Ethiopia’s broken crown: The fall of Haile Selassie, 50 years on

It's been 50 years since a Marxist-Leninist military junta known as the Derg seized power in Ethiopia. Emperor Haile Selassie was overthrown, ending a monarchy that had ruled Ethiopia for 700 years. AFP

Fifty years ago the Marxist-Leninist military junta known as the Derg took control of Ethiopia, toppling Emperor Haile Selassie and ending a monarchy that had governed the country for 700 years. RFI looks back at the revolution that reshaped Ethiopia and the brutal regime that followed.

On 12 September 1974, Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie I was quietly deposed by the Armed Forces Coordinating Committee – the Derg – after several months of nationwide demonstrations and strikes.