and a good one at that! (Not that the others haven't been good as well...)
Are you going to work to have the Ethiopian footie team also avoid the abyss?
I vaguely wonder how long the Chicago Tribune waited to print the 'Dewey Wins' issues this time around. Or maybe they printed 'Dewey probably beats Adlai'?
How'd Patton handle being under Ridgeway? And how many references did he make to his past lives while in Ethiopia and Korea?
Are you going to work to have the Ethiopian footie team also avoid the abyss?
I vaguely wonder how long the Chicago Tribune waited to print the 'Dewey Wins' issues this time around. Or maybe they printed 'Dewey probably beats Adlai'?
How'd Patton handle being under Ridgeway? And how many references did he make to his past lives while in Ethiopia and Korea?
Huzzah! an update, and a splended one at that!
Two questions:
-is the armistance in Korea similar to the one of OTL or were the terms different?
-What are the odds we might see Ethiopia's borders expand before the TL ends?
Two questions:
-is the armistance in Korea similar to the one of OTL or were the terms different?
-What are the odds we might see Ethiopia's borders expand before the TL ends?
Expansion will be hard. Somalia is of course possible, but Ethiopia would not want to rule over a large bunch of pissed off Somalians. I think it's good if Ethiopia can hold on to Eritrea (and the Eritreans not being extremely enraged over it).
I was thinking more in terms of Southern Sudan, maybe Somalia
Just read TTL and it is a fascinating idea. I'm liking it so far, keep up the good work!
Thanks
.Well, African soccer's definitely is going to be a little different. Let's just say CAF'll be a little bigger than OTL, at least for a while.
Dewey didn't run in 1948 and MacArthur came nowhere close to beating Truman. The headline's are of course, the "Dewey wins" variety; sans Truman and with the Democrats split over segregation Dewey was a shoe-in.
Patton didn't like it, but put up with it; getting sacked by Truman humbled him enough to put up with Ridgeway. As for his past lives, I'm sure some references ended up in Haile Selassie's memoirs
. Patton did have a really hard time controlling his mouth, for better and worse.Fairly similar; the border's a bit different (e.g., Kaesong is South Korean) and with the Sino-Soviet split North Korea is even more of a satellite of China than IOTL.
Well, the first question is why would Ethiopia want to expand? With Eritrea, there's some history of them dominating that region (although the actual history's a bit more convoluted than that) and they get the all important Red Sea port. Same with the Ogaden region, where you have some useful rivers running though them. South Sudan's much harder to see; I don't see how it would benefit anyone that much (big animist population, Brit's didn't bother developing it, and a bunch of angry Arabs to the North); once the amount of oil in South Sudan's discovered the dynamics change quite a bit though, assuming Sudan calms enough to allow oil exploration.
I don't see the Empire adding a bunch of pissed of Somali Muslim's who occupy what is mostly desert sans oil and fishing villages. The Empire had enough problems with their small, pissed off Somali population IOTL.
Ah, good to meet new readers; I've already got the next part in the works. ETA is sometime in the next couple of days, but my older readers know that deadline can be a little... fickle
.Decolonization and Democratization, 1955-1960
While the Kibbutzim have been mostly successful, many have folded and languished. The poor soil in the highlands requires careful cultivation which most Kibbutzim were unable to master or failed to acquire the appropriate fertilizers to make the land bloom. Still, the movement is now firmly entrenched in Ethiopian culture and is only becoming more prominent, to the chagrin of the conservative nobility (who still own vast tracks of land and compete).
Africa -1
1955
Statistics, 1955:
Population: 27.54 million
Immigrants: 160 thousand (0.581%)
100,000 African Americans
40,000 Jewish (non-Bete Israel)
20,000 Others
Urban Population: 3.03 million (11.0%)
Rural Population: 24.51 million (89.0%)
GDP: US$ 11.77 billion
Annualized Growth Rate: 5.5%
GDP PC: US$ 427
January:
January 1: Sudan is formally recognized as independent from the United Kingdom. The capital, Khartoum, is under the control of the Marxist forces (United Socialist Front) while the southern portions of the country are under the control of the Christian/animist Sudanese Liberation Army. Both sides are very disorganized, but the Arabic north benefits from greater unity and clearer lines of supply. Following the declaration of independence, the civil war intensifies as the Marxists begin getting more and more equipment from the Soviet Union.
February:
Stalin, seeing a threat in Kruschev, has Kruschev arrested and sent to the Gulags. On the way, Kruschev is executed by agents of NKVD.
Ethiopia and Israel sign a treaty of friendship and protection (unlike a mutual defense agreement, the protection agreement does not make both parties legally bound to militarily intervene [1]). They agree to hold biannual military exercises “... to train and prepare for possible violations of our sovereignty.” The exercise chills Ethiopian-Arab relations.
March:
By the end of the month, France has completely withdrawn from Indochina, which is now divided into Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. President Dewey declines to interfere in Indochina at the French suggestion, instead pushing for a “national unity government” between the communist and pro-French forces in order to avoid “pointless bloodshed.” In private talks, Vice President Nixon disagrees strongly with President Dewey’s assessment and believes that Indochina will fall to the Communists if not suitably propped up [2]. The Diem regime is weak and is unable to prevent flow of troops and supplies from the north.
April:
Refugees begin fleeing the Sudanese Civil War. Over 50,000 will have been displaced internally by the end of this year and another 20,000 will flee to other countries, principally Belgian Congo (5,000), Uganda (5,000), and Ethiopia (10,000). The refugees increase tensions in the southern portions of Ethiopia where they compete with the local Oromo, Galla, and Sidamo ethnic groups.
April 5: The creation of the Ethiopian Special Forces. The Ethiopian Special Forces initially consist of two battalions of Kebur Zabanga volunteers who are trained in Amphibious and Airborne tactics by Israeli and American advisors.
May:
Just before the rainy season comes, the Addis Ababa-Asmara rail is completed on schedule. The new rail line is 1435 mm gauge, conforming to the common international gauge. The project provides two tracks for outbound and inbound traffic and the Emperor himself rides on the inaugural inbound and outbound trips from Addis Ababa. In Asmara, the Emperor gives a speech outlining his proposal to expand the port of Massawa and make it, in time, “the equivalent of Houston or Chiba, a major port of call for the world's commercial shipping”. To achieve that end, President Dewey and the Republican Congress pledged US$100 million over the next 5 years to the expansion of Massawa so that it could accommodate American warships operating in the Red Sea [3].
June:
Ethiopia and Israel conduct a joint military exercise in eastern Ethiopia in accordance with the February Agreement. Ethiopia’s outdated P-51s and P-47s are outclassed by the Israeli Mystere IVs and Ouragons. The Ethiopian Army begins looking into acquiring modern jet aircraft, despite the steep price tag.
Ethiopian Airlines acquires its first of a three Lockheed Constellations, allowing for passenger flights out as far as 8000 kilometers (5000 miles).
July:
July 5-7: The first national elections in Ethiopian history are held in polling stations across the country. UN election monitors report that the election is of a mixed quality; in the large cities the polling tends to be fair, but out in the rural districts intimidation and various techniques to suppress unwanted votes were utilized, although these practices were far from uniform, except for the clear skewing of the Senatorial vote in favor of the Royalist Party [4]. Unfortunately, because of the poor conditions of much of the nations transportation infrastructure, it takes a few weeks for Royal Election Observers to release the official results.
August:
August 3: The results of the Ethiopian legislative election are published for public consumption. The results produced no clear coalition, as the various unorganized ethnic parties captured nearly as many seats as the organized “National” parties.
