Battle of Anchem
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Anchem was a battle fought between two factions of the Royal family
in the Ethiopian Empire
(Mangista Ityop'p'ya). The battle was fought to determine who would rule the empire
, Empress
(Nigiste Negest
) Zewditu or King (Negus
) Tafari Makonnen.
The Battle of Anchem is memorable because the pro-Zewditu forces were not openly supported by Empress Zewditu. The battle is also memorable for the use of both psychological warfare
and aerial warfare
by the pro-Tafari forces.
Tafari Makonnen, the future Emperor Haile Selassie I, was crowned King. He was crowned by Empress Zewditu. Since 1916, during Tafari's minority, Zewditu had been Regent
. As Regent, she exercised the real power in Ethiopia. The crowning of Tafari as King caused him to begin exercising power at the expense of Zewditu. His crowning also caused two factions to develop within the royal court
: One faction was pro-Tafari and one faction was pro-Zewditu. The husband of Zewditu, fifty-three-year-old Ras Gugsa Welle
, imagined a future where Zewditu remained Empress and he himself would be proclaimed Emperor. He was clearly the leader of the pro-Zewditu faction.
Within a month of Tefari being crowned King, the Raya Oromo
revolted in Wollo Province
. As King and with the tacit approval of the Empress, Negus Tafari called for the governors of several neighboring provinces to suppress the Oromo revolt. Ras Seyum Mangasha
from Axum
in western Tigre
, Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie
from Makalle
in eastern Tigre, Dejazmach
Ayalew Birru
from Semien
, and Ras Gugsa Welle from Begemder
were called upon. Gugsa Welle and others were unhappy with the rise of Negus Tafari. As a result, the response to Tafari's call was less than enthusiastic, efforts to suppress the Oromo were dissipated in palace intrigue, and the revolt continued. A trusted cousin of Tafari, Ras Imru Haile Selassie
, was made Shum
of Wollo in an effort to end the revolt.
In addition to not being happy with the rise of Tafari, Gugsa Welle tried to rally "traditional Ethiopia" to his side in support of his wife, the Empress. In the opinion of this faction, Tafari was too young, too modern, and it was rumored that he had even secretly converted to Roman Catholicism. Gugsa Welle wrote letters to the leaders of Tigre and Gojjam
seeking support for his revolt. He wrote to Ras Seyum Mangasha and Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie of Tigre and to Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot
of Gojjam. All three initially appeared supportive. But, after reconsideration, none responded to the letters from Gugsa Welle and all three provincial leaders failed to join him. On the other hand, the rebelling Oromo did agree to join forces.
. Ostensibly he was raising an army to finally crush the ongoing revolt in Wollo. At the time, Ras Gugsa Welle was not in open revolt and Empress Zewditu was still pleading with him not to go into open revolt. In the end, as part of the government, the Empress was in the strange position of being formally on the same side as King Tafari and being against her husband who was rebelling on her behalf.
The response to the chitet, like the initial call to suppress the revolt in Wollo, was less than enthusiastic initially. The newly appointed Minister of War, Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu
, was only able to raise the Mahel Sefari with 16,000 men pledged to it. Worse, by January 1930, Mulugeta Yeggazu found himself with only 2,000 men as he gathered in Dessie
. Worse yet, Gugsa Welle was now in open revolt
and he had already gathered an army in Debre Tabor
of 35,000 utterly devoted men. He was able to do this even without the forces from Tigre and Gojjam.
On 24 February, Empress Zewditu and King Tafari issued the Imperial Proclamation of Yekatit. The proclamation
declared that Ras Gugsa Welle was a rebel
. Attached to the proclamation was an anathema
signed by the Coptic Abuna
Kyrilos
and by five new bishops, Sauiros, Abraham, Petros, Mikael, and Isaac. The anathema was addressed to all monasteries of Begemder. It concluded "And therefore, you may follow Ras Gugsa Welle, you may attach yourself to him, be cursed and excomunicated
; your life and your flesh are outcasts from Christian
society." The devotion of many of the men following Ras Gugsa Welle was shaken by the proclamation and its attached anathema.
