The last emperor of the 3,000-year-old Ethiopian monarchy was an accomplished politician for the modern age, as well as being revered as a living god, says Nige Tassell
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Haile Selassie, emperor of Ethiopia
Published: October 18, 2021 at 8:08 am
Armed with a thick wad of papers, a diminutive, middle-aged man from East Africa slowly approached the podium at the General Assembly of the League Of Nations in Geneva on 20 June 1936. His gait was both measured and defiant, the poise of a man with a purpose. He was the Emperor of Ethiopia and his name was Haile Selassie.
The Emperor had travelled to Switzerland to test the League Of Nations’ solidarity. As the leader of one of the few African countries not under colonial rule, Selassie was there to request assistance in defeating a violent aggressor.