Emperor Haile Selassie reclaims his Ethiopian throne

Date: 5 May 1941
Updated: 5 May 2020

After nearly five years in exile in Britain, Emperor Haile Selassie returned to Ethiopia to reclaim his throne with the help of the British. Selassie lost his throne in 1936 after he was defeated by Italians and fled to Britain. However, in his absence Ethiopians continued to resist the Italians, waging a guerrilla war to undermine and destabilise the process of colonisation. At the height of World War II in 1943, Tigrayans formed a resistance group “Weyane” or popular uprising, to rebel against Selassie. Tigrayans believed that Selassie did not deserve to return to the throne after abandoning his country and people in the middle of colonial occupation, killings and humiliation of its people by the Italian army.

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How we know this

01Boddy-Evans A. ‘This Day in African History: 5 May’, from About.com African History, [online], available at www.africanhistory.about.com [Accessed: 13 April 2012]
02Ethiopian Treasures, ‘Emperor Haile Selassie (1930-1974)’, [online], available at www.ethiopiantreasures.co.uk (Accessed: 13 April 2012]

Last updated · 5 May 2020

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, May 2). Emperor Haile Selassie reclaims his Ethiopian throne. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0082529

South African History Online (2012) 'Emperor Haile Selassie reclaims his Ethiopian throne', South African History Online, 2 May. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0082529 (Accessed: 22 August 2026).

South African History Online, Emperor Haile Selassie reclaims his Ethiopian throne [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0082529, (accessed 22 August 2026).

"Emperor Haile Selassie reclaims his Ethiopian throne." South African History Online, 2 May 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0082529. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "Emperor Haile Selassie reclaims his Ethiopian throne." South African History Online. May 2, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0082529.