In mid-March, Ras Mulugeta marched the Mahel Sefari from Dessie to Debre Tabor to face the rebellious Gugsa Welle. With him were five cannon, seven machine guns, and something entirely new for Ethiopian warfare: Aircraft
.
On 28 March 1930, when Gugsa Welle's army crossed the border of Begemder Province moving towards Shewa Province
, it was met with an unusual sight. Three Ethiopian government biplane
s flew overhead. In 1922, Ras Tafari Makonnen had first shown interest in military aircraft
and, by 1929, a small Ethiopian air arm
was under development and was now used for the first time.
The biplanes dropped numerous copies of two specially created leaflets
onto the advancing army. One leaflet bore a message from the newly arrived Abuna Kyrilos. The message from Kyrilos was that anyone who fought against the government forces would be excomunicated. A second leaflet was from King Tafari and Empress Zewditu and it declared Gugsa Welle to be a rebel. In an example of "psychological warfare
", the leaflets appealed to the known conservative and religious sympathies of the forces fighting for Gugsa Welle. Some of his army started to desert him.
on the plains of Anchem. At 9:00 am, the biplanes once again appeared. But this time bombs
and not leaflets were dropped upon Gugsa Welle's army. At this point in Ethiopian history, aerial warfare
was still quite novel, unprecedented, and totally unexpected. More of his army deserted Gugsa Welle.
The Imperial Army
arrayed against Gugsa Welle included Fitawrari
Wondosson Kassa
in the center, Qegnazmach
Ayalew Birru on the right, and Fitawrari Fikremariam
on the left. Fitawrari Wondosson Kassa was the eldest son of Ras Kassa Haile Darge
, Qegnazmach Ayalew Birru commanded the troops from Semien, and Fitawrari Fikremariam commanded the troops from Wollo. In reserve were forces under Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu and Dejazmach Adafrisau Yenado
.
According to Time Magazine, by the time of battle, the two opposing armies were a mis-match. Gugsa Welle and his Army of Begemder numbered approximately 10,000 men and were armed with ten machine guns and two cannons. Opposing them was a much better equipped army of approximately 20,000 men loyal to the central government.
Battle began and, after four hours, the Imperial forces under Fitawrari Wondosson Kassa and Qegnazmach Ayalew Birru gained the upper hand. With the tide turning, Ras Gugsa Welle's shaken army started to desert him in large numbers.
was delivered. Gugsa Welle was called upon to surrender. Mounted on a white charger, he chose to fight on, was shot several times, and was killed
. Fitawrari Shumye, the second-in-command of the Army of Begemder, fought on until he was captured later in the afternoon. What little was left of the army then completely disintegrated. Gugsa Welle's Oromo allies never showed up during the battle. Instead, they arrived a day later.
Dejazmach Birru Wolde Gabriel and the army of Sidamo Province
entered Debra Tabor
unopposed. With the death of Gugsa Welle and the destruction of his army, the rebellion was ended.
, the capital of Begemder Province, was taken without resistance soon after the Battle of Anchem ended. Fitawrari Wondosson Kassa benefitted because his father, a loyal ally of Negus Tafari, was given all of the lands formerly controlled by Gugsa Welle. As a result, Wondosson Kassa was made the Shum of Begemder Province. Within three days of the death of Gugsa Welle, Empress Zewditu was dead of natural causes.
On 2 November 1930, about eight months after the passing of Zewditu, Negus Tafari Makonnen was proclaimed Emperor
(Nəgusä Nägäst
) Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
in the Ethiopian Empire
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire also known as Abyssinia, covered a geographical area that the present-day northern half of Ethiopia and Eritrea covers, and included in its peripheries Zeila, Djibouti, Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia...
(Mangista Ityop'p'ya). The battle was fought to determine who would rule the empire
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
, Empress
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
(Nigiste Negest
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
) Zewditu or King (Negus
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
) Tafari Makonnen.
The Battle of Anchem is memorable because the pro-Zewditu forces were not openly supported by Empress Zewditu. The battle is also memorable for the use of both psychological warfare
Psychological warfare
Psychological warfare , or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations , have been known by many other names or terms, including Psy Ops, Political Warfare, “Hearts and Minds,” and Propaganda...
and aerial warfare
Aerial warfare
Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare, including military airlift of cargo to further the national interests as was demonstrated in the Berlin Airlift...
by the pro-Tafari forces.