Chamber of Delegates (500 seats)
SL-DS-ND-L-FEU-T Coalition (255, 51.0%)
Royalists: 78 (15.6%)
Socialist Labour Party: 41 (8.2%)
Democratic Socialist Party: 27 (5.4%)
New Democratic Party: 15 (3.0%)
Federation of Eritrean Unionists: 11 (2.2%)
Liberal Party: 9 (1.8%)
Coalition Independents: 74 (14.8%)
Opposition (212, 49.0%)
Republican Party: 11 (2.2%)
Eritrean Autonomy Council: 7 (1.4%)
Somali People’s Party: 16 (3.2%)
Somali Ethnic Parties: 5 (1.0%)
Oromo Movement: 25 (5.0%)
Oromo Ethnic Parties: 55 (11.0%)
United Amhara List: 23 (4.6%)
Amhara Ethnic Parties: 22 (4.4%)
Tigray People’s Protection Party: 3 (0.6%)
Other Ethnic Parties: 11 (2.2%)
Independents: 67 (13.4%)
Seat Breakdown
Non-Ethnic Parties (including Eritrean Parties): 199 (39.4%)
Ethnic Parties: 160 (32.0%)
Independents: 141 (28.2%)
Senate (140 common seats, 215 Mesafint & Menkawint seats)
Mesafint & Menkawint Seats [5][6]
Conservatives - 157 (45.5%)
Liberals - 26 (7.5%)
Independents - 32 (9.3%)
Common Seats
Royalists - 48 (13.9%)
Socialist Labour Party - 8 (2.3%)
Democratic Socialist Party - 7 (20.3%)
New Democratic Party - 4 (11.6%)
Federation of Eritrean Unionists - 3 (0.9%)
Eritrean Autonomy Council - 2 (0.6%)
Republican Party - 1 (0.3%)
Liberal Party - 1 (0.3%)
Independents - 18 (5.2%)
Tigray People’s Party - 5 (1.5%)
Minor Tigray Parties - 2 (0.6%)
Minor Tigray Parties - 2 (0.6%)
United Amhara List - 6 (1.7%)
Minor Amhara Parties - 5 (1.5%)
Oromo Movement - 10 (2.9%)
Minor Oromo Parties - 3 (0.9%)
Somali People’s Party - 2 (0.6%)
Minor Somali Parties - 1 (0.3%)
Other Ethnic Parties - 14 (4.1%)
September:
After weeks of (verbal) fighting, a coalition was produced: The Socialist Labour Party, Democratic Socialist Party, New Democratic Party, Liberal Party, Federation of Eritrean Unionists, the Tories, and a bloc of power-hungry independents formed the new coalition. As per the new constitution, the Emperor directly controlled the War, Foreign, and Finance Ministries, appointing his own ministers in each of those departments. However, he allowed the Chamber of Delegates to appoint the deputy ministers of each of those departs and gave the deputy ministers much latitude in the running of their affairs, at least at first [7]. The Royalists took the premiership and the first democratically elected Prime Minister was Wolde Giyorgis Wolde Yohannes, a former advisor to the Emperor. The ruling coalition is fairly shaky and held together only by fear of something worse [8].
Wolde Giyorgis Wolde Yohannes Ministry [9]
Prime Minister:Wolde Giyorgis Wolde Yohannes (Royalist)
Deputy Prime Minister:Uri Avnery (Socialist Labor)
Deputy Minister of War:Tafari Beni (New Democrat) [10]
Deputy Foreign Minister:Paul Robeson (Socialist Labor)
Deputy Finance Minister:Malcolm Earl (Democratic Socialist [11])
Ministry of Agriculture and Water: Aragaw Bedaso (Independent [12])
Ministry of Justice: Basha James L. Farmer, Jr. (Democratic Socialist)
Ministry of Transportation and Electricity:Abraham Kassa (Federation of Eritrean Unionists) [A]
Ministry of Education: Yona Bogale (Socialist Labour-Royalist [13])
Appointed Directly by the Emperor
Finance Minister:Makonnen Habte-Wold (Royalist)
Foreign Minister: Yilma Deressa (Royalist)
Minister of War: Mengistu Neway (Liberal-Royalist) [14]
Tsehafi Tezaz (Minister of the Pen):Aklilu Habte-Wold (Royalist) [B]
October:
The French begin deploying forces to Algeria to put down unrest caused by Algerian Muslim independence agitators. This marks the beginning of the French Intervention in Algeria.
December:
One of the first acts of the new democratic government establishes the Ethiopian Defense Corporation, a state-run company whose goal was to produce weapons, ammunition, and other essentials for the Ethiopian Army. The first facilities, to produce uniforms and 7.62x63 mm Springfield cartridges (the main infantry weapon of the Ethiopian Army is the M1 Garand).
The United States and Soviet Union both begin deploying Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) this year. The Arms race takes off at full speed.
1956
January:
January 15-18: While giving a speech in Louisiana, a white supremacist (who is also mentally unbalanced in other areas) wounds President Dewey. The President will for 36 hours before coming out of the coma and the assassin is later tried and executed. The near-death of the Presidency brings the issue of Presidential succession to the forefront of the national consciousness. From January 18 onwards, President Dewey is forced to use a cane.
January 26-February 5: the Winter Olympic Games in Cortina, Italy. Ethiopia does not participate in the games. The Soviet Union wins the most medals, followed by Austria, then Finland.
February:
The Socialist Labor Party proposes a law expanding the right of Ethiopian workers to strike for improvements in their working conditions and wages. Most of the “National Parties” are willing to agree to the bill but the party runs into opposition from the conservative wing of the Royalist Party (which is the national big-tent party). The bill stays in Derg (literally, “Committee” or ”Council”) while the Royalists and Socialist Labor attempts to build a compromise bill.
March:
Tunisia is recognized as independent from France.
April:
The Treaty of Rome is ratified by France, Denmark, West Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, and Belgium approving the creation of the European Economic Community, an economic union with plans for a single European market.
May:
The International Atomic Energy Agency is formed as a part of the United Nations with the goal of promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the restriction of the development and use of nuclear weapons.
July:
Morocco is recognized as independent from France.
Spain relinquishes its claims to Moroccan territory except the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melillia.
August:
August 13-17: The Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The Democratic Party was left in another lurch; the Dixiecrats were becoming increasingly irate and, despite their declining numbers, were pushing hard to win the nomination. Governor Adlai Stevenson, Senator Estes Kefauver, moderate Southern Senator Lyndon Johnson, and Dixiecrat Senator Richard B. Russell managed to make it to the convention . After the first ballot, Stevenson had won the ballot, with Kefauver a distant second [15]. Stevenson would select Senator Lyndon Johnson in an attempt to appease to the South, but to no avail.
August 20-23: The Republican National Convention in San Fransisco. Despite the assassination attempt, President Dewey chooses to run for a second term. With the American Economy booming and his deft handling of the Austrian Crisis, President Dewey is nominated without opposition. Richard Nixon is his running mate again, as Nixon brings in additional funding and helps drive up the anti-communist vote.
September:
After months of debate, the Labor Act of 1956 passes the Chamber of Delegates and goes to the Senate. The compromise bill has several provisions: a union may be formed if it receives an affirmative vote of 60% of the workers in the business, the union may go on strike if 55% of the members agree to strike, the creation of a Labor Committee which would include representatives from the nobility, workers, businesses, and politicians (in equal proportions) to mediate labor disputes, and the Emperor could force an end to a strike and serve as a binding arbiter if the Labor Committee was deadlocked. The Senate, dominated by Conservative Mesafint would take its time discussing the bill.
September 11-15: The State’s Right Party Convention in Birmingham, Alabama. Senator Richard B. Russell of Georgia wins the nomination and he selects Senator Russell Long of Louisiana as his running mate.
October:
Thanks to a tip, Batista’s regime carries out an air strike which kills many top leader’s of the 26 July Movement, including Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, while Raul Castro is found in a coma and declared brain dead a few days later. The survivors rally around Camilo Ceinfuegos Gorriaran as their new leader, but the movement begins stalling after the decapitation of most of the leadership.
A coup in Iraq, backed by NKVD agents, overthrows the Hashemite Monarchy an kill King Faisal II and Crown Prince ‘Abd al-Ilah. The Free Officers Movement (modeling themselves after the Egyptian group) break current ties with the West and initiate plans to create a republic in the Egyptian model, including the embrace of Pan-Arab sentiment.
November:
November 6: The United States Presidential Election. While the opposition to Dewey’s Presidency had grown, the strong economic growth during the last four years, Dewey’s fairly effective foreign policy, and the internal divisions between the Democrat’s and the States Right’s Democrats had been more than enough to push the Dewey/Nixon ticket over the top. Dewey’s pledge to hem in Communism by bolstering democracy and building collective security agreements had won over many American independents. For the Democratic Party, this third election where the Dixiecrats had undermined the presidential hopeful was too much to bear. This year also saw the Republicans win a majority in the House, including some seats in the South. The Democratic National Committee began debating what course of action to take to end the division in the Democratic Party.
