Haile Selassie and the Making of Modern Ethiopia

By Tamene Dawit ( re-edited )

Politics and history often intertwine in complex ways, but revisiting the past can help us understand where we are headed. This reflection is not an argument for restoring Ethiopia’s monarchy. Rather, it is an appeal to recognize and properly value the legacy of Emperor Haile Selassie, whose contribution to nation-building remains one of the most significant chapters in Ethiopian history.

Menelik’s Foundation and Haile Selassie’s Modernization

Emperor Menelik II deserves great credit for re-uniting Ethiopia and shaping it into the nation we know today. His reign introduced modern tools and institutions — from telecommunication and transportation to early forms of administration. Yet, while Menelik’s initiatives were groundbreaking, their impact was limited mostly to the royal palace and its immediate circle.

It was Haile Selassie who expanded modernization beyond the palace gates. Under his rule, modern systems began to touch the lives of ordinary citizens. For instance, Ethiopia had no national currency during Menelik’s time; trade relied on salt bars and the Maria Theresa thaler. Even though Ethio-Telecom was founded earlier, it’s hard to imagine such services operating on barter trade. The introduction and expansion of the Ethiopian birr under Haile Selassie marked a decisive step toward an organized and monetized national economy.

Centralization and Institutional Reform

Haile Selassie also undertook the monumental task of centralizing power and building modern governance structures. Before his reign, regional governors ruled their provinces almost independently, often resisting any attempt by the central government to assert authority.

Through persuasion, political skill, and compromise — such as promising influential families that their sons would serve as ministers — Haile Selassie gradually unified these regional powers under one central government. This transformation was far from smooth. Ministers from different provinces sometimes refused to recognize each other’s authority, reflecting old regional rivalries between places like Gondar and Gojjam.

Nonetheless, Haile Selassie persisted. Over time, the country moved from a loose federation of fiefdoms toward a more cohesive and structured state. By the time of the failed coup in 1960, much of Ethiopia’s institutional and administrative foundation had already been laid, largely thanks to his efforts.

The Present Contrast

Today, under leaders such as Abiy Ahmed and Shimelis Abdisa, Ethiopia faces a starkly different set of challenges. While their rhetoric often invokes unity and reform, many Ethiopians remain deeply skeptical about their true intentions. There is a growing fear that their political strategies — whether deliberate or not — are leading the country toward fragmentation rather than cohesion.

It is therefore worth recalling Haile Selassie’s example. Despite his imperfections, his long-term vision sought to strengthen national unity through institutions and governance, not to weaken them through regional divisions.

The Erosion of Institutions

In contrast, the current leadership appears to be dismantling the very institutions they should be strengthening. If tasked with building a credible public body, one suspects it would fail from the outset. Their frequent reliance on trickery, misdirection, and political manipulation erodes public trust — the cornerstone of any functioning government.

Institutions cannot survive without credibility or integrity. When leadership prioritizes short-term advantage over long-term institution-building, the result is inevitable: institutional decay and national disunity. This is precisely what many Ethiopians fear today — that the foundations once laid with great sacrifice are slowly being undone.

A Call to Remember

As we reflect on Ethiopia’s modern history, it becomes clear that Haile Selassie’s legacy lies not merely in his royal title, but in his nation-building vision. His efforts to centralize power, introduce currency, and modernize governance gave Ethiopia the structural backbone it needed to enter the modern world.

Remembering this history is not nostalgia — it is a reminder that a strong Ethiopia requires credible institutions, national purpose, and leaders who think beyond ethnic lines and regional boundaries.

That, more than anything, is the enduring lesson of Haile Selassie’s reign.