Background
On 27 October 1928, thirty-two-years-old RasEthiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
Tafari Makonnen, the future Emperor Haile Selassie I, was crowned King. He was crowned by Empress Zewditu. Since 1916, during Tafari's minority, Zewditu had been Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
. As Regent, she exercised the real power in Ethiopia. The crowning of Tafari as King caused him to begin exercising power at the expense of Zewditu. His crowning also caused two factions to develop within the royal court
Noble court
The court of a monarch, or at some periods an important nobleman, is a term for the extended household and all those who regularly attended on the ruler or central figure...
: One faction was pro-Tafari and one faction was pro-Zewditu. The husband of Zewditu, fifty-three-year-old Ras Gugsa Welle
Gugsa Welle
Gugsa Welle , also known as Gugsa Wolie and Gugsa Wele, was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire. He represented a provincial ruling elite which was often at odds with the Ethiopian central government.Gugsa Welle was born in Marto in Yejju Province...
, imagined a future where Zewditu remained Empress and he himself would be proclaimed Emperor. He was clearly the leader of the pro-Zewditu faction.
Within a month of Tefari being crowned King, the Raya Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
revolted in Wollo Province
Wollo
Wollo was a historical region and province in the northeastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Dessie. The province was named after the Wollo Oromo, who settled in this part of Ethiopia in the 17th century...
. As King and with the tacit approval of the Empress, Negus Tafari called for the governors of several neighboring provinces to suppress the Oromo revolt. Ras Seyum Mangasha
Seyum Mangasha
Seyum Mangasha KBE was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire.-Biography:...
from Axum
Axum
Axum or Aksum is a city in northern Ethiopia which was the original capital of the eponymous kingdom of Axum. Population 56,500 . Axum was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from ca. 400 BC into the 10th century...
in western Tigre
Tigray Province
Tigray was a province of Ethiopia. The Tigray Region superseded the province with the adoption of the new constitution in 1995. The province of Tigre merged with its neighboring provinces, including Semien, Tembien, Agame and the prominent Enderta province and towards the end of 19th century it...
, Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie
Gugsa Araya Selassie
Gugsa Araya Selassie was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire.- Biography :Leul Gugsa Araya Selassie was the legitimate son of Ras Araya Selassie Yohannes...
from Makalle
Mek'ele
Mek'ele , also transliterated as Makale, is a city in northern Ethiopia and the capital of the Tigray Region. It is located some 650 kilometers north of the capital, Addis Ababa, at latitude and longitude with an elevation of 2084 meters above sea level...
in eastern Tigre, Dejazmach
Ethiopian military titles
The military ranks of the Ethiopian Army originally came from the traditional organization of their forces. An army in the field or in camp was composed of a vanguard, main body, left and right wings and a rear body...
Ayalew Birru
Ayalew Birru
Ayalew Birru, or Ayyalaw Birru, was an Ethiopian army commander, a patriot, and a cousin of Emperor Haile Selassie I.-Biography:...
from Semien
Semien province
Semien Province was a historical province of northwest Ethiopia, often called Gondar. It was located south and west of the Tekezé River, and north of Lake Tsana. It was south west of Enderta Province, west of Tembien Province, and east of the Sudan. To some extent it covered the territory of the...
, and Ras Gugsa Welle from Begemder
Begemder
Begemder was a province in the northwestern part of Ethiopia. There are several proposed etymologies for this name...
were called upon. Gugsa Welle and others were unhappy with the rise of Negus Tafari. As a result, the response to Tafari's call was less than enthusiastic, efforts to suppress the Oromo were dissipated in palace intrigue, and the revolt continued. A trusted cousin of Tafari, Ras Imru Haile Selassie
Imru Haile Selassie
Leul Ras Imru Haile Selassie was an Ethiopian noble, soldier, and diplomat. He was also the cousin of Emperor Haile Selassie.-Biography:...
, was made Shum
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
of Wollo in an effort to end the revolt.