President Thomas E. Dewey (R-NY) / Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R-CA): 312 EV, 31 states
Governor Adlai Stevenson (D-IL) / Senator Lyndon Johnson (D-TX): 170 EV, 12 states
Senator Richard B. Russell (SR-GA) / Senator Russell Long (SR-LA): 49 EV, 5 states
November 22 - December 8: The Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Ethiopia participates in these games, sending the National Football Team, several participants in athletic events, and its newly formed baseball team. As the Ethiopian Baseball League is a professional league, most of its Olympic players are either high school or university students. The baseball team participates in a set of exhibition matches, loosing to the Japanese and United States teams, but eking out a minor victory against Australia (5-4 in the 11th); the team is almost exclusively composed of African-American immigrants.
In football, East Germany, West Germany, Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union, India, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Egypt, Thailand, Australia, Japan, Turkey, and Ethiopia participated [16]. The teams were divided into two pots of 7 with 4 from each pot advancing [17]. Ethiopia survives its pot and plays Egypt in the quarterfinals, loosing on penalty kicks in a 2-2 match. Great Britain would go on to win the gold, West Germany the silver, and the Soviet Union the Bronze.
Ethiopia doesn’t win any medals but wins some prestige by beating Bulgaria in football and Australia in football and baseball. The Soviet Union won the most gold medals, the United States came in second (but won more medals overall).
December:
Algerian opposition to French rule had become particularly acute by 1956, and several massacres and retribution attacks have occurred in the colony (technically administered as part of France) by both sides. However, the French Army is now ready to step its campaign against the National Liberation Front (of Algeria) and break the separatists, but the government remains skeptical and makes only half-hearted commitments to suppressing the revolt. This adds to the instability of the Fourth Republic. Among the French populace, it is readily apparent that the Fourth Republic and the parliamentary politics that accompany it are unsuitable for French needs.
After a week long talk, the Egyptian New Democratic Party, Syrian Ba’ath Party, and Iraqi Ba’ath Party form the Arab Liberation Movement, an international association of Pan-Arab and Arab socialist parties, with the stated goal of forming a single government to unite all Arabs.
1957
January:
January 1: The European Economic Community is formed as per the Treaty of Rome.
February:
Ghana is granted independence from the United Kingdom. Kwame Nkrumah is elected President to much acclamation around the world.
The Presidential Succession Amendment (pretty much OTL 25th Amendment) passes both houses of Congress. It moves on to the states for ratification.
March:
Nasser, in a move to try and strengthen Pan-Arab unity (and especially the Arab Liberation Movement), win a propaganda victory, and fund projects to further develop Egypt, nationalizes the Suez Canal. This move sets Britain and France into gear diplomatically; Nasser is cutting a vital link in what remains of the British Empire while he also is funding and training Algerian NLF forces. Egypt has also closed the Straights of Tiran to Israeli shipping and charges exorbitant fees for Israeli ships passing through the canal. Israel, France, and the United Kingdom begin discussing the issue in detail.
May:
The Anglo-French-Israeli alliance, represented by United Kingdom Foreign Minister Harold Macmillan, speaks with President Dewey about the upcoming operations against Egypt. Dewey is divided on the issue; on one hand, Nasser is keeping a very close tack towards the Soviets and so far Iraq and Syria had fallen to Arab socialism; on the other hand, keeping Nasser down may make him a bit more compliant or at least less overtly pro-Soviet [18]. Ultimately, Dewey decides that the United States will not take part of operations against Egypt, but will provide the French, British, and Israelis with more diplomatic cover for the operation. However, Dewey wants France and Britain to help him construct a counterweight to the growing Soviet influence in the region.
June:
Over 20,000 Sudanese refugees now live in Ethiopia and their presence is creating much tension with the locals. The Chamber of Delegates takes up the “refugee question,” but a deadlock between the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minster prevents any legal action being taken. Instead, the Minister of the Pen keeps the Sudanese in camps scattered throughout Ethiopia, in part to keep the refugees from rising up as any coherent force. For their part, the refugees are just relieved that they aren’t being hunted down anymore.
July:
July 17: Josef Stalin dies of a stroke in Moscow. The Politburo begins discussions over a successor and many begin breathing a little easier now that Josef is six feet under.
Italian Somaliland is granted independence and becomes Somalia.
The National Democratic Committee decides that it will require its members to accept the party’s line on civil rights. Some Dixiecrats, like John Sparkman (D-AL) and John C. Stennis (D-MS), finally relent, but a cadre led by Strom Thurmond (SR-SC), Harry Byrd (SR-VA), and Russell Long (SR-LA) remain in opposition to the platform. The national party retaliates by refusing to nominate any candidate that won’t endorse the party’s pro-integration platform. This split wounds the national Democratic Party but helps solidify the party’s left wing. While the Dixiecrats power has been falling at the national level, since they have regularly split the presidential vote, they remain a powerful voice at the state level. Over the next year, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia will loosen their ballot access laws; in Alabama, for example, the only requirement to enter a House election is the collection of 1000 signatures, rather than the 3% of votes cast that most require. This loosening of ballot access allows the States Right’s Party to continue to flourish despite being separated from the Democratic Party, particularly in the Deep South.
August:
August 10: Georgy Malinkov becomes General Secretary of the CPSU.
August 3-11: The Suez Crisis. Operation Lead Casing begins as Israel invades the Sinai, quickly overrunning Egyptian positions. The British and French issue and ultimatum for both the Egyptians and Israelis to withdraw from the canal while the United States proposed international mediation made up of the United States and “interested parties.” Instead, Egypt scuttled the ships in the canal and Britain and France were forced to begin operations. The French Air Force and the Royal Air Force conducted operations against the inferior Egyptian Air Force and succeeded in crippling it. The British and French paratroopers then landed in Sinai and over the course of a week secured the canal.
The Soviet Union, caught in the midst of a transition of power was slow to respond. The first resolution condemning the Sinai Crisis wasn’t until the third day of the crisis, by which point the Egyptians were already in trouble. The United States used procedural rules and concerns over the “severity” and “inequality” of the Soviet resolutions as reasons to keep vetoing UNSC resolutions. Eventually, Georgy Malinkov used a personal appeal to Dewey and Dewey brow beat Eden and Teitgen into accepting the UN Arbitration Council, composed of representatives of the Untied States, United Kingdom, France, Israel, the Soviet Union, Egypt, and Israel to discuss the status of the canal.
While the Suez Crisis was a tactical success and a domestic success for the United Kingdom, France suffered its most catastrophic crisis since the Second World War [19]. Georgy Malinkov would not recover from the humiliation of being outmaneuvered by the Anglo-French-Israeli alliance and would spend the next months trying to keep a hold of power before being replaced. In the Arab World, the reaction was anger on par with the creation of Israel. Nasser had been humiliated by colonialists and he used this to whip up the base as Egypt became the vanguard of Arab nationalism.
October:
The French Section of the Worker’s International (SFIO) splits from the coalition, collapsing the ever-shaky French government and forcing new elections. These new elections produce no clear coalition and, because both the Communists and Gaullists refuse to join the coalition, no ruling coalition can be put together. Because the Popular Republican Movement refuses to consider a coalition with the Gaullists and empowering Charles Du Gaulle and the SFIO refuses to continue to work with the MRP and its bids to hold the French Empire together anymore. The split continues for months without resolution.
November:
The first Soviet advisors come to assist the Vietnamese military. With Stalin dead, the Vietnamese will slowly drift in Moscow’s orbit, as other nation’s have drifted into Washington’s orbit. The non-communists in Vietnam begin fleeing the country en masse as the Communists crackdown on opposition. By this point, anti-communist forces in Vietnam have been thoroughly routed and Diem has fled to neighboring Thailand.
The Labor Act of 1956-7 passes the Senate, after being held up for months. The Senate version of the bill places more restrictions on strikes (they require at least five meetings with management and union officials to work out disagreements or two months prior announcement before a strike can be held) and on strikebreaking (the employer can hire strikebreakers, provided they are paid no more than the worker they are replacing). The two bills are sent to committee to hammer out the differences.
