| Popis: |
The article discusses the pre-war period, the war, and its aftermath in the larger regional context of the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. The main premise is that new movements emerged in the decades prior to the war in this area. They redefined societies and politics, and did so in terms that would later herald modern nationalism in various forms. Some of these movements were led by newly educated young generation; some were of more traditional and of more religious nature. After discussing the military stages of the war in this arena, the article presents the diplomatic dimensions of the war. In general, the two rival European camps developed diplomatic dialogues with these various local movements. Commitments and promises, which turned out to be important in shaping the post-War history of the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, were made. The pre-War movements went from ideas to reality, and the new League of Nations was involved in this transformation. The case of Ethiopia was somewhat different. The Christian empire was independent before the war, and no foreign army invaded her. Yet the developments during the war affected Ethiopian history and the entire Horn. Moreover, in the longer run, post-WWI Ethiopia had a profound impact on global history. It was the only entity in the area in question to enter the League of Nations as an independent state. It was the beginning of a long story that culminated in the 1935 Fascists invasion of Ethiopia, the ensuing destruction of the League of Nations, and the global deterioration towards World War II. |