In addition to not being happy with the rise of Tafari, Gugsa Welle tried to rally "traditional Ethiopia" to his side in support of his wife, the Empress. In the opinion of this faction, Tafari was too young, too modern, and it was rumored that he had even secretly converted to Roman Catholicism. Gugsa Welle wrote letters to the leaders of Tigre and Gojjam
Gojjam
Gojjam was a kingdom in the north-western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debre Marqos. This region is distinctive for lying entirely within the bend of the Abbay River from its outflow from Lake Tana to the Sudan...
seeking support for his revolt. He wrote to Ras Seyum Mangasha and Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie of Tigre and to Ras Hailu Tekle Haymanot
Hailu Tekle Haymanot
Hailu Tekle Haymanot, KBE , also named Hailu II of Gojjam, was an army commander and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire. He represented a provincial ruling elite who were often at odds with the Ethiopian central government...
of Gojjam. All three initially appeared supportive. But, after reconsideration, none responded to the letters from Gugsa Welle and all three provincial leaders failed to join him. On the other hand, the rebelling Oromo did agree to join forces.
Battle
Negus Tafari Makonnen called a chitet, the traditional mustering of the provincial leviesConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
. Ostensibly he was raising an army to finally crush the ongoing revolt in Wollo. At the time, Ras Gugsa Welle was not in open revolt and Empress Zewditu was still pleading with him not to go into open revolt. In the end, as part of the government, the Empress was in the strange position of being formally on the same side as King Tafari and being against her husband who was rebelling on her behalf.
The response to the chitet, like the initial call to suppress the revolt in Wollo, was less than enthusiastic initially. The newly appointed Minister of War, Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu
Mulugeta Yeggazu
Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu, was an Ethiopian government official. He served as Imperial Fitawrari, Commander of the Mahel Sefari of the Ethiopian Army during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War.-Biography:...
, was only able to raise the Mahel Sefari with 16,000 men pledged to it. Worse, by January 1930, Mulugeta Yeggazu found himself with only 2,000 men as he gathered in Dessie
Dessie
Dessie is a city and a woreda in north-central Ethiopia. Located on the Addis Ababa - Asmara highway in the Debub Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region, this city has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation between 2,470 and 2,550 meters above sea level.Dessie has postal service , and telephone...
. Worse yet, Gugsa Welle was now in open revolt
Gugsa Welle's Rebellion (1930)
Gugsa Welle's Rebellion of 1930 was a rebellion raised by Ras Gugsa Welle and by supporters of Empress Zewditu to rid her of the Crown Prince and heir apparent, Negus Tafari Makonnen. With Tafari gone, Zewditu would be the sole claiment to succession as the ruler of the Ethiopian Empire...
and he had already gathered an army in Debre Tabor
Debre Tabor
Debre Tabor is a town and a woreda in north-central Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region of Ethiopia, about 100 kilometers southeast of Gondar and 50 kilometers east of Lake Tana, this historic town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2706 meters above...
of 35,000 utterly devoted men. He was able to do this even without the forces from Tigre and Gojjam.
On 24 February, Empress Zewditu and King Tafari issued the Imperial Proclamation of Yekatit. The proclamation
Proclamation
A proclamation is an official declaration.-England and Wales:In English law, a proclamation is a formal announcement , made under the great seal, of some matter which the King in Council or Queen in Council desires to make known to his or her subjects: e.g., the declaration of war, or state of...
declared that Ras Gugsa Welle was a rebel
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
. Attached to the proclamation was an anathema
Anathema
Anathema originally meant something lifted up as an offering to the gods; it later evolved to mean:...
signed by the Coptic Abuna
Abuna
Also see Leaders of ChristianityAbun is the honorific title used for any bishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as well as of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church...
Kyrilos
Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria
Father Mina became Pope of Alexandria on 10 May 1959 . In accordance with the old Coptic church tradition, Pope Cyril VI was the only monk in the 20th century to be chosen for papacy without having being a bishop /Metropolitan first...
and by five new bishops, Sauiros, Abraham, Petros, Mikael, and Isaac. The anathema was addressed to all monasteries of Begemder. It concluded "And therefore, you may follow Ras Gugsa Welle, you may attach yourself to him, be cursed and excomunicated
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
; your life and your flesh are outcasts from Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
society." The devotion of many of the men following Ras Gugsa Welle was shaken by the proclamation and its attached anathema.
