Field and river

20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (ICES20)
Mekelle University, Ethiopia

"Regional and Global Ethiopia - Interconnections and Identities"
1-5 October, 2018

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THE CRUSADER: ETHIOPIA, CRIMEA AND JERUSALEM IN THE THOUGHT AND POLITICS OF ATSÉ TÉWODROS II [Abstract ID: 0503-08]

Adam KNOBLER, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany

Atsé Téwodros II saw himself as a crusader, as historical sources show, and believed in his destiny to conquer the Holy Land for the glory of Christendom, possibly even leading a joint British-Ethiopian expedition against the Muslims. Yet, the political dreams and aims of the negus were incompatible with the international politics of the day, which saw the British ally with the (Muslim) Ottoman Empire during the Crimean War, against another Christian power. His understanding of global politics was rather rooted in the geo-politics of the late Middle Ages, as his paper suggests, when crusading had been discussed by a variety of nägäst. Within this framework of political thought, Téwodros was both unwilling and unable to adjust to the realpolitik practiced by the Europeans, which eventually, led to his death at his own hands.