In a ceremony at Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria, Abuna (Archbishop) Basilios of Axum is anointed Patriarch Catholicos of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church by Coptic Pope Kirillos VI. The Emperor is in attendance.
December:
The process of De-Stalinization begins in the Warsaw Pact. Stalin’s plans for a fully-integrated military fall by the wayside as the individual militaries of the Warsaw Pact will be allowed to survive. Political restrictions on Warsaw Pact countries is lifted, and Eastern Austria is accepted as a member of the Warsaw Pact.
The Confederation of Ethiopian Labor Unions forms in preparation for the passage of the Labor Act.
1958
January:
The Imperial Railway Corporation (IRC) is established to manage Ethiopia’s railways, after several months of debate. The IRC manages the Massawa-Addis Ababa railway, the Addis Ababa-Dire Dawa railway, and plans for more lines between Addis Ababa and Awasa and Gondar.
February:
The Orthodox Tewahedo Christian Democratic Party is founded by an alliance of African American converts to Ethiopian Orthodoxy, led by Carl Stokes, an African-American immigrant from Ohio. The party draws its inspiration from the Christian Democratic parties of Europe, but is more socially conservative and emphasizes Distributism from which the European Christian Democrats were moving away. The party finds favor with Patriarch Basilios and grows fairly rapidly in Addis Ababa, Debre Birhan, Dire Dawa, and Gondar.
March:
Rail workers form the Railroad Workers Syndicate of Ethiopia, which joins the Confederation of Ethiopian Labor Unions.
After months of gridlock, Chales de Gaulle begins publicly advocating for a new constitution to replace the “decrepit document forged by the communists and socialists,” and urged the creation of semi-presidential system in which the French President may have much greater powers to help foster national unity. The Communists and SFIO both despise the idea, since de Gaulle is the most likely candidate to win office should he run. The campaign only increases factionalism in France.
April:
The UN Arbitration Council finally reaches an agreement with respect to the Suez Crisis. France and the United Kingdom would withdraw from the canal and Nasser would give British and French-flagged vessel preferential rates to pass through the canal. UK and French military vessels would not be subject to tolls to use the canal. Israel would return the Sinai and Egypt would neither impede traffic bound for Israel nor charge it high fees to use the canal. Israel’s passage through the Straits of Tiran would be recognized. Egypt would still be allowed to nationalize the canal. The agreement is the high-water mark for Malinkov’s Secretaryship.
April 17-October 19: Expo ‘58 is held in Brussels, Belgium.
May:
After several months of negotiations, the Labor Act of 1956-8 passes the Joint Committee. The additional aspects of the Senate bill were trimmed down (strikes can only happen after three meetings with management or a one month warning), among some other minor changes. The Emperor approves the document later that day and the International Labor Organization hails the document as “a positive but flawed step forward for workers rights; among the most advanced worker’s rights bills outside of European Africa.”
June:
June 8 - June 29: The 1958 FIFA World Cup. Sweden won the hosting rights for this years world cup in 1950. Germany and Sweden, the previous winner and host respectively, automatically won seats. FIFA disbursed 9 seats to Europe, 2 to South America, and 1 each to North America, Africa, and Asia. Ethiopia beats Egypt in the qualifier, but looses to Israel again in the Round of 16. The United States manages to survive the Round of 16 again, only to loose to England. France wins the cup, with Brazil in second, and West Germany in third [20].
June 11-22: Central European Uprising of 1958. Students in Budapest take control of a radio station and broadcast demands for increased rights. The brutal crackdown carried out by Hungarian forces fails to silence the rebellion and Slovaks in Czechoslovakia to demand greater rights, inspired by the students, break out in mass protest in Bratislava. The slow reaction by state security forces fails to stem the uprisings. The Soviet Union is forced to step in and militarily crush the rebellion. General Secretary Malinkov’s poor handling of the crisis raises eyebrows everywhere in the Soviet Union and denunciations from the West and Yugoslavia reduce his stature. The Uprising of ‘58, as it is called, will be the lowest point of Malinkov’s Secretaryship, from which he won’t recover.
July:
Oil is discovered in Libya which leads to a boom in development as oil companies scramble to sign contracts.
In a meeting between the Syrian, Egyptian, and Iraqi heads of state, the leaders announce the plan to establish a “United Arab Republic,” a federal union between the three countries. A new constitution would be promulgated in 1959 upon the establishment of the new state under guidance of the Arab Liberation Movement. The announcement is met with joy in Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and by Pan-Arab movements worldwide. The Kingdoms of Jordan and Libya react fearfully to the new state and the growing Pan-Arab sentiment in their nations.
In a major skirmish, Marxist Sudanese forces capture Malakal. This victory puts enormous stress on the Christian/Animist southern Sudanese forces. The refugee crisis gets worse in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.
August:
In a rare open battle, Mau Mau forces and the village they are hiding in are burnt to the ground. The massacre will be a deciding factor in the Mau Mau’s struggle, as it marks the point when public perception finally slipped permanently in favor of the Mau Mau.
A bomb goes off in Paris in an attempt to kill Charles de Gaulle. The General is unscathed and the anarcho-communist forces responsible for the bomb are caught, tried, and executed. The attempt on de Gaulle’s life bolsters his support and de Gaulle calls for new elections to be held. The Popular Republican Movement (MRP) and National Center of Independents and Peasants (CNIP) casts itself with de Gaulle and new elections are called. Unbeknown to the public, Malinkov had the NKVD attempt to kill de Gaulle in an attempt to weaken NATO. While the Soviet link isn’t discovered by the French, the Soviet’s find Malinkov’s attempt suicidal for risking a pointless war with the United States to consolidate his position.
September:
The New Democratic Party begins making motions that it might bolt from the coalition, angry that it’s commodity exchange plans are being sidetracked in favor of the Democratic Socialist and Socialist Labor’s moves towards Yugoslavian socialism. The Emperor talks with the leaders of the New Democratic Party and persuades them to remain in the coalition for another twelve to eighteen months. The Emperor is very concerned about the instability another election could trigger and would prefer this parliament survive for the full five years, or very close to that [21].
The 1958 French Legislative Election. De Gaulle’s Union for a New Republic (UNR) wins a plurality of the seats in the National Assembly. Together with the CNIP and MRP, de Gaulle forms a super-majority and goes to work writing and implementing a new constitution. The SFIO, Communists, and Radical Party remain in the “anti-Constitution Camp,” although the Left has been damaged by the recent bombing attempt.
October:
After a brief inter-party struggle, Vyacheslav Molotov wrests power from the inept Malinkov and becomes the next General Secretary of the Soviet Union. Malinkov is shipped off to Siberia where he was later executed. Molotov’s promise to return to the hard line and prevent the breakup of the Warsaw Pact as Malinkov risked was taken seriously by the Politburo. Among Molotov’s first acts are to send feelers out to China to heal the Sino-Soviet split and re-institute plans to unify the Warsaw Pact military structure. Taking a page from Dewey, Molotov is also interested in building additional alliances to consolidate the status of the International Worker’s Revolution.
November:
November 4: United States Congressional Election.
House of Representatives
Republicans: 208 seats
Democrats: 194 seats
States Right’s: 33 seats
Senate
Republicans: 43 seats
Democrats: 45 seats
States Right’s: 10 seats
During the Congressional elections, the States’ Rights Party manages to win 30-80% of the seats of each of the states in the South, with a total number of Representatives of 33. The House is a majority Republican but because of the Dixiecrats there is no clear majority. After some talks between the Democrats and Republicans, Charles Halleck becomes Speaker while the Democrats control some key House Committees.
Harry Byrd (SR-VA) survived the election, but the Dixiecrat split gave Florida to the Republicans (Leyland Heisner wins). The Republicans held onto their seats in the Northeast and Midwest, while loosing seats in the West [22]. The 1958 Congressional election marks the beginning of Sixth Party system, with the New Deal Coalition shattered.
December:
Malaysia is declared independent.
Total US aid since World War II to Ethiopia tops $100 million this year. Shewa is extensively electrified, and parts of Kaffa, Begmender, Gojjam, and Bale and moderately electrified as well. Dozens of dams are providing power for the major cities of Gondar, Awasa, Asmara/Massawa, Addis Ababa, and Nazaret. The IRC’s lines to Gondar and Awasa are being built on schedule, to be completed by 1964. In Ethiopia, new infrastructure abounds.
