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Witness History: Emperor Tewodros II

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10/04/2023 GMT

Emperor Tewodros II

BBC World Service - Witness History, Emperor Tewodros II

In 1868, Tewodros II of Ethiopia prepared to make a last stand against the British army

In 1868, Tewodros II of Ethiopia prepared to make a last stand against the British army in Magdala, his mountain top fortress.

Emperor Tewodros II is one of the towering figures of modern Ethiopian history. 

He tried to unify and modernise Ethiopia but his reign was also marked by brutality.

He faced a rising tide of rebellion inside the country and then in 1868 a British military expedition marched into the Ethiopian highlands. 

Its aim was to free British diplomatic envoys the Emperor had imprisoned.

Tewodros II made a last stand at Magdala, his mountain top fortress.

In 2016, Rob Walker spoke to historian Philip Marsden.

(Picture: Tewodros II. Credit: Getty Images)

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