Ras Imru was a cousin of Emperor Haile Selassie, one of the supreme commanders of the Tigrean front in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and a pro-reform Ethiopian. He would remain in Ethiopia during the Italian occupation of 1936-41, fighting an armed resistance until surrendering to the Italians in December, 1936 as a result of being pinned down at Gojeb River. He was accompanied by the Black Lions Organization, an organization of educated Ethiopians drawn from the political and military elite, seeking to establish a more politically unified and coherent Ethiopian resistance. Ras Imru was declared Prince Regent in the absence of Haile Selassie who had gone to Geneva to convince the League of Nations to intervene in Ethiopia while the Italians became bogged down in the rains and were subject to constant attacks. Prime Minister Wolde Tsadik and Ras Imru were the heads of the Provisional Government that was based at the relocated seat of the Ethiopian government, at a southwestern town called Gore and in the Illubabor province. Gore was to function as a center of armed Ethiopian resistance and provide organization to the rising guerrilla bands of Ethiopia. Unfortunately, this never manifested as Ras Imru was captured and Wolde Tsadik fled into the Sudan which caused the collapse of the Provisional Government.
Let's say, the Provisional Government in Gore remains intact and instead opts to move into the mountains of Gojjam or Shewa in order to secure the safety of what remains of the Ethiopian state. Ras Imru collects more former Ethiopian officials along the way such as Ras Desta, Alamawarq Bayyana, Tekle Hawariat and Ras Abebe Aregai. The Provisional Government utilizes the time that the rains have given them and focus on consolidation of power/influence over the locals and surrounding territories as the resistance of Patriots becomes more organized, loyal to only the Provisional Government and Ras Imru. Yekatit 12 is unleashed by Graziani on the ethnic Ethiopian population as revenge for the attempted assassination attempt by the resistance. The Provisional Government becomes outraged at the blatant Italian atrocities and intensifies its attacks on the occupational forces as pan-Ethiopian nationalist propaganda is utilized to gain support from all over Ethiopia - this is successful as the Ethiopian Patriots increases from 200,000 to 400,000 Patriots as many Ethiopians now think that the armed resistance be the only way for them to survive. The Patriots have managed to liberate all of Gojjam, Lasta, Begemdir as well as sections of Shewa, Wollo and a handfuls of lands in the southern Somali-Oromo dominated provinces, by the year 1939. As the Italians continue committing atrocities, the Ethiopian Patriot Movement continues gaining momentum under Imru as the prospect of a Second World War comes closer.
Emperor Haile Selassie has died from pneumonia in 1938 as his son, Asfaw Wossen becomes Emperor Amha Selassie and thus, head of the Ethiopian government-in-exile which remains intact despite the death of the Emperor. The Ethiopian Royal Family, Crown Council and government-in-exile is moved to the capital of British Palestine, Jerusalem in order to prevent any more deaths from the cold weather of the UK. The Crown Prince is crowned as Emperor in Cairo where the Egyptian/Ethiopian Orthodox Church is now based. From 1937-39, the British had maintained contact with the Ethiopian Provisional Government and Patriots Movement as they begin to supply the Ethiopians with new arms and equipment which is nothing more than surplus from their WW1 stockpiles. The Italians become suspicious of reports of Ethiopian Patriots equipped with older British Lee-Enfield rifles, Lewis machine guns, Vickers machine guns and even old pieces of artillery.
Italy enters the Second World War in 1940 which ends in British Commonwealth and Free Ethiopian forces liberating Ethiopia from the Italian occupational forces, receiving support from the Ethiopian Patriots. Their leader, Prince Regent Imru has initiated revolts all across Ethiopia and especially in the urban centers of the Ethiopian Empire such as Addis Ababa, Harar, Dire Dawa and whatnot. Addis Ababa is once again in the hands of the Ethiopians whereas the South African Commonwealth troops march into Harar, supported by the Patriots. The British and Free Ethiopian forces have managed to liberate key towns and cities in the northern, western and southern provinces as surrender from Italian forces become increasingly normal but General Nasi's troops continue to fight at Gondar where the combined Free Ethiopian and British forces defeat him in the Battle of Gondar as Ethiopia is finally free of any significant occupational forces.
