Editing Haile Selassie (section)

====Progress of the war====
Starting in early October 1935, the [[De Bono's invasion of Abyssinia|Italians invaded Ethiopia]]. But, by November, the pace of invasion had slowed appreciably, and Selassie's northern armies were able to launch what was known as the "[[Christmas Offensive]]".<ref>{{harvnb|Barker|1971|p=45}}</ref> During this offensive, the Italians were forced back in places and put on the defensive. In early 1936, the [[First Battle of Tembien]] stopped the progress of the Ethiopian offensive and the Italians were ready to continue their offensive. Following the defeat and destruction of the northern Ethiopian armies at the [[Battle of Amba Aradam]], the [[Second Battle of Tembien]], and the [[Battle of Shire (1936)|Battle of Shire]], Selassie took the field with the last Ethiopian army on the northern front. On 31 March 1936, he launched a [[counterattack]] against the Italians himself at the [[Battle of Maychew]] in southern [[Tigray Province|Tigray]]. The Emperor's army was defeated and retreated in disarray. As his army withdrew, the Italians attacked from the air along with rebellious Raya and Azebo tribesmen on the ground, who were armed and paid by the Italians.<ref>{{harvnb|Barker|1968|pp=237–238}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Abbink|De Bruijn|Van Walraven|2003|p=95}}</ref><ref>Young, John (1997), ''Peasant Revolution in Ethiopia''. Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|0-521-02606-7}}, p. 51.</ref> Many of the [[Army of the Ethiopian Empire|Ethiopian military]] were obsolete compared to the invading Italian forces, being mostly untrained and possessing non-modern rifles and weaponry.<ref>{{harvnb|Pankhurst|1968|pp=605–608}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Barker|1971|p=29}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Stapleton|2013|p=203}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Mack Smith|1983|pp=231–232}}</ref>

Selassie made a solitary [[pilgrimage]] to the churches at [[Lalibela]], at considerable risk of capture, before returning to his capital.<ref name= moc>{{Harvnb|Mockler|p=123}}.</ref> After a stormy session of the council of state, it was agreed that because [[Addis Ababa]] could not be defended, the government would relocate to the southern town of [[Gore, Ethiopia|Gore]], and that in the interest of preserving the imperial house, Empress Menen Asfaw and the rest of the imperial family should immediately depart for [[French Somaliland]], and from there continue on to [[Jerusalem]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Spencer|first=John H|title=Ethiopia at Bay: A Personal Account of the Haile Selassie Years|publisher=Tsehai Publishers|year=2006|isbn=978-1-59907-000-1|pages=63–64|author-link=John H. Spencer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2 May 1936|title=Ethiopian Capital May Move to Gore; Town 220 Miles Southwest of Addis Ababa Reported Chosen on British Advice. Final Stand is Ordered – Emperor Calls Every Able-Bodied Man to Resist Invaders to North of Principal City.|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1936/05/02/archives/ethiopian-capital-may-move-to-gore-town-220-miles-southwest-of.html|access-date=23 December 2023|archive-date=23 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231223071730/https://www.nytimes.com/1936/05/02/archives/ethiopian-capital-may-move-to-gore-town-220-miles-southwest-of.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Anthony Mockler, ''Haile Selassie's War'' (New York: Olive Branch, 2003), pp. 163–166</