1959
January:
January 1: Egypt, Syria, and Iraq form the United Arab Republic [23]. The Administrative and Executive capitals are in Cairo, while the Legislative capital is in Damascus, and the Judicial capital is in Baghdad. The unification of these countries raises tensions throughout the region as the new nation is the major regional power. Unlike OTL, the UAR is not a one-party state although collusion between the Ba’athists and New Democratic Party are high.
February:
In a speech before the UN General Assembly, Emperor Haile Selassie appeals to the United Nations to intervene in Sudan, where “... a massacre of historic proportions is being perpetrated by the Sudanese Socialist Front, which masquerades as a government. We must work together to prevent genocide and mass murder.” While the United States, France, and Great Britain are amicable to a resolution intervening in the civil war, the Soviet Union is not. The Emperor is forced to leave empty-handed.
March:
Ethiopia and Israel hold another round of war games. The Ethiopian Air Force is hopelessly outclassed, but the Kebur Zabanga and Ethiopian Army perform well, all things considered. Israeli-Ethiopian defense cooperation increases as Israel begins supplementing the United States advisors.
April:
The British decolonize Cyprus.
In accordance with the 1958 referendum, Alaska and Hawaii are accepted as the 49th and 50th states, respectively.
King Baudouin of Belgium announces the intention of Belgium to grant Belgian Congo independence within the next 5 years.
May:
As the independence of British Somaliland has gained traction among the populace, the British abandon British Somaliland. Five days later it is peacefully annexed into Somalia, as jubilant celebrations are held in the streets.
June:
In a bloodless coup, the civilian government of Somalia is overthrown by NKVD agents and a cadre of military officers takes charge. The officer’s coup is not readily accepted by the population, but after the Soviet Union pledges aid in the form of grain, petrol, and weapons to the fledgling republic the general population finds itself amenable to the new government. The first two dozen Soviet T-55s, BTR-50s, and MiG-17s arrive by the end of the year, with more promised in the following years.
Mongolia joins Comecon.
The Republican-dominated Congress passes a comprehensive civil rights bill with Democratic support in the face of a Dixiecrat attempts at a filibuster. This bill is similar in scope to the 1964 Civil Rights Act IOTL, with some minor differences. The analogue to Title II is weaker (discrimination in the dispensation of services by private organizations), but Title I is stronger (bans the poll tax in federal elections outright and bans the use of grandfather provisions for literacy tests for voter qualification), Title III is stronger, as is Title IV. On the other hand, aptitude tests remain perfectly legal within the law, insofar as they are not constructed so as to disadvantage any particular group and focus on the requirements of the job. Also, the analogue to Title VII is much different; because of fears that the outright il-legalization of discrimination by private employers would overstep constitutional limits on government power, the Goldwater faction successfully blocks a stronger Title-VII analogue, much to President Dewey’s dismay. Still, President Dewey signs the bill in a highly publicized event and he will rightly regard the Civil Rights Act of 1959 as the crowning domestic achievement of his presidency.
In the South, opposition to the Civil Rights Act is strong and many see it as a flagrant abuse of federal authority. The States Right’s Party will see a surge of support following the bill’s passage, as Klan membership spikes and a general “boycott” of northern fads takes place in the South. Riots break out in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Mobile, and Jackson which necessitate the use of the National Guard to suppress. Football and Baseball both decline in popularity, leaving a vacuum that other sports begin to fill.
July:
France declares French Guinea independent.
South Africa, following a referendum, becomes a republic as the British Commonwealth continues to put increasing pressure on the country on account of its apartheid policies. The move is met with condemnation from the United Kingdom and much of the international community as South Africa starts voluntarily choosing isolation.
Georgia becomes the 38th state to ratify the 23rd Amendment to the US Constitution, thus ratifying the amendment.
September:
In reaction to the public Soviet arming of Somalia, the United States and Ethiopia conclude a new defense agreement. 36 North American F-86 Sabres are transfered to Ethiopia, along with a number of new American M48 Patton tanks. The P-47s are transfered into a close-in air support role.
The United States puts Pioneer I into orbit, the world’s first artificial satellite. The satellite’s goal is simply to help with international communications, but it has greater repercussions. Molotov, who regard a civilian space program a subsidiary to the Soviet military rocket program, pushes for the creation of a Soviet Space Agency with the task of beating the American’s unfocused program. Sergey Korolev is put in charge of the program and plans to put a satellite in orbit by this time next year.
November:
Ethiopia hosts talks between Emperor Haile Selassie, King Idris of Lybia, and King Hussein of Jordan, along with United States Secretary of State Christian Herter focus on the creation of a mutual defense organization in the mold of NATO and SEATO to provide defense for the member states, particularly as the Soviet Union is showing increased interest and interference in Sudan, the United Arab Republic, and Somalia.
1960
Statistics, 1960:
Population: 32.00 million
Immigrants/Descendants of Immigrants: 205 thousand (0.640%)
120,000 African Americans
45,000 Jewish (non-Bete Israel)
40,000 Others
Urban Population: 3.85 million (12.0%)
Rural Population: 28.15 million (88.0%)
GDP: US$ 17.13 billion
Annualized Growth Rate: 7.5%
GDP PC: US$ 535
January:
President Kwame Nkrumah speaks before the United Nations. In his speech, he calls for an organization “that can unite Africans as never before. To free ourselves from the dual oppression of colonialism and capitalism, we must throw off the ties to foreign oppressors and build a single, united Africa.” Nkrumah condemns the French intervention in Algeria by name and condemns in general “the use of so-called ‘mutual defense agreements’ which will only further divide Africa. Divida et impera was the strategy of the British, and I can see all to clearly that it is being used again by others.” Nkrumah’s speech bolsters Pan-Africanists and students across the continent, while the political elites cringe.
February:
February 18-28: The 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, USA. Ethiopia doesn’t participate. The Soviet Union, Norway, and the United States win the most medals (in descending order).
After meeting with representatives of the French colonies, President de Gaulle announces that France will grant her African colonies independence next year. This excludes Algeria, which is constitutionally a part of France. The various French bodies associated with running the colonies prepare for their upcoming independence on January 1, 1961.
March:
With the UN remaining intransigent on the Sudanese Crisis, the Emperor offers to mediate the conflict for both sides. While the slowly crumbling South Sudanese forces will welcome mediation, the Marxist forces in the North rebuff any attempt to interfere in the conflict.
The FDA approves the first birth control pill, a major contributor to later social upheavals.
April:
Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party, dominating Ghana’s political establishment, passes the Detention Act, which let’s the government detain anyone “threatening the stability of the state,” for a period of up to 5 years without a trial. The Act is the first in a series of laws which will consolidate the CPP’s rule in Ghana.
May:
The Soviet Union launches its first satellite, Sputnik I.
The Mau Mau launch an attack on British forces near Nairobi. The attack is a failure and the British counterattack. The Mau Mau position was also populated by women and children, some of whom died in the assault. This will be the straw that break’s the British will in East Africa.
June:
The United States establishes the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) to manage its manned an unmanned civilian space program. NASA will open facilities in Texas, Florida, California, and Ohio.
Prime Minister MacMillan announces that the British are withdrawing from Kenya by 1963.
Sierra Leone is declared independent.
July:
West Austria is accepted into NATO.
President Dewey, meeting with President de Gaulle, Prime Minister Harold MacMillan, and Emperor Haile Selassie I in Paris to sign the Treaty Establishing the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO). Modeled after SEATO and NATO, CENTO will be a means of trying to curtail Communist aggression in Africa and the Middle East. Libya, Turkey, Jordan, and Persia all express interest in the organization while it is simultaneously decried by the United Arab Republic, Somalia, and the Soviet Union.
While the ink was still wet on the CENTO treaty, the four nations agreed to declare the American parts of the port of Masawa a “CENTO facility.” The USS Shangri-la makes a port of call visit to Masawa in an attempt to smooth rising tensions in the region and underscore the US commitment to CENTO, in light of Somalian and Sudanese denunciations.
July 11-15: Democratic National Convention. The 1960 primary season left the Democratic field wide open. Without the Dixiecrats influencing the primaries, the Democratic Party shifts noticeably leftward. Senator Hubert Humphrey and Governor Robert Meyner of New Jersey were the top contenders during the primary season, with Lyndon Johnson a distant third [24]. After two rounds of ballots, Hubert Humphrey is the nominee for the party. He selects the popular young New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy as his running mate.
