.....Today is a day on which Ethiopia is stretching her hands to God in joy and thankfulness and revealing her happiness to her children.....

People of my country and especially my faithful soldiers!

No human lips can express the thankfulness which I feel to the merciful God who has enabled me to stand in your midst on this day of which the angels in heaven and the creation on earth could neither have thought of known. Before everything else I want to tell you and to make you understand that this day is a day on which a fresh chapter of the history of the New Ethiopia begins. In this new era a new work is commencing which is the duty of all of us to perform.

 If we desire to be reminiscent of the affliction which befell Ethiopia during the past years we shall only speak of her recent history. When Ethiopia, who has preserved her independence for many thousands of years, was attacked in 1888 E.C (1896 Gregorian Calendar) by Italy, who had harboured aggressive designs against her for many years before with the intention of destroying her freedom, her brave sons fought at Adowa and she saved her independence. The Treaty of Wuchali (Uccialli 1889) was not the only cause of the battle that was fought at Adowa. It was only a pretext for the constant desire that Italy had had of ruling Ethiopia. Although the Great European War interferred with her plans for a time, and in spite of her outward protestations of friendship, Italy revealed in recent years the preparations she had been making against Ethiopia after her defeat at Adowa, because of her resentment that justice should have prevailed against her.

When Italy began to make war of aggression on Ethiopia, although we knew we were not as well armed as she was, we went against her with what strength we could muster, because it was our duty to resist an enemy that had come to seize our country. but as if was apparent that she was bent on exterminating outpeople with poison gas, the use of which was prohibited by international lace, we went to appeal to the League of Nations and to claim justice. As it was feared that this hostility started by Italy might spread all over the worked, and as it was a period when all those who were charged with the responsibilities of government were trying to save the world from catastrophe which has since befallen it, they were working to bring about understanding in the world to prevent, the spread of athe conflagration. At that time our true friend, Great Britian, recieved us with sympathy. I remained there working, but constantly being in spirit with my countrymen whose blood was being uselessly and ruthlessly shed at the hands of the Italians: with the monastries and churches that were being burned down; with those forced to take refuge in foreign lands; and with those suffering and being afflicted in the wilderness, in the caves and in the forests of their native land.

 

Thousands Perished

How many are the young men, the women, the priests and the monks whom the Italians pitilessly massacred during these years? You know that in Addis Ababa alone many thousands perished during the three days following St Micheal's day in yekatit, 12, 1929 (19th February, 1937). The blood and bones of those killed with spades and pickaxes, of those who were split with axes and hammered to death, pierced with bayonets, clubbed and stoned, of those who were burned alive with their little children in their homes, of those who perished of hunger and thirst in prison have been crying for justice. Everybody knows that this act of barbarism and cruelty was not peretrated in Addis Ababa alone, but more especially in the provinces of Ethiopia. There is hardly anyone who has not been caught and beaten, kicked, humiliated and imprisoned.

Now we shall pass on to the new history that is before us. five years ago today the fascist forces entered our capital city. Then Mussolini announced to the world that he had established a Roman empire in our country, Ethiopia. He believed that the land he declared he had conquered would be forever in his hands. The heroism of the Ethiopian people is known in history. But as we had no port through which to import modern armaments necessary for our people, we were unable to obtain them. Fifty-two nations condemned Mussolini for his deed. But he boasted of his violent deed and took no notice of their condemnation. The past five years have been years of darkness for you, my people. But you never lost hope, and little by little you spread on the Ethiopian hills. The enemy never ventured to come near the mountains on which you were because, enduring every hardship and affliction, you, the warriors of Ethiopia, safeguarded your freedom during the past five years. but in spite of the fact that he could not conquer the country, he spent many thousands of millions of lire, saying that he was civilising what he could hold. He spent all that money not because he desired to improve the condition of the oppressed Ethiopian people or to migrate the injustice he had done. It is because he wanted to plant a fascist colony in our sacred land of Ethiopia and ato impose on her the rule of oppression which he had planned. He tried to exterminate the Ethiopian race, and did not even entertain the idea of giving her the administration of a mandate or a protectorate, which in any case would have been considered a heavy yoke for a free people. But all the money that could be counted by the thousand million and all the prepared armaments served a purpose which Mussolini never intended them to serve. At the time when Italy revealed her intentions of entering the war in order to be able to snatch from defeated France as much as she could, the number of soldiers, the amount of money and th armaments she had sent to Ethiopia was enormous, 250,000; she also amassed provisions to last for many years in case she was encircled. Trusting in, and bragging of, the invincibility of this military force, the fascist government proceeded with planting totalitarian rule in our country. But something happened which the fascist government did not take into account. the fighting spirit which is essential in modern war revealed in you.

Triumphant Entry ptii