7 ATLASES
History of Ethiopia in maps
Ethiopia as it appears in 7 interactive history atlases, from 1933 to 2015: Abyssinia, Ethiopia. Each era below lists who ruled the land and when control changed, linked to the dated map that shows it.
WW2 is free in full, and chapter 1 of every atlas is free. A free account opens 3 more chapters a day. Starter, at $9 a month, opens all 21 with no daily limit — see the plans.
Free printable Feminism and the Tunisian Revolution study guide, sent by email ↓
What was Ethiopia before it was Ethiopia? The sections below follow this land through every era covered by the Maps of History atlases: who ruled it, what it was called, and when control changed. Each line links to the dated map. Modern borders serve as an approximation, as each atlas says on the map itself.
Ethiopia · Industrial Revolution
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: EVERY CHAPTER AND MAP →
Ethiopia (Abyssinia) · Haiti and Kenya independence
Ethiopia defeated Italy at Adwa in 1896. Apart from Italy’s occupation in 1936–41, it remained the region’s one great African state that was never colonized. Emperor Haile Selassie became a symbol of African independence, and Kenyan nationalists looked to Ethiopia. Colonial treaties set its southern border with Kenya.
| Other states and societies — the opening position |
HAITI AND KENYA INDEPENDENCE: EVERY CHAPTER AND MAP →
Abyssinia · WWI
Abyssinia (mod. Ethiopia) · Road to WW2
Ethiopia, an empire never colonized, had belonged to the League since 1923. It appealed, waited and fought only when invaded, doing what the system asked of it. Italy nevertheless conquered it with mustard gas, while fifty nations sanctioned everything except the oil that powered the invasion. Ethiopia became both the League's test case and its epitaph. At Geneva, Haile Selassie warned: “It is us today. It will be you tomorrow.” It is the most accurate prophecy in this atlas.
| Neutral & unaligned — the opening position | |
| At war on its own soil | |
| The aggressors (Japan, Germany, Italy) |
ROAD TO WW2: EVERY CHAPTER AND MAP →
Ethiopia · Cold War
| US-aligned states — the opening position | |
| Soviet-aligned states | |
| Non-aligned & neutral |
COLD WAR: EVERY CHAPTER AND MAP →
Ethiopia · Decolonization of Africa
Apart from Italy’s brief occupation in 1936–41, Ethiopia was never colonized. As one of only two African states independent before 1945, it became the seat of the OAU and a symbol of African sovereignty. Revolution brought down its ancient empire in 1974. The Marxist Derg’s wars against Eritrean and Tigrayan insurgents, amid the famine of 1983–85, cost over a million lives. Long independence offered no guarantee against catastrophe.
| Independent before 1945 — the opening position |
DECOLONIZATION OF AFRICA: EVERY CHAPTER AND MAP →
Ethiopia · Feminism and the Tunisian Revolution
| Refused: women excluded; ERA never ratified — the opening position | |
| Right won in law | |
| No reform yet / outside this story | |
| Right won in law |
FEMINISM AND THE TUNISIAN REVOLUTION: EVERY CHAPTER AND MAP →
Related
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