Getachew Abate (1895–1952) was an army commander and a member of the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...

of the

Ethiopian Empire The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that historical ...

. Getachew Abate was the son of ''Lique Mekwas''

Abate Ba-Yalew State motorcyclists' rights organizations (SMROs) exist in about 32 US states, 25 of which call themselves "ABATE of (state name)," the rest going by various other names. SMROs advocate for the motorcycle rider and freedom on the road. In the mot ...

. He had a church education followed by language training at the Menelik School (''Ecole Imperiale Menelik II''). Getachew Abate grew up in the palace of

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

Menelik II , spoken = ; ''djānhoi'', lit. ''"O steemedroyal"'' , alternative = ; ''getochu'', lit. ''"Our master"'' (pl.) Menelik II ( gez, ዳግማዊ ምኒልክ ; horse name Abba Dagnew (Amharic: አባ ዳኘው ''abba daññäw''); 17 A ...

along with Menelik's grandson, ''Lij'' Iyasu. In 1919, ''Dejazmach'' Getachew Abate was sent to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

to congratulate

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Victor Emmanuel on an

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

victory. In 1921, he was part of the force sent to capture the deposed ''Lij'' Iyasu. In 1925, Getachew Abate represented Ethiopia at the

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

arms conference. In 1926, Getachew Abate was named ''Shum'' of Kaffa, Goldiya, Maji, and Gera with the title of ''Bitwoded''. In 1928, he was named Ethiopia's representative to the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

. In 1929, Getachew Abate was appointed as Minister to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. In 1930, Getachew Abate returned to Ethiopia and, in 1931, he became the Minister of the Interior. In May 1933, Getachew Abate was elevated to ''Ras'' In 1935, at the time of the Italian invasion, as the ''Shum'' of Kaffa Province, ''Ras'' Getachew Abate commanded the Army of Kaffa. On 31 March 1936, ''Ras'' Getachew Abate and the Army of Kaffa was with Emperor

Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I ( gez, ቀዳማዊ ኀይለ ሥላሴ, Qädamawi Häylä Səllasé, ; born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia (' ...

at the

Battle of Maychew The Battle of Maychew ( it, Mai Ceu) was the last major battle fought on the northern front during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The battle consisted of a failed counterattack by the Ethiopian forces under Emperor Haile Selassie making front ...

. When the

Kebur Zabagna Kebur Zabagna or Zebenya ( am, ክቡር ዘበኛ, kəbur zãbãňňya, lit=honorable guard) was the Ethiopian imperial guard. Also known as the First Division, this unit served the dual purposes of providing security for the Emperor of Ethiopia ...

(the Ethiopian

imperial guard An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the Emperor or Empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial forces, in ...

) was sent against the Italians at Maychew, Getachew Abate commanded them. As the Battle of Maychew came to an end, Getachew Abate was named by the Emperor as ''Asmach''. In command of the rear guard, he withdrew with the Emperor from Maychew to the Ethiopian capital,

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...

. As the Italians closed in on Addis Ababa, he went into exile with Haile Selassie. Getachew Abate departed from the royal party as it traveled through the

British Mandate of Palestine British Mandate of Palestine or Palestine Mandate most often refers to: * Mandate for Palestine: a League of Nations mandate under which the British controlled an area which included Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan. * Mandatory P ...

. Getachew Abate then spent some time in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. But ultimately he returned to occupied Ethiopia and submitted to the Italians. In 1941, after the Italians were driven out of Ethiopia, ''Ras'' Getachew Abate was arrested by the liberators. In an act of clemency, Haile Selassie told him "I forgive you, but I do not know if God will." Afterwards, Getachew Abate was exiled to remote parts of the Empire,

Jimma Jimma () is the largest city in southwestern Oromia Region, Ethiopia. It is a special zone of the Oromia Region and is surrounded by Jimma Zone. It has a latitude and longitude of . Prior to the 2007 census, Jimma was reorganized administrative ...

and Arsi.Haile Selassie, Volume II, p. 10 He is said to have died of alcohol poisoning.

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* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Abate, Getachew 1895 births 1952 deaths Ethiopian nobility Ethiopian military personnel Ethiopian collaborators with Fascist Italy 20th-century Ethiopian people

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