July 25-28: Republican National Convention. Vice President Richard Milhous Nixon wins the nomination handily; with the country doing well economically, the Democrats in disarray from the Dixiecrat-Democrat split, and the Soviets also recovering from Malinkov’s Secretaryship, chants of “4 more years!” are deafening in Chicago. Nixon selects Neil McElroy of Ohio as his running mate.
August:
August 1-5: States Rights’ Party National Convention. The small splinter colony of the Democratic party holds its national convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Party selects Senator Harry Byrd of Virginia as its Presidential nominee and Governor John M. Patterson of Alabama as its vice presidential nominee.
August 25-September 11: The 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. Ethiopia participates in this year’s games and it is the first games where Morocco, Tunisia, and East Austria participate. Ethiopia participates in several marathon events, shooting events, and football. In an embarrassing loss, the Ethiopian football team is beaten by the United Arab Republic in the qualifying rounds. Still, Ethiopia wins silver in the marathon, its first placing at the Olympics. The Soviet Union wins the most medals, followed by the United States, and then Italy.
The Soviet Union puts the first animal in space, a dog. Unfortunately, the dog does not survive the return to Earth. However, the feat ignites the space race in the United States.
China begins researching ICBMs and begins its own nuclear weapons program.
Fighting breaks out between pro-colonial, communist, and nationalist groups in Belgian Congo.
Nigeria is granted independence.
September:
September 5-7: Based on the 1955 Constitution, elections for the Chamber of Delegates must be held every 5 years, or sooner if the government collapses. In accordance with the constitution, the remarkably stable coalition stands for election. The Orthodox Tewahedo Christian Democratic Party joins the myriad of other parties in the election. After several days of balloting, the Royal Election Observers count the results in Addis Ababa.
September 20: The election results are released to the public. The “National” parties made their greatest joint victory to date, capturing 277 seats in the Chamber of Delegates and allegations of vote tampering by independent observers will mar the result. However, the entry of the Christian Democratic Party only further fragmented the vote, and the independents fell dramatically as a total portion of seats. With the independence of Somalia, the Somali People’s Party and their “pro-Somalia” (de facto pro-independence) line helped consolidate and subsume a number of minor Somali and Muslim Parties, giving them a disproportionate percentage of the vote. The better funding and tactics of the organized non-ethnic parties contributed greatly to their victory in the Chamber of Delegates, although the ethnic parties retained a similar percentage of seats from the last election. Instead, the ethnic parties were undergoing their own consolidation into 4 major branches, based on ethnicity. This trend worried international observers, “... for it is dangerous to let 1/3 of any democratically elected chamber be dominated by ethnic factionalism.”
September 20-October 4: After two weeks of debate, a new coalition is formed. The Royalists enter into a coalition with the Socialist Labour Party, Democratic Socialist Party, New Democratic Party, Federation of Eritrean Unionists, and a smattering of independents. The Liberals, unceremoniously booted out of the coalition, became fairly angry at the new coalition, joined by the Republican and Christian Democratic Party. Wolde Giyorgis Wolde Yohannes continued as prime minister, although his cabinet was shuffled around somewhat. Yona Bogale retired to the New Judea Kibbutzim in Begemender and Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin of Socialist Labor replaced him. Aman Mikael Andom of the FEU took over the Ministry of Agriculture and Water, while Tekle Hawariat Tekle Mariyam (the famed hero from the Second Italo-Abyssinian War) of the Democratic Socialist Party took over the Ministry of Transportation and Electricity. Paul Robeson continued to manage foreign affairs despite how his pro-USSR stance which clashed with Minister Yilma Deressa. Uri Avnery continued as Deputy Prime Minister, although he was increasingly vocal about the big tent Royalist domination of the Chamber of Delegates. The Emperor did not do much to shuffle his personally controlled seats, except remove Mengistu Neway and appointed Imru Haile Selassie, the popular war hero and cousin of the Emperor, as Minister of War. Mengistu Neway was put back as the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Army to oversee the military’s continued modernization.
Chamber of Delegates (500 seats)
R-SL-DS-ND-FEU Coalition (254, 50.8%)
Royalists: 81 (16.2%)
Socialist Labour Party: 53 (10.6%)
Democratic Socialist Party: 43 (8.6%)
New Democratic Party: 30 (6.0%)
Federation of Eritrean Unionists: 12 (2.4%)
Coalition Independents: 9 (1.8%)
Opposition (246, 49.2%)
Liberal Party: 14 (2.8%)
Republican Party: 15 (2.2%)
Christian Democratic Party: 19 (3.8%)
Eritrean Autonomy Council: 10 (2.0%)
Somali People’s Party: 37 (7.4%)
Oromo Movement: 68 (13.6%)
United Amhara List: 52 (10.4%)
Tigray People’s Protection Party: 21 (4.2%)
Other Ethnic Parties: 14 (2.8%)
Independents: 22 (4.6%)
Seat Breakdown
Non-Ethnic Parties (including Eritrean Parties): 277 (55.4%, +78)
Ethnic Parties: 192 (38.4%, +32)
Independents: 31 (6.2%, -110)
Senate (140 common seats, 215 Mesafint & Menkawint seats)
Mesafint & Menkawint Seats
Conservatives - 161 (46.7%)
Liberals - 43 (12.5%)
Independents - 11 (3.1%)
Common Seats
Royalists - 49 (14.2%)
Democratic Socialist Party - 9 (2.6%)
Socialist Labour Party - 7 (2.0%)
Christian Democrat - 7 (2.0%)
New Democratic Party - 1 (0.3%)
Federation of Eritrean Unionists - 5 (1.5%)
Eritrean Autonomy Council - 3 (0.9%)
Republican Party - 1 (0.3%)
Liberal Party - 1 (0.3%)
Independents - 11 (3.2%)
Tigray People’s Party - 8 (2.3%)
United Amhara List - 7 (2.0%)
Oromo Movement - 11 (3.2%)
Somali People’s Party - 4 (1.2%)
Other Ethnic Parties - 19 (5.5%)
Wolde Giyorgis Wolde Yohannes Second Ministry
Prime Minister:Wolde Giyorgis Wolde Yohannes (Royalist)
Deputy Prime Minister:Uri Avnery (Socialist Labor)
Deputy Minister of War:Tafari Beni (New Democrat)
Deputy Foreign Minister:Paul Robeson (Socialist Labor)
Deputy Finance Minister:Malcolm Earl (Democratic Socialist)
Ministry of Agriculture and Water:Aman Mikael Andom (Federation of Eritrean Unionists)
Ministry of Justice: Basha James L. Farmer, Jr. (Democratic Socialist)
Ministry of Transportation and Electricity:Tekle Hawariat Tekle Mariyam (Democratic Socialist-Royalist)
Ministry of Education: Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin (Socialist Labor)
Appointed Directly by the Emperor
Finance Minister:Makonnen Habte-Wold (Royalist)
Foreign Minister: Yilma Deressa (Royalist)
Minister of War: Imru Haile Selassie (Democratic Socialist-Royalist-Christian Democrat)
Tsehafi Tezaz (Minister of the Pen):Aklilu Habte-Wold (Royalist)
October:
The Soviet Union recognizes the People’s State of Sudan (also known as North Sudan) as the legitimate government of Sudan. This move draws condemnation from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States although the UNSC is powerless to stop it. The People’s State will publicly receive arms and supplies from the USSR. The southern forces begin to falter.
With the rainy season ending, the People’s State launches an offensive against the southern rebels, centered on Benitu. Running low on ammunition and fuel, the southern rebels retreat and the city falls to the Marxists forces, the worst defeat for the rebels in the war.
Leaders of Iran, the UAE, the UAR, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela meet and discuss the formation of an organization to help oil-exporting countries maintain leverage over the market. The nations sign an agreement forming the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC.
France detonates its first atomic bomb in Algeria, amidst condemnation from various Marxist/Maoist/Communist states, becoming the world’s fourth nuclear power.
With Communist Chinese assistance, the Kingdom of Laos falls and the new Laotian People’s Democratic Republic is installed in its place. The new government adopts a Maoist position.
