| Army of the Ethiopian Empire | |
|---|---|
 Ethiopian reenactors pictured at St. George's Cathedral in Addis Ababa ahead of the 123rd anniversary of the Battle of Adwa | |
| Founded | 19th century |
| Disbanded | 1974 |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Emperor of Ethiopia |
| Minister of Defense | Abiye Abebe (last) |
| Chief of the General Staff | Aman Andom (last) |
| Related articles | |
| History | Amda Seyon I's Expansions Ethiopian–Adal war British Expedition to Abyssinia Ottoman–Ethiopian border conflicts Ethiopian–Egyptian War Menelik's Expansions Mahdist War Italo-Ethiopian War of 1887–1889 First Italo-Ethiopian War Second Italo-Ethiopian War World War II Korean War United Nations Operation in the Congo Eritrean War of Independence 1964 Ethiopian-Somali Border War |
The Army of the Ethiopian Empire was the principal land warfare force of the Ethiopian Empire and had naval and air force branches in the 20th century. The organization existed in multiple forms throughout the history of the Ethiopian Empire from its foundation in 1270 by Emperor Yekuno Amlak, to the overthrow of the monarchy and Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974 by members of the Ethiopian army. Due to the country's position along multiple trade routes and its maintenance of independence against multiple Islamic and colonialist invasions lead to multiple conflicts against numerous major countries including the Ottomans, Egyptians, British, and Italians.
European contact with the Ethiopians in the 1500s brought the first firearms to the country although attempts to arm the imperial army with gunpowder weapons did not happen until the early 1800s. The Ethiopians attempted to develop modern weapons internally, but after a British expedition to the country resulted in the death of an emperor and an Ethiopian defeat, the empire increased its importation of weaponry. The method of raising a national army was also altered in the 1800s with a centralized permanent field army being established.
Unlike the majority of non-European armies, the Ethiopian army was able to successfully modernize in the late 19th century and saved the country from European colonialism until another Italian invasion in the 1930s. After regaining independence in 1941, the military saw massive modernization programs under the guidance of the British and Americans and served minor roles in international conflicts until internal conflicts diverted Ethiopia's foreign policy.