On March 21, 1975, Ethiopia’s long-standing monarchy ended suddenly. The Derg, a military junta that had overthrown Emperor Haile Selassie the previous year, officially abolished the monarchy and declared the country a socialist state. For nearly 3,000 years, Ethiopia had been ruled by emperors who claimed descent from the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Haile Selassie, who had been emperor since 1930, was the last ruler of this dynasty.

By the early 1970s, Ethiopia was in crisis. Economic struggles, famine, and student protests had weakened Selassie’s rule. In September 1974, a group of military officers known as the Derg seized power in a coup, arresting the emperor and gaining government control​. In the months following the coup, the Derg consolidated its power. On March 21, 1975, they made their most radical move yet—abolishing the monarchy altogether. They imprisoned members of the royal family, nationalized their land, and declared Ethiopia a socialist state aligned with the Soviet Union​. Haile Selassie died under mysterious circumstances later that year while in detention. His death marked the end of an era for Ethiopia.

The fall of the monarchy plunged Ethiopia into years of violence. The Derg, led by Mengistu Haile Mariam, launched the brutal Red Terror campaign, killing thousands of political opponents. The country endured civil war, famine, and dictatorship until the Derg itself was overthrown in 1991​.

Currently, Ethiopia is a federal republic, but the legacy of its monarchy persists. Many still honor Haile Selassie’s memory, especially within the Rastafarian movement, which regards him as a divine figure.