History Of Grass – Roots Problems And Oppositions In Addis Ababa 1960 – 1991

Abstract

It was in December 1960, individuals like Brigudier General Mengistu Neway from Imperial Bodyguard, his brother, Germame Neway and other attempted the coup when the emperor was in the official visit. The coup failed ultimately, due to lack of organization by the leaders and secondly by lack of support from the grass – roots of the city; However, it had great sway on the politics of the country, until the overthrow of the emperor. The attempted coup initiated peoples of the country for the improvement of the country in all aspects; especially the educated elites and students, the desire of this group for the change influenced the grass – roots of the city for the need of the change in the administration. On the dawn of the revolution, all the groups including the grass – roots of the city rose against the state officials of the emperor; finally the movement for the change was seized by the men in uniform. After the military regime controlled the power of the country, the desire of the grass – roots for both the change and improvement was reduced highly. Without such strongly expressed oppositions the grass – roots of the city spent the military regime, furthermore the political consciousness of the grass – roots in the city reduced in this period highly and finally the military regime was toppled by the military groups called Ethiopian Peoples’ Democratic Revolutionary Front in 1991. One of the new founding of the study is about how grass – roots of the city were the second reason for the failure of the aborted coup of 1960.