Mulugeta Yeggazu

Ras Mulugeta YeggazuMulugeta Yeggazu is also spelled in various sources as Mulugeta Yegazu

Mulugeta fought as a young warrior in the Battle of Adwa during the First Italo-Ethiopian War in 1896. In January 1905, he became palace treasurer (Bajerond), and a confidant of Menelik II. In 1908, he served as Minister of Finance during the last years of Emperor Menelik II's reign. He was demoted when Menelik's health detoriated and affairs was nominally ruled by Lij Iyasu. Tessema Nadew, regent of Ethiopia, reappointed Mulugeta as dejazmach over Gimira to the west Jimma. In 1916, after the deposition of Lij Iyasu, he was again made minister of Finance under Empress Zewditu.

From 1916 to 1917, he was Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs. While governor of Illubabor, Mulugeta escorted then Ras Tafari (the later Emperor Haile Selassie) on his tour of Europe in 1924. In 1926, he was appointed as Minister of War, and a few years later commanded the loyalist troops to victory at the Battle of Anchem.

During the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Mulugeta was appointed Imperial Commander of the Vanguard (Fitawrari) to replace the disgraced Birru Wolde Gabriel. On 10 February 1936, the decisive battle of Amba Aradam (Enderta) began, lasting nine days. Pietro Badoglio deployed four army divisions and two Blackshirt divisions against Mulugeta's 80,000-man "Army of the Centre," which was equipped with machine guns, a small number of field guns, and anti-aircraft weapons. The Italians used overwhelming firepower, including 280 artillery pieces, heavy machine-gun fire, and 170 aircraft that carried out hundreds of raids, dropping large quantities of bombs, including mustard gas. Between 12 and 15 February, Italian forces encircled the Amba. On 15 February 1936, Mulugeta abandoned the battlefield at Amba Aradam to evade the encirclement. As news spread, his Army of the Centre collapsed, and large numbers of Ethiopian troops began retreating south.

As the remnants of Mulugeta's army retreated south, hoping to join Haile Selassie's main force at Dessie, Mulugeta and a small force from Welega was ambushed near Korem by the Azebo Oromo which were supported by three Italian bombers. During the attack, Mulugeta's son, Tadesse Mulugeta, was killed. Enraged and anguished, Mulugeta turned back to avenge his son, only to find that the Azebo Oromo mutilated and castrated his corpse. He was then killed in unclear circumstances.