Witness History
Witness History
Emperor Tewodros II
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April 10, 2023
9 minutes
Available for over a year
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)