The Lion of Judah Roars Again: An early Ethiopian Civil War

The EPRP will play a major role in the future but for now the Derg isnt officially socialist so there interactions are limited and the ERPR is moreso waiting to see what ideological turn the Derg makes before making a move. And yes some more royalists will exist especially some more right leaning ones, but thats for the future.
What about Amha Selassie and the Moa Anbessa?
 
Amha will have a big role to play and sorry if Im misinformed but who is Moa Anbessa
The Moa Anbessa Party or the Conquering Lion Party was an Ethiopian political party established in exile that was pro-constitutional monarchy and was formed during the Ethiopian Civil War for the purpose of reinstating the monarchy after the Derg was defeated.
 
A new chapter is always good! But moving units from the Ogaden is going to cause hell for the Ethiopian military in the future if the Somalis invade as IOTL.

The government seems to be more moderate socialist, if I’m reading correctly?
 
A new chapter is always good! But moving units from the Ogaden is going to cause hell for the Ethiopian military in the future if the Somalis invade as IOTL.

The government seems to be more moderate socialist, if I’m reading correctly?


Yeah the goverment leans towards that definitely, but for they will definetly be pushing further left as they consolidate power, as they did OTL

And yes the Ogaden will cause some...problems.
 
Chapter 1 Part 2: Aman of Action
Chapter 1

Part 2 Aman of Action




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General Aman Andom


In stark contrast to his opponents in the Derg General Aman was far from being idle in any sense of the word. Always a man of action Aman established himself in the northern region of Tigray with a group of close companions and began to get in mobilize those contacts in the armed forces, who were willing to join his cause of which there were many. He encouraged these men to mutiny and join his cause in overthrowing the increasingly authoritarian derg. He of course made significant gains the Air Force and Imperial Guard, who felt they were had only narrowly avoided an inevitable purging by their new socialist masters. And crucially he was able to turn the majority of the soldiers serving in the region of Eritrea. He mustered his troops in Tigray slowly consolidating power but remained relatively quiet for the early weeks of December.

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The Ethiopian Imperial guard, loyal to Aman through and through.



A group of conservatives and monarchists had also been congregating in Tigray since Selassie’s overthrow in September. They styled themselves as the Ethiopian Democratic Union (EDU) under the authority of the governor of Tigray Mengesha Seyoum. They professed a much more conservative agenda than the Derg and theoretically supported a constitutional monarchy and a Haile Selassie reinstated to the throne, but were nonetheless ideologically muddled and had few true goals beyond that. The Derg had tolerated their presence as they were attempting to sort out their own internal quarrels and due to the EDU’s lack of material power, but with Aman's rise to power the EDU saw this as their chance to finally oppose the Derg as a force to be reckoned with.


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Governor Mengeshu Siam



They made various overtures to the exiled General, but Aman declined them all. He saw the EDU as only something that would get in his way, and no doubt out of some deeply held resentment for the imperial officials who had thrown his nation into chaos. Aman was also opposed to forming any sort of opposition government at this moment, he was intent on retaking Ethiopia and wanted to wait for the Derg to be defeated before he started attempting to reform the government. Nonetheless they still tolerated each other’s presence in Tigray.



But this time of waiting would soon be over. Aman from his informants in the South had been made aware of their north, forcing Aman to accelerate his plans. On December 12th he began to march his troops south and simultaneously alerted his military contacts in Addis Ababa that the time was right to at long last retake the capitol and by extension the nation. That evening troops and police stationed in the capitol took up arms and began seizing ke positions in the city. The battle for Addis Ababa had begun!
 
Always nice to see a new update in your TL! Interesting turn of events, especially with Aman and the EDU - I could've sworn there was a possibility of them becoming united, perhaps they're forced to cooperate later on. I can't see this attempt at re-taking Addis Ababa going well, though.
 
Chapter 1 Part 3: The Battle of Addis Ababa

Chapter 1

Part 3: The Battle of Addis Ababa


Around roughly 10:00 in the evening on the night of December the 15th a significant number of divisions stationed in Addis Ababa set out into the streets. They had been planning this for weeks after being secretly contacted by General Aman Andom, and now was their time to strike. For weeks they had put up with the the vile and illegitimate Derg as it had slowly moved away from its original goal of supporting to the common soldier and further and further into the depths of marxist drivel, but no longer.

