MAKONNEN WOLDE-MIKAEL

Makonnen Wolde-Mikael (His Highness) (1852-1906).  Prince and Ras of Ethiopia, father of Emperor Haile Sellassie I is known in both Ethiopian and African history as the triumphant commander-in-chief of the Ethiopian armies in the battle of Aduwa (March 1, 1896) which marked the first and resounding defeat of the Whiteman by the African and thus called a halt to the partition of Africa.

Born on May 5, 1852, at Darafa-Maryam, a district of Golan in the Choa Kingdom, Makonnen died on March 21, 1906, at Kolubbi in the Harrar Province.  He was the son of Princess Tanagne-Worke, daughter of King Sahle-Sellassie (r.1811-1847), who was a descendant of Emperor Lebna-Denguel (r.1508-1540), and of dedjaz Wolde-Mikael Gudessà, Lord of the Menz and Doba, who was a descendant of Emperor Claudius (r.1540-1559).  Added to this dual royal ancestry was a third derived from the blood of his son Haile Sellassie I, through his marriage with Woizero Yashimabet who was a descendant, through her mother Woizero Wolleta-Guiorguis, of Emperor Yahannes I (r.1667-1684).

He entered the service of his cousin, Emperor Menelik II (1844-1913) at a very early age and was throughout his life the efficient and loyal right-hand man of the Emperor.  He was successively given the titles balambaras (1876), dedjaz (1887) ras (1889), and prince (1901).  At the head of 1000 select soldiers, he took part in the reconquest of Harrar (1887) and assumed the governorship for the rest of his life.  Menelik II entrusted him with:  a) the most important diplomatic duties of his reign: missions to Italy and Palestine (1889), France and England (1902); negotiations with England and France (1897);  b) the command in chief of the imperial armies twice: the 1895-96 campaign against the Italians, the 1892 campaign against the Sudanese; c) the governorship of the two important provinces of the empire, Harrar and Tigré.

In October 1894, the Italians offered him the throne of Ethiopia. In response, Makonnen embarked, a month later, on a campaign against them at the head of 25, 000 soldiers.  Taking the lead on the Imperial army in its march northwards, he attacked and destroyed the Toselli column of 3,000 men at Amba Alagi.  He invested in the fort of Makallé and assumed responsibility for the disposition of the Ethiopian army in the vast conch of Adwa (80,000 equipped with guns, 40,000 men armed with spears, 15,000 horsemen, 42 cannons, 40,000 men and women on duty as intendants).

On the night of February 28, 1896, the Italian army, 21,000 strong with 74 cannons, commanded by General Oreste Baratieri advanced against the Ethiopian forces.  The marching order of the Italian army consisted of an advance of 3 columns separated from one another by a distance of 2 kilometres. When dawn broke on March 1, there was a gap of 7 kilometres between the left and middle columns, and another gap of over a mile (8 kilometers) between the middle of right columns.

As soon as Makonnen realised this, he acted, according to a French military critic, “exactly like Hannibal at Cannoa” he dispatched forces with the order to fill the gaps as completely as possible to isolate the three Italian columns and prevent them from helping one another; he decided to attack and destroy these isolated columns one at a time.  This happened and the evening saw the complete rout of the Italian army and the destruction of the myth that the whiteman was invincible at the cost of 15,000 dead and 10,000 wounded.  During this battle of “World-wide importance” (W. LANGER), Makonnen was wounded twice.

A man with superior intelligence and a ‘great lord in the vogue of yesteryear’ (C. Michel), Prince Ras Makonnen was widely respected and loved for his qualities as a man and as a leader, his sense of justice, his military courage, and diplomatic prudence. Colonel Marchand, hero of Fachoda, considered him the greatest African of his time; the poet Rimbaud, in the throes of death at Marseilles, invoked his friendship and implored his protection.  He died prematurely at the age of 54 even though he was completely destined to ascend the throne of Ethiopia in succession to his cousin Menelik, who was eight years older than he was.

S. PIERRE PETRIDES