In mid-March, Ras Mulugeta marched the Mahel Sefari from Dessie to Debre Tabor to face the rebellious Gugsa Welle. With him were five cannon, seven machine guns, and something entirely new for Ethiopian warfare: Aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
.
Psychological warfare
Shewa
Shewa is a historical region of Ethiopia, formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire...
, it was met with an unusual sight. Three Ethiopian government biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
s flew overhead. In 1922, Ras Tafari Makonnen had first shown interest in military aircraft
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
and, by 1929, a small Ethiopian air arm
Ethiopian Air Force
The Ethiopian Air Force is the air arm of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and is tasked with protecting the air space, providing support to the ground forces as well as assisting during national emergencies.- Early years :...
was under development and was now used for the first time.
The biplanes dropped numerous copies of two specially created leaflets
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
onto the advancing army. One leaflet bore a message from the newly arrived Abuna Kyrilos. The message from Kyrilos was that anyone who fought against the government forces would be excomunicated. A second leaflet was from King Tafari and Empress Zewditu and it declared Gugsa Welle to be a rebel. In an example of "psychological warfare
Psychological warfare
Psychological warfare , or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations , have been known by many other names or terms, including Psy Ops, Political Warfare, “Hearts and Minds,” and Propaganda...
", the leaflets appealed to the known conservative and religious sympathies of the forces fighting for Gugsa Welle. Some of his army started to desert him.
Biplanes and the Plains of Anchem
On 31 March, both armies met at Debre ZebitDebre Zebit
Debre Zebit is a village in northern Ethiopia. Located in the Semien Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region, about 240 kilometres north of Addis Ababa, this village has a has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2928 meters above sea level. The Central Statistical Agency has not published an...
on the plains of Anchem. At 9:00 am, the biplanes once again appeared. But this time bombs
Aerial bomb
An aerial bomb is a type of explosive weapon intended to travel through the air with predictable trajectories, usually designed to be dropped from an aircraft...
and not leaflets were dropped upon Gugsa Welle's army. At this point in Ethiopian history, aerial warfare
Aerial warfare
Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare, including military airlift of cargo to further the national interests as was demonstrated in the Berlin Airlift...
was still quite novel, unprecedented, and totally unexpected. More of his army deserted Gugsa Welle.
The Imperial Army
Army of the Ethiopian Empire
Armies of the Ethiopia have existed since earliest times. Ethiopia maintained a sizable contingent of her forces in her Sabbean Garrisons which expanded out to project power over colonies in Yemen and to protect Caravans or trade routes....
arrayed against Gugsa Welle included Fitawrari
Ethiopian military titles
The military ranks of the Ethiopian Army originally came from the traditional organization of their forces. An army in the field or in camp was composed of a vanguard, main body, left and right wings and a rear body...
Wondosson Kassa
Wondosson Kassa
Wondosson Kassa, also known as Wond Wossen Kassa, was a member of the royalty of the Ethiopian Empire, an army commander, and a patriot.- Biography :Leul Wondosson Kassa was the eldest son of Ras Kassa Haile Darge...
in the center, Qegnazmach
Ethiopian military titles
The military ranks of the Ethiopian Army originally came from the traditional organization of their forces. An army in the field or in camp was composed of a vanguard, main body, left and right wings and a rear body...
Ayalew Birru on the right, and Fitawrari Fikremariam
Fikremariam
Fikremariam was an Ethiopian commander and a patriot.-Biography:Fikremariam was from Menz, an Amhara region of Shewa Province....
on the left. Fitawrari Wondosson Kassa was the eldest son of Ras Kassa Haile Darge
Kassa Haile Darge
Ras Kassa Haile Darge GCVO, GBE , was a Shewan nobleman, the son of Haile Wolde Kiros of Lasta and Tisseme Darge, and grandson of Ras Darge Sahle Selassie the brother of Menelik II's father....
