The economics of ethnic federalism in Ethiopia

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36 empire.!" Having modernizing assumed power in the country on 1931, Haile Selassie began his crusade· of the foundation laid by Menilik. At the beginning, introduced modest social reforms in education and abolished slavery. After he restored to power in 1941,20 however, with renewed The reforms introduced in the 1940s and 1950s by vigor. the standard of his time, he reinitiated his modernization although they later proved to be not resistance of traditional institutions. "The state structure that writes Keller (1988), "was not institutions, symbols, became more modem, and yet and sanctions continued to be based than it had secularly Ethiopian people" (Keller 1988, emerging modernization was p. 15). This not was ever unholy enough to overcome the over this period," wholly traditional. Traditional the throughout but authority history of the alliance of traditional elements with later to create insurmountable contradictions, and Haile Selassie's inability "progressive" extremely important, been was reforms, this time were emerged he political and economic to reconcile them became his undoing in 1974. In this section, we review the basic tenets of Haile Selassie's economic reforms and their historical Haile Selass ie' s regime however failed to peoples under the the creation of was ensure the significance. a highly political integration empire. Although We argue that centralized and economic a failure. At the height of his authority, the Ethiopian government policies was were won which him the by and large synonymous with 19 Emperor Haile Selassie was crowned king of kings in 1930, but his rule was cut short by Fascist Italy's brief conquest of Ethiopia in 1936-1941. His impact on the political economy of Ethiopia came after he was 20 restored to power in 1941. The five-year (1936-1941) Italian of of the diverse prosperity Haile Selassie's international and lasting impact imperial state, respect of foreign leaders, particularly in Africa, his domestic policies a political occupation of Ethiopia forced Emperor Haile Selassie into exile.