November:
November 8: The United States Presidential Election. In a heated race, Richard Nixon wins the election by a comfortable margin. As expected, the States Rights’ Party won a few dozen electoral votes in the South and had little effect elsewhere. Humphrey’s campaign managed to consolidate its hold on the upper Midwest and broke through into New England, but was unable to defeat Nixon in the country at large. The optimism of the late 1950s carried Nixon through to victory, despite several gaffes.
Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R-OH) / Secretary of Defense Neil McElroy (R-OH): 281 EV, 30 states
Senator Hubert Humphrey (DFL-MN) / Representative Robert F. Kennedy (D-NY): 211 EV, 15 states
Senator Harry Byrd (SR-VA) / Governor John M. Patterson (SR-AL): 45 EV, 5 states
November 8: United States Congressional Election. The Republicans win a plurality of the House and the Senate, but thanks to the intransigent States’ Right’s Party their plurality does not translate into an effective legislative majority. While the Republicans win the Senate Majority Leadership and Speakership, the Democrats continue to extract concessions from the Republicans, specifically control of various committees.
House Seats
Republicans: 201 seats
Democrats: 199 seats
States Right’s: 37 seats
Senate
Republicans: 45 seats
Democrats: 42 seats
States Right’s: 10 seats
December:
In CENTOs first round of expansion, the Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Libya, and Turkey are accepted into the organization.
World population breaks 3 billion for the first time in history.
Basic literacy in Ethiopia breaks 90% for the first time in history, a testament to the effectiveness of the Kibbutzim and investments in basic education in Ethiopia years earlier. However, the announcement is also met with anger, since the focus of the literacy efforts has been almost exclusively in Amharic.
Ethiopia is the United States biggest trade partner in Africa; exports to the United States (mostly coffee) exceed 3% of the value of the US trade with Canada (the United States’ largest trading partner) this year.
The Kibbutzim movement has had many successes and more failures in the last 10 years. Over 5000 Kibbutzim were incorporated over the last decade, but only about 1000 of those survived with most of the other 4000 folding after a few years. However, those surviving Kibbutzim have greatly changed the nature of the Ethiopian economy.
About 70 or so are traditional Jewish Kibbutzim (complete with the communal education and lifestyle) and serve as a minor magnet for Jewish immigration; they total approximately 2100 square kilometers (210,000 hectares) granted by the Ethiopian government, mostly in Shewa and Arsi (Awash Wenz (River)), Begmender (Blue Nile River), and Bale (Wabe Gestro Wenz). These Kibbutzim form the center of immigrant Jewish life and culture in Ethiopia and are centers of major economic growth. While most of these Kibbutzim aren’t interested in letting outsiders join their communities, the Kibbutzim in Begmender have let members of the Bete Israel community join and the Jewish Kibbutzim movement has begun to capture the popular imagination.
Another 150 are dominated by African American immigrants and fall into two categories: the communal Kibbutzim (45%) and the cooperative Kibbutzim (55%), totaling about 4500 square kilometers (450,000 hectares). The former are built around the Jewish model while the later are constructed as joint-stock company. Disproportionately run by share-croppers, these African American Kibbutzim have been mostly successful while the unsuccessful Kibbutzim have been absorbed by the successful ones. The African American Kibbutzim are found in Shewa, Arsi, Begmender, and Bale, as well as the Tigray and Wello provinces (along the Awash Wenz). The African American Kibbutzim have also begun to branch out into other fields, such as textiles, furniture, brewing, and farm machinery. Unlike the Jewish Kibbutzim, the African American Kibbutzim have been very welcoming of natives which has helped fuel their tremendous growth; in fact only 200,000 hectares have been given to these Kibbutzim by the government; most of the remainder of their growth has been through others joining or buying out failing native Kibbutzim.
The remaining 800 or so Kibbutzim are much smaller and are run by native Ethiopians, totaling 4000 square kilometers (averaging 500 hectares per Kibbutz). They are not as financially successful as the Jewish or African American Kibbutzim, but have allowed native Ethiopians to pool their resources together, secure necessary loans from banks, and develop specialized skills that normal substance farmers couldn’t. These communities are most prevalent in the Illubabor, Kaffa, Sidamo, and Gojjam provinces. Most of these Kibbutz have begun drifting away from merely growing food for survival and begun to grow cash crops as well.
The Kibbutzim use about 0.8% of Ethiopia’s available land (or about 5% of its cultivated land), but are responsible for nearly 30% of its agricultural exports; while coffee is the dominate export, pulses, oilseeds, and citrus have begun to also be exported in large numbers.
While the Kibbutzim have been mostly successful, many have folded and languished. The poor soil in the highlands requires careful cultivation which most Kibbutzim were unable to master or failed to acquire the appropriate fertilizers to make the land bloom. Still, the movement is now firmly entrenched in Ethiopian culture and is only becoming more prominent, to the chagrin of the conservative nobility (who still own vast tracks of land and compete).
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[A]-I couldn’t find the name of a real unionist, so he’s a stand in
- The Minister of the Pen has evolved into a Minister without portfolio de facto. Practically, the Minister of the Pen handles much of the day to day running of the government while the Prime Minster focuses more on the keeping of the coalition and passing of the necessary laws. That’s not to say that the Prime Minister doesn’t exercise executive power, but it’s over more “big ticket items” instead.
[1]- Both Israel and Ethiopia, while very friendly with each other (arguably counts as a “special friendship,” despite the problems with that term) don’t want to feel obliged to step into regional spats. There’s still plenty of distance between both nations that makes a mutual defense agreement unpalatable.
[2]- Nixon is not in favor of deploying soldiers, but furnished South Vietnam with supplies and advisors. He wants to keep the Reds bottled up in Indochina so that the US can turn its attention to bolstering its agreements like SEATO and NATO, as well as morphing the OAS into a stronger organization. Naturally, SEATO and the OAS will be much more subordinate to US interests than NATO ever could be in Nixon’s vision.
[3]- Dewey is in part backing the plan because he views Ethiopia as another bulwark against Soviet incursions in the Middle East and North Africa (increasingly important regions strategically). Also, Massawa is strategically positioned to support further operations both in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf. Basically, he's building up Ethiopia to be the United States' Bahrain ITTL, taking his anti-communist collective security tack fairly seriously.
[4]- The Emperor is taking advantage of the conservative nature of the Senate and stuffing it with Royalist Party members in an attempt to appease the nobility and make it clear that while the commoners will have a voice and some control over the government, he is unprepared to hand over complete control of the government to the people. Kind of like the liberal rulers in the Muslim World IOTL.
[5]- The “Liberal” and “Conservative” labels aren’t party affiliations (since the nobles’ seats are non-partisan), but general voting identification assigned later.
[6]- Percentages are given as a portion of the entire Senate body.
[7]- The Emperor views the first election as an experiment to see how much power he can really give the legislature. The immigrant parties are dominated by young leaders (Uri Avnery, Malcolm Earl, James L. Farmer Jr., Mengitsu Neway) and he doesn't exactly trust their competence. Not every progressive can be Leul Ras Imru Haile Selassie.
[8]- The fairly strong presence of large, organized, non-tribal parties is in part due to the increase in literacy among the general population since 1945, and especially since 1950, as well as the small but economically potent immigrant population. However, they are at best a plurality and most of the independents tend fall in line with ethnic parties even if they aren’t members.
[9]- This list is not comprehensive, nor is it reflecting all the horse trading going on to form the first government. Just some of the trading.
[10]- Tafari is one of the members of the Derg IOTL who instead is pleased with the course the regime is trying to map. He's been roped into government in a bureaucratic capacity and has seen the immense difficultly in trying to modernize the country first hand. Serving in the Kebur Zabanga during the Second World War, he was among those who liberated the concentration camps as well. Ultimately, he is decidedly pro-Emperor, seeing Haile Selassie as the middle road between disorder and autocracy. He became a New Democrat after studying FDR's presidency and accomplishments.