Prince Regent Imru soon becomes Emperor Imru Haile Selassie, assuming the throne in absence of Haile Selassie as he learns of Haile Selassie's death in Great Britain and requests that the British Government moves his dead body to Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian Royal Family is allowed to remain in Ethiopia but they have to swear off all claims to the Ethiopian throne whereas the more loyalist members of the government in exile (i.e. Ras Kassa or Wolde Giyorgis Wolde Yohannes) and Amha Selassie flee to London, Palestine or the US where they attempt to frame themselves as the true Ethiopian government and Emperor, similar to Lij Iyasu's line. Ethiopia has become an Allied Power as they provide the Allies with a British trained and equipped Ethiopian Expeditionary Corps which fights in North Africa and even Italy.
What happens now that Leul Ras Imru Haile Selassie is Emperor of the Ethiopian Empire?
Let's say, the Provisional Government in Gore remains intact and instead opts to move into the mountains of Gojjam or Shewa in order to secure the safety of what remains of the Ethiopian state. Ras Imru collects more former Ethiopian officials along the way such as Ras Desta, Alamawarq Bayyana, Tekle Hawariat and Ras Abebe Aregai. The Provisional Government utilizes the time that the rains have given them and focus on consolidation of power/influence over the locals and surrounding territories as the resistance of Patriots becomes more organized, loyal to only the Provisional Government and Ras Imru. Yekatit 12 is unleashed by Graziani on the ethnic Ethiopian population as revenge for the attempted assassination attempt by the resistance. The Provisional Government becomes outraged at the blatant Italian atrocities and intensifies its attacks on the occupational forces as pan-Ethiopian nationalist propaganda is utilized to gain support from all over Ethiopia - this is successful as the Ethiopian Patriots increases from 200,000 to 400,000 Patriots as many Ethiopians now think that the armed resistance be the only way for them to survive. The Patriots have managed to liberate all of Gojjam, Lasta, Begemdir as well as sections of Shewa, Wollo and a handfuls of lands in the southern Somali-Oromo dominated provinces, by the year 1939. As the Italians continue committing atrocities, the Ethiopian Patriot Movement continues gaining momentum under Imru as the prospect of a Second World War comes closer.
Emperor Haile Selassie has died from pneumonia in 1938 as his son, Asfaw Wossen becomes Emperor Amha Selassie and thus, head of the Ethiopian government-in-exile which remains intact despite the death of the Emperor. The Ethiopian Royal Family, Crown Council and government-in-exile is moved to the capital of British Palestine, Jerusalem in order to prevent any more deaths from the cold weather of the UK. The Crown Prince is crowned as Emperor in Cairo where the Egyptian/Ethiopian Orthodox Church is now based. From 1937-39, the British had maintained contact with the Ethiopian Provisional Government and Patriots Movement as they begin to supply the Ethiopians with new arms and equipment which is nothing more than surplus from their WW1 stockpiles. The Italians become suspicious of reports of Ethiopian Patriots equipped with older British Lee-Enfield rifles, Lewis machine guns, Vickers machine guns and even old pieces of artillery.
Italy enters the Second World War in 1940 which ends in British Commonwealth and Free Ethiopian forces liberating Ethiopia from the Italian occupational forces, receiving support from the Ethiopian Patriots. Their leader, Prince Regent Imru has initiated revolts all across Ethiopia and especially in the urban centers of the Ethiopian Empire such as Addis Ababa, Harar, Dire Dawa and whatnot. Addis Ababa is once again in the hands of the Ethiopians whereas the South African Commonwealth troops march into Harar, supported by the Patriots. The British and Free Ethiopian forces have managed to liberate key towns and cities in the northern, western and southern provinces as surrender from Italian forces become increasingly normal but General Nasi's troops continue to fight at Gondar where the combined Free Ethiopian and British forces defeat him in the Battle of Gondar as Ethiopia is finally free of any significant occupational forces.
Prince Regent Imru soon becomes Emperor Imru Haile Selassie, assuming the throne in absence of Haile Selassie as he learns of Haile Selassie's death in Great Britain and requests that the British Government moves his dead body to Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian Royal Family is allowed to remain in Ethiopia but they have to swear off all claims to the Ethiopian throne whereas the more loyalist members of the government in exile (i.e. Ras Kassa or Wolde Giyorgis Wolde Yohannes) and Amha Selassie flee to London, Palestine or the US where they attempt to frame themselves as the true Ethiopian government and Emperor, similar to Lij Iyasu's line. Ethiopia has become an Allied Power as they provide the Allies with a British trained and equipped Ethiopian Expeditionary Corps which fights in North Africa and even Italy.
What happens now that Leul Ras Imru Haile Selassie is Emperor of the Ethiopian Empire?
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