, Qegnazmach Ayalew Birru commanded the troops from Semien, and Fitawrari Fikremariam commanded the troops from Wollo. In reserve were forces under Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu and Dejazmach Adafrisau Yenado
Adafersaw Yenadu
Adafersaw Yenadu, also known as Adafrisau YeNado, was an army commander, a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire, and a patriot.-Biography:...
.
According to Time Magazine, by the time of battle, the two opposing armies were a mis-match. Gugsa Welle and his Army of Begemder numbered approximately 10,000 men and were armed with ten machine guns and two cannons. Opposing them was a much better equipped army of approximately 20,000 men loyal to the central government.
Battle began and, after four hours, the Imperial forces under Fitawrari Wondosson Kassa and Qegnazmach Ayalew Birru gained the upper hand. With the tide turning, Ras Gugsa Welle's shaken army started to desert him in large numbers.
Coup de grâce
Shortly after mid-day, Ras Gugsa Welle was surrounded and isolated. It was at this time that the coup de grâceCoup de grâce
The expression coup de grâce means a death blow intended to end the suffering of a wounded creature. The phrase can refer to the killing of civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies, with or without the consent of the sufferer...
was delivered. Gugsa Welle was called upon to surrender. Mounted on a white charger, he chose to fight on, was shot several times, and was killed
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
. Fitawrari Shumye, the second-in-command of the Army of Begemder, fought on until he was captured later in the afternoon. What little was left of the army then completely disintegrated. Gugsa Welle's Oromo allies never showed up during the battle. Instead, they arrived a day later.
Dejazmach Birru Wolde Gabriel and the army of Sidamo Province
Sidamo Province
Sidamo was a province in the southern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Irgalem, and after 1978 at Awasa. It was named after an ethnic group native to Ethiopia, called the Sidamo, or more particularly, Sidama, who are located in the south-central part of that country...
entered Debra Tabor
Debre Tabor
Debre Tabor is a town and a woreda in north-central Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region of Ethiopia, about 100 kilometers southeast of Gondar and 50 kilometers east of Lake Tana, this historic town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2706 meters above...
unopposed. With the death of Gugsa Welle and the destruction of his army, the rebellion was ended.
Aftermath
GondarGondar
Gondar or Gonder is a city in Ethiopia, which was once the old imperial capital and capital of the historic Begemder Province. As a result, the old province of Begemder is sometimes referred to as Gondar...
, the capital of Begemder Province, was taken without resistance soon after the Battle of Anchem ended. Fitawrari Wondosson Kassa benefitted because his father, a loyal ally of Negus Tafari, was given all of the lands formerly controlled by Gugsa Welle. As a result, Wondosson Kassa was made the Shum of Begemder Province. Within three days of the death of Gugsa Welle, Empress Zewditu was dead of natural causes.
On 2 November 1930, about eight months after the passing of Zewditu, Negus Tafari Makonnen was proclaimed Emperor
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
(Nəgusä Nägäst
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
) Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.
See also
- Monarchies of EthiopiaMonarchies of EthiopiaThis is a list of Monarchies that existed throughout the history of Ethiopia. This list is divided into kingdoms that were subdivisions of Ethiopia, and kingdoms that were later conquered by Ethiopia...
- Line of succession to the Ethiopian ThroneLine of succession to the Ethiopian ThroneThe line of succession to the Ethiopian throne is described in the first section of the 1955 Revised Constitution of Ethiopia.In brief, the title of Emperor may pass only through male descendants of HIM Haile Selassie I, through the oldest male line before the younger...
- Ethiopian aristocratic and court titlesEthiopian aristocratic and court titlesUntil the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
- Balcha SafoBalcha SafoBalcha Safo , also known by his title as Dejazmach Balcha, was an accomplished Ethiopian general, who served in both the First and Second Italo-Ethiopian Wars. He came from a non-aristocratic background...
- Ethiopian coup d'état of 1928Ethiopian coup d'état of 1928The Ethiopian coup d'état of 1928 was an attempt by supporters of Empress Zewditu to rid her of the heir apparent and Crown Prince, Ras Tafari Makonnen. With Tafari gone, Zewditu would be the sole ruler of the Ethiopian Empire ....