The ragtag group quickly secured important strategic locations around the city meeting little resistance at for the moment. This state of affairs of course couldnt last, and around 12:30, the government had been officially notified of what was going on. A crude resistance was mobilized, and while they might have perhaps outnumbered the conspirators, the element of surprise was crucial. Nonetheless by 1:00 serious fighting had erupted in the streets. Gunshots and screams could be heard around every corner as the Battle of Addis Ababa surged to a bloody start. Major government officials had evacuated out of the city for the most part with the exception of a few stragglers notably head of state and secretary of the derg Mengistu Haile Mariam.

After a no doubt stressful evening Mariam had retired to his home for a well deserved rest. Around 12:45 Mariam awoke to a sharp crack on one his lower floors as his front door was shattered to pieces. Numerous footsteps could be heard ascending his staircase. Startled, but with his usual military discipline, he scrambled out of his bed and opened his bedside drawer where he kept a handgun for just this eventuality. Aiming it at the door he managed to shoot and kill two of his assailants before being fatally shot himself. Aman’s revenge was fulfilled, the secretary was dead.

One of the key locations seized was the Alem Bekagn prison complex where a number of high profile political prisoners and former members of the imperial regime. The prison was quickly taken and many of those aforementioned prisoners were spirited away to safer locations in Northern Ethiopia. Aman saw these individuals as not only potential allies, but also thought that the sparing of these men who had previously been on the chopping block for execution as a potential net gain in political and international reputation. One of the most notable of those released was Endalkachew Makonnen a former prime minister and noted liberal reformer.

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Endalkachew Makonnen

By dawn most of the city was under the control of the rebels, and by extension Aman. Sporadic fighting still occurred in the streets, but by noon the next day it had mostly calmed down. However these rebels didn't have nearly enough forces to defend against a true counterattack from the Derg, and counted on reinforcements from Aman to rendezvous at the city. Aman was currently on his way marching through the regions just north of Addis Ababa: Welo, Gonder, and Gojam. He had split his forces in two with one group going south west to seize Gonder and Gojam, while Aman personally commanded a larger force to head directly to Addis Ababa through Gojam.

But while Aman’s army was marching the Derg was getting back on its feet. With the death of Mariam and some other senior Derg members the leadership was in a state of disarray. It was decided that reelections would be held once the city was taken back, but General Tafari Benti would be given temporary comma d of the military forces outside the city. Unfortunately for them they lacked the current numbers to retake the city in a full frontal assault. However reinforcements from the Ogaden would be arriving any day now. The race for the grand prize of the capital was at its beginning, and with it the civil war had finally started in earnest.

But as with most beginnings they often replace that which came before. And this was no different. During the night of the coup the former Emperor Haile Selassie died of unknown causes. Some claimed the stress of the battle happening outside his windows as his country tore itself apart was too much for him, while others theorized that perhaps the Derg or even Aman thought that it would be safer with the old monarch dead, but nonetheless December 15th 1974 would signal the beginning of a new chapter in Ethiopian history.
 

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Very interesting new chapter! Mengistu Haile Mariam is dead and the Derg could be close to collapse any second, Aman marching on the capital! What are the status of the political parties like the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party and the All-Ethiopia Socialist Movement? Are they aligned with the Derg?

Hope to see more!
 
What are the status of the political parties like the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party and the All-Ethiopia Socialist Movement? Are they aligned with the Derg?

Hope to see more!

They are cautiously interested in the Derg's activities. The Derg still hasn't been in power or too long and has yet to officially move towards a truly marxist postistion as they have been consolidating power. The Derg does definitely lean toward socialist ideals, but there is a lot of disagreement in how they will be implemented. but with the death of Mariam if they survive it will no doubt be slightly less authoritarian. Those the EPRP and MEISON are still competing for influence as they did in OTL, but Benti actually leaned more towards finding a compromise between the two and the creation of a united front, so he will be pushing for something along those lines if the Derg survives.

Thanks for all the support by the way you've been really helpful in getting this timeline off the ground.
 
They are cautiously interested in the Derg's activities. The Derg still hasn't been in power or too long and has yet to officially move towards a truly marxist postistion as they have been consolidating power. The Derg does definitely lean toward socialist ideals, but there is a lot of disagreement in how they will be implemented. but with the death of Mariam if they survive it will no doubt be slightly less authoritarian. Those the EPRP and MEISON are still competing for influence as they did in OTL, but Benti actually leaned more towards finding a compromise between the two and the creation of a united front, so he will be pushing for something along those lines if the Derg survives.

