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Around the two Italo-Ethiopian wars, did any Ethiopian leaders side with the Italians?

By "around", I mean anywhere from about 1890 to 1936.

By "leaders", I mean noblemen, military officers, popular leaders, government officials, etc.

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Interesting question. I would be quite astonished if some notable Ethiopians with local power did not assist the Italians -- from a purely pragmatic viewpoint. That is, they envisioned an Italian win, and thought it advantageous to be on the winning side. – Noldorin Jun 13 '12 at 21:59
@Noldorin, that's where I'm at. I expect it did happen, but I have no evidence to back up that expectation. – Joe Jun 13 '12 at 23:09
Yep, I wasn't really offering info. Curious to hear of a real answer here too... – Noldorin Jun 13 '12 at 23:36

1 Answer

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Haile Selasse Gugsa with Mussolini, 1937, Rome

Haile Selassie Gugsa (second from right), a military commander and governor of Eastern Tigray, turned coat just a week into the invasion. After the war he was sentenced to death (commuted to life imprisonment and later house arrest.)

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