[11]- Malcolm Earl was born Malcolm Little in 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska and was later known as Malcolm X IOTL. After the police almost arrested him for larceny (they ended up arresting another man for the deed) in 1946 he fled to Ethiopia with the first wave of African American immigrants. Upon seeing the poverty that wracked much of the country, he chose to go to the United Kingdom via the Ethiopian Foreign Office in 1949 and devoted himself to his studies to help his new home. After earning his doctorate in Economics in 1954 from Cambridge he returned home, deeply influenced by the work of John Maynard Keynes. He returned to Ethiopia, converted to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and legally changed his name to follow the Amharic convention. He become involved in the Democratic Socialist Party and, because of his educational background, was a natural fit for the Deputy Minister of Finance.
[12]- Aragaw Bedaso is the singer; his life has taken a different course ITTL. He also leads a coalition of pro-democracy nominally Christian Democratic independents with about 29 members (the largest independent bloc), so that is why he has his seat.
[13]- Yona Bogale is an Ethiopian Jew who was extremely well educated and served as Minister of Education for a period during his life. He stands as a rally point for the Bete Israel and Jewish Immigrant community and as a symbol for these groups.
[14]- Mengistu Neway and his brother led the 1960 coup attempt IOTL. As he was a reformer at heart and is now getting his reforms, he throws his lot behind the Emperor. He still was a high-ranking member of the Kebur Zabanga and retired to enter politics. Since he's publicly very much in favor of the Emperor, he can be classified as a Royalist-Liberal. It also raises the esteem of the Liberal Party greatly to have a member placed in such a high position.
[15]- Kefauver's performance in the 1952 election has soured the party's opinion of him and he is crushed under Stevenson.
[16]- Stalin had the idea of the United German Team nixed, so both are participating separately.
[17]- For a more complete breakdown, here’s how things shake out:
Pot 1:
East Germany
Yugoslavia
Soviet Union
Egypt
India
Thailand
Japan
Pot 2:
West Germany
Great Britain
The United States
Ethiopia
Australia
Indonesia
Bulgaria
[18]- Nasser is more devoted to Pan-Arabism and thus is willing to work with Russia more than the West. This has Dewey worried, because it impedes the development of an anti-communist bloc in the region.
[19]- Without a Hungarian uprising, opposition to the war was more muted in Britain.
[20]- For a more complete breakdown of the World Cup, here’s the teams that qualified from each group:
Host & Previous Winner - 2
Sweden, West Germany
Europe - 9 seats total
France, England, Wales, Scotland, Netherlands, Italy, Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Spain,
Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey, Greece, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia (withdrawn), Hungary (withdrawn), Bulgaria, Romania, East Austria, West Austria, Ireland
NAFC - 1
USA,
Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Dutch Antilles, Haiti
South America - 2
Brazil, Argentina,
Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador
Asia - 1
Israel,
South Korea, Japan, Indonesia
Africa -1
Ethiopia,
Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana
[21]- After watching what happened to France in the aftermath of the Second World War and the prodigious number of parties that flourished, the Emperor is afraid of another gridlock if elections are held. Considering the very large number of parties already in the legislature, the likelihood that gridlock will ensue is pretty high. More time means the Emperor can read the popular currents better and try to influence the elections a little bit.
[22]- With Dewey more-or-less winning control of the party in 1952, the Republican Party is more centrist than the party under Taft. And with the New Deal Coalition shattered, the Democrats are still putting the pieces back together, which has cost them seats in the Senate over the last few elections. The Northeast at the tail end of the 1960s is heavily Republican as is the eastern Midwest, although the party has been drifting rightwards over the last half-decade in response to Stalin’s encroachment.
[23]- Because of the US interest in the Horn of Africa, Nasser tilted more pro-USSR than IOTL. Because of this, he’s found Ba’athism more amenable and constructs a more stable power-sharing arrangement and gives Syrians and Iraqis major positions in government. Of course, Nasser sits at the helm.
[24]- With a PoD after 1941, JFK died in the Pacific after a kamikaze hit the Essex in Leyte Gulf.
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Boy, are they in for a shock!
It is so much more convenient to have the object of your veneration far away and inapproachable. Being your government head who disagrees with you is much less ... pleasant.
Ummm... You realize there were no black students at VMI iOTL until ?1968?. That would take a LOT of persuading.
Interesting TL Hunam, I am actually considering the idea of a more developed Ethiopia for my own TL too. Though I have not made any research on it just yet.
I do have a few concerns though relating to the population of Ethiopia, 32m in 1960 seems very excessive considering that the OTL population in 1970 was only 31.7 millions according to Wikipedia. Finding reliable data on the local demographics is hard however, especially as far as historical data is concerned.
Depending on the level of development I can see the population increasing fast during the sixties, seventies and eighties with growth slowing down afterwards as education and health level improve.
The politics seems extremly fragmented, though the Royalists could provide a nice base around which a big tent conservative party could form.
Your developments on France are a bit weird, since no one cared about the French atomic test of 1960. While 4th Republic politics were unstable, it is not as if there were elections every year or so. A victory in Indochina will also strenghtens the regime to a degree and have an impact on the Algerian conflict.
Your timing for the ECC is weird, given the lack of a Suez débâcle there is also a very string likelyhood that Britain would be part of the ECC TTL as well. Indeed the Franco-British alliance will be confirmed and reinforced by a victory in Suez and this will mean no Franco-German rapprochement.
I do have a few concerns though relating to the population of Ethiopia, 32m in 1960 seems very excessive considering that the OTL population in 1970 was only 31.7 millions according to Wikipedia. Finding reliable data on the local demographics is hard however, especially as far as historical data is concerned.
Depending on the level of development I can see the population increasing fast during the sixties, seventies and eighties with growth slowing down afterwards as education and health level improve.
The politics seems extremly fragmented, though the Royalists could provide a nice base around which a big tent conservative party could form.
Your developments on France are a bit weird, since no one cared about the French atomic test of 1960. While 4th Republic politics were unstable, it is not as if there were elections every year or so. A victory in Indochina will also strenghtens the regime to a degree and have an impact on the Algerian conflict.
Your timing for the ECC is weird, given the lack of a Suez débâcle there is also a very string likelyhood that Britain would be part of the ECC TTL as well. Indeed the Franco-British alliance will be confirmed and reinforced by a victory in Suez and this will mean no Franco-German rapprochement.
Well, history doesn't happen in a vacuum! Especially during the Cold War, there is little room for focusing exclusively on Ethiopia.
Thanks
.Fair enough; edited.
Oh yes. Just you wait...
Yeah it did. On the other hand, given Patton's how-shall-I-say gargantuan reputation & status as a once-student, I didn't think it was completely impossible, especially if there's any government pressure to conform. Besides, there's a difference between some native Ethiopians taking classes there and fully integrating the school.
The standard recomendation I'd make is Bahru Zewde's A History of Modern Ethiopia, 1855-1974. It's a pretty good starting point, although other books have been coming out in recent years.
Well, to be honest I don't completely trust pre-1980 statistics. Part of the difference was based on me simply extrapolating based on various birth rates to 1950 and working from there. I also figured that with the Jewish and African American immigration and the lack of the 1958 drought would be enough to make a substantial, positive change in the general health and growth rate for the country.
The again, I might be overly optimistic; I'll go over my numbers again later this week.
Well, the 60s is when the Green Revolution takes off and thus agricultural productivity becomes much more predictable; hence, people stop dying like flies and slowly stop breeding like rabbits too.
Well, how could it be anything but? The country is historically divided between various ethnic groups and principalities, which are reflected in the modern subdivisions of the country. The Royalists are really an amalgam held together by loyalty to the crown; beyond that there's little consensus, although it's definitely socially conservative by European-American standards.
But the UAR cares (Pan-Arabism and all that jazz), and therefore Molotov cares. Poor choice of words on my part, using "worldwide." I've made it a little more precise.
While the regime won Dien Bien Phu, the SFIO wanted out and France pulled out and got its wish, fracturing relations with the right. And while there's not elections every year, the government's policy was far from solid.
The EEC was formed in 1957 before the Suez Crisis. Britain will be joining very shortly.
===============
Anyway, from Hunam's goodie-bag are some maps and other visual treats.
Map of the World on January 1, 1961. Complete with the UAR, Soviet-influenced Somalia, and Sudanese Civil War.
And, for the more visually inclined, here's the currently tangled weave of international politics at that point in history. Things are only going to get more tangled before they get less tangled. Yes, I was very, very lazy with East Austria's flag; go ahead and bemoan it.