Thanks for all the support by the way you've been really helpful in getting this timeline off the ground.
The EPRP and MEISON forming a Popular Front against the royalist movements seems very interesting. As for the Derg, it will probably quite authoritarian but things that were launched by Mengistu - Red Terror and famines - might not happen with Tafari Benti in power but its always a possibility.

Happy to help!
 
The EPRP and MEISON forming a Popular Front against the royalist movements seems very interesting. As for the Derg, it will probably quite authoritarian but things that were launched by Mengistu - Red Terror and famines - might not happen with Tafari Benti in power but its always a possibility.

Happy to help!
When I say less authoritatian i meant that we wont see the same level pf brutality as the OTL Derg, but nonethless dont expect free and fair elections anytime soon.
 
When I say less authoritatian i meant that we wont see the same level pf brutality as the OTL Derg, but nonethless dont expect free and fair elections anytime soon.
Yeah, I don't expect democracy any time soon - if anything, Ethiopia will retain authoritarian tendencies if Aman and/or any royalist movements win the Ethiopian Civil War.
 
Chapter 2: The Civil War Begins
Chapter 2: The Civil War Begins



December 16th was fateful day for both sides of the Battle for Addis Ababa. Securing the city at this critical junction seemed to be a pure test of mobility. While Aman’s forces theoretically controlled the city they required a vast number of soldiers to secure it. Even now the small number of divisions were having trouble holding the city despite the lack of real military opposition. A number of leftover soldiers had begun to engage in guerrilla warfare in the streets harassing the occupying forces. Additionally students with connections to far left organizations such as the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP) and the All Ethiopia Socialist movement (MEISON) began small protests against the cities new overlords. These groups had hope in the left leaning stance of the Derg and saw Aman’s rebellion as simply dictatorial reactionaries, despite the remarkably diverse politics of Aman’s supporters. While these groups were initially minor nuisances the brutal retaliation they faced in Addis Ababa began to turn the tide of public opinion against the occupiers.


The Derg itself still understandably reeling from the attack were still encamped only miles outside of the city. They needed reinforcements fast lest all of Ethiopia would be lost. In private the Commander Tafari Benti expressed concerns that his possible dream of a marxist Ethiopia might be strangled in the womb. Nonetheless reinforcements were on their way the real question would be if they would arrive in time.


In terms of speed it would appear that Aman had a significant advantage. An experienced commander he marched quickly and efficiently, determined to take Addis Ababa. All was going well for a time, until on the morning of December 17th they reached the city of Dessie in the region of Welo just north of Addis Ababa. The city had been fortified by a small division of soldiers loyal to the Derg as well as a reasonably sized militia. The commander guarding the city, Captain Nataye Asmelash and was a determined devotee of marxist principles and the Derg. After suffering greatly under the Imperial regime the people in Dessie were not willing to simply give up the city especially when many had been swayed by Asmelash promises of bread and justice.


While the small force of around 1,200 men was drastically outnumbered by Aman’s almost 6,000 hardened troops they still through spirit and constructed defenses were able to hold out against attack for nearly two days and inflicted unprecedented casualties on Aman’s forces. When the resistors were finally defeated though, Aman’s reprisal was brutal massacring many of them without trial as well as men suspected to have associated with the insurgency. Many civilians were also killed in the battle with at least a quarter of city being lost to the war. But their lives were not lost in vain. The defense of the city had allowed the Derg’s reinforcements enough time to arrive at Addis Ababa and quickly retake it, while Aman was still a hundred miles from the city. Those who died in the defense of Dessie would forever become martyrs for the Ethiopian Socialists cause.


Aman while losing the initiative from the hindrance was undeterred pressing forward towards Addis Ababa which was now firmly held by 5,000 Derg forces. On the 21st Aman began a shelling and bombing campaign as well as an aggressive march toward the city. Massive fighting began on the outskirts of the Capital with the Derg's defensive advantage once again coming in to play as well as Aman’s tired and demoralized troops who had endured nearly a week of forced marching and guerrilla warfare, fared far worse than the Derg’s. Though he toned down his initial aggression the battle would continue more or less well into January, before Aman after losing nearly half of his forces was forced to retreat back to Welo to fortify against a newly aggressive Derg. With the balance now shifted out of Aman’s favor he went about seeking new allies in his seemingly dwindling crusade.
 
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