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External impacts led to the temporarily failure of realization of Emperor Tewodros II vision of Ethiopia, when he shot himself during the siege of Maqdala in 1867. Shouldering his vision Emperor Menilik II is credited also for creating modern day Ethiopia and led the battle of Adowa on March 1st 1896, which reversed the Italian attempt to colonize the country.

Emperor Tewodros II (1855 - 1869)

Emperor Yohannes IV (1872 - 1889)

Emperor Menelik II (1889 - 1913)

Empress Zewditu

Ras Tafari later Emperor Haile Selassie

Dejazmach Kassa, later crowned as Emperor Tewodros II, organized a strong army to reunite the different chiefdoms. But before he could realize his vision of a united Ethiopia, he shot himself during the siege of Maqdala in 1867 by the Napier expedition to free the British diplomats and citizens imprisoned by the Emperor. He was succeeded by Emperor Yohannes IV, who was killed in the Battle of Metema by the Dervishes.

Emperor Menilik II, who is credited with creating modern day Ethiopia on the foundation lay down by Tewodros, led the battle of Adowa on March 1st 1896, which reversed the Italian attempt to colonize the country. Ethiopia asserted her age-old freedom and independence. This victory also stirred up many liberation movements and sowed the idea of pan-Africanism. Emperor Menilik II founded Addis Ababa, with the help of his queen, Empress Tayitu, as the permanent capital of the country. Schools and roads were built during his time. Work on a railway line from Djibouti to Addis Ababa commenced in October 1897 and reached Addis Ababa in 1917.

On the death of Menelik, after the interluding reign of Iyyasu, Menelik's designated heir and, after him, Zewditu, Ras Tafari, later Haile Selassie was proclaimed Emperor of Ethiopia in 1930. He made Ethiopia one of the founders of the League of Nations. The Italians invaded Ethiopia again in 1936 and occupied the country until 1941. Finally, after the outbreak of WWII, joined by the allied forces of Britain, Ethiopia regained its independence, and the Emperor returned to his throne. Emperor Haile Selassie was respected as an African diplomat and as a key person in establishing the Organization of African Unity (OAU), later AU.

In 1974, there were uprisings against the Emperor's regime. The aging Emperor was deposed on 12 September 1974 and the military junta, led by junior military officers and known as Derg, took power as a military government, which later proclaimed socialism. The military government stayed in power for 17 years and was, in turn, overthrown by a rebel group called EPRDF, now the ruling party of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. EPRDF set out a policy to pursue multi party democracy. The country is now to some extent experiencing pluralism and democracy, which is still criticized as being exclusive of other parties.