What would be a good name for a Fascist/Falangist-esque party in Ethiopia, during the early 20th century?

[Thisisanaccount]

Exactly what it says on the tin. I'm trying to devise a timeline where things are kind of, for lack of better terms, "Very Broad-strokes" similar to OTL, and one of the things I wanted to do included the Ethiopian Empire (still called "Abyssinia" here, as Ethiopia is the name for the African continent instead) coming under a fascist regime. I have no idea what to call the ruling group, though, and I would like some ideas. I should stress that I'd like something that sounds fitting for Ethiopia/"Abyssinia" if it's possible, please. Thank you!

 

[HJR]

Off the top of my head:
- Young Abyssinia / Abyssinian Youth League (a la the Blueshirts or Sokol, a nationalist culture group turned political
- ‘The Phalanx/Fasces’ in Amhara

 

[Arkenfolm]

It could be almost anything, like for instance the para-fascist military dictatorship in the 1930s in Thailand was called the "People's Party." In westernising countries of the early 20th century, fascism couldn't really exist and would always take the form of a sort of anti-imperialist ideology that stressed national unity and opposing powerful aristocrats deemed to drain the wealth of the people in the name of foreign powers. Usually they wanted some form of democracy/constitutional monarchy as well as well as modernisation, since that benefitted them as lower-ranking nobles, foreign-educated middle class, etc. Their ideal would be a guided democracy (to educate the people on democracy and nationalism) with the Ethiopian ruler as the leading figurehead of the nation, but himself a puppet of a clique of military officers and bureaucrats who are doing all the actual work for him. It's not surprising given this ideology and background that many of these groups like the People's Party, KMT, etc. ended up with a deep schism between left-wing and right-wing factions (Ethiopia OTL did not have this problem since all candidates were required to be non-partisan). So ironically something like "Democratic Party", "Constitutionalist Party", etc. would work.

 

[Rattenfänger von Memphis]

Exactly what it says on the tin. I'm trying to devise a timeline where things are kind of, for lack of better terms, "Very Broad-strokes" similar to OTL, and one of the things I wanted to do included the Ethiopian Empire (still called "Abyssinia" here, as Ethiopia is the name for the African continent instead) coming under a fascist regime. I have no idea what to call the ruling group, though, and I would like some ideas. I should stress that I'd like something that sounds fitting for Ethiopia/"Abyssinia" if it's possible, please. Thank you!

I suggest “Tikur Anbessa” which is Amhara for “Black Lion”. Native only to Ethiopia are these magnificent black-maned lions. There are many statues of lions across Ethiopia. The lion is considered powerful and is definitely associated with Africa. The Solomonic Dynasty ruled Ethiopia and the lion was on the Ethiopian flag during the Empire and its appeal stretched beyond Ethiopia.

“The Lion of Judah was the central emblem of the Ethiopian tricolour during the reign of the monarchy, and now serves as the chief symbol of the Ethiopian monarchist movement. The Lion of Judah has also been adopted as the leading religious symbol for the Rastafari movement (a Western, African diasporic religious movement) that regards Emperor Haile Selassie as divine.”

There is a precedent for calling a Fascist Ethiopian party “Black Lion because there was an actual organization called “Black Lion” which was anti-fascist in the sense that it was against the Italian invaders in the 1930s. In other words they were very pro-Ethiopian as this excerpt shows.

“[T]hey bear the name Black Lion-Tikur Anbessa, a historical name owned by youth who were for the anti-fascist resistance movement during the Italian occupation of Ethiopia. The movement was founded in Western Ethiopia to assault the Italian forces who had an undefeatable position across the country, Bahru Zewde (Prof.) notes in his book entitled A History of Modern Ethiopian. Those determined young fighters, who were mainly assorted from the intellectual families such as Hakim Worqenneh, Heruy Welde Sellasie, and Yilma Deressa to impact the struggle in a different manner.”

This YouTube video called “Black Lions (Our Glory) shows Ethiopian patriotism closely bound up with the lion and could have been made at the time the OP wants depicted.

 

[Thisisanaccount]

I suggest “Tikur Anbessa” which is Amhara for “Black Lion”. Native only to Ethiopia are these magnificent black-maned lions. There are many statues of lions across Ethiopia. The lion is considered powerful and is definitely associated with Africa. The Solomonic Dynasty ruled Ethiopia and the lion was on the Ethiopian flag during the Empire and its appeal stretched beyond Ethiopia.

There is a precedent for calling a Fascist Ethiopian party “Black Lion because there was an actual organization called “Black Lion” which was anti-fascist in the sense that it was against the Italian invaders in the 1930s. In other words they were very pro-Ethiopian as this excerpt shows.

This YouTube video called “Black Lions (Our Glory) shows Ethiopian patriotism closely bound up with the lion and could have been made at the time the OP wants depicted.

Oh damn this one's perfect!! Thank you, and if anything I write about this scenario of mine makes it onto here I'll be sure to credit!

 

[Ulahlica-Ulahlica]

Watched. Taking notes.

 

[Ana Luciana II]

I suggest “Tikur Anbessa” which is Amhara for “Black Lion”. Native only to Ethiopia are these magnificent black-maned lions. There are many statues of lions across Ethiopia. The lion is considered powerful and is definitely associated with Africa. The Solomonic Dynasty ruled Ethiopia and the lion was on the Ethiopian flag during the Empire and its appeal stretched beyond Ethiopia.

Black Lion also evokes the name of the Japanese Ultranationalist group the Black Dragons, who in the 1930s broke with Japanese government policy and advocated for Japanese youth to form volunteer detachments to go fight against the Italian invasion.
The links between Imperial Japan and the Ethiopian Empire are a fascinating bit of history which is often overlooked. Naturally, many Japanese sympathised with the Ethiopians, as a fellow non-white nation hemmed in by the European powers.

 

[Rattenfänger von Memphis]

Oh damn this one's perfect!! Thank you, and if anything I write about this scenario of mine makes it onto here I'll be sure to credit!

Glad you liked it and I look forward to seeing your scenario. One link in my post above ("pro-Ethiopian") didn't open and I could not correct it within that post. Here is that link:
pro-Ethiopian

 

[Narrowback57]

Throw in a couple fictional or based on real people leadership in Abyssinia in mid 20s, getting weapons/training/industrial aid from Japanese, with internally a political youth arm of the Black Lion. The Black Lion rails against colonialism, I assume in this TL that Mussolini would concentrate on north Africa as Abyssinia looks like too tough a nut to crack. This scenario could really change things up, with friendly relations between two non white Fascist states, maybe wilder goings on in India,Thailand as a result.

 

[Arkenfolm]

Throw in a couple fictional or based on real people leadership in Abyssinia in mid 20s, getting weapons/training/industrial aid from Japanese, with internally a political youth arm of the Black Lion. The Black Lion rails against colonialism, I assume in this TL that Mussolini would concentrate on north Africa as Abyssinia looks like too tough a nut to crack. This scenario could really change things up, with friendly relations between two non white Fascist states, maybe wilder goings on in India,Thailand as a result.

Problem is Eritrea. That has been Italian land for quite some time, but was claimed by Ethiopia as historically it was a vassal state subject to the Ethiopian Emperor. If Ethiopia drops their claim in exchange for aid (which I honestly can't imagine since look at Ethiopia OTL) the regime will require compensation lest they look completely toothless. Consider that Thailand, Croatia, and Albania all expanded their land while other fascist puppet states like Slovakia and Ukraine received (nominal) independence. Only way para-fascist Ethiopia can have a good relation with Italy is if they swap Eritrea with some other country after WW2, and Italy will want something in exchange like more of Dalmatia, a free hand in Albania, Tunisia, Malta, or a piece of France like Nice.

 

[Thisisanaccount]

Problem is Eritrea. That has been Italian land for quite some time, but was claimed by Ethiopia as historically it was a vassal state subject to the Ethiopian Emperor. If Ethiopia drops their claim in exchange for aid (which I honestly can't imagine since look at Ethiopia OTL) the regime will require compensation lest they look completely toothless. Consider that Thailand, Croatia, and Albania all expanded their land while other fascist puppet states like Slovakia and Ukraine received (nominal) independence. Only way para-fascist Ethiopia can have a good relation with Italy is if they swap Eritrea with some other country after WW2, and Italy will want something in exchange like more of Dalmatia, a free hand in Albania, Tunisia, Malta, or a piece of France like Nice.

Ah, see the scenario I needed this name for doesn't have the problem of Mussolini because: 1) Abyssinia is just kind of that "fourth wheel" fascist power that wasn't really notably involved, like how Falangist Spain was in WWII; and 2) Italy ITTL only just recently gained independence from another power. Bottom line, Abyssinia has uncontested control of Eritrea ITTL.

I actually started with the desired end in mind and need to start working backwards, but that's a matter for another thread! 😁

 

[Narrowback57]

If Ethiopia then controls Eritrea in this TL then they've got direct access to seaports in their own territory, which would make them an attractive destination for the IJN in the thirties. And since Djibouti was ruled by Vichy loyalists would a Black Lion strongman see that as an opportunity to grab a valuable port and show he could boot colonial whites out,boosting the prestige of him and the Emporer?

 

[Fire and shadow]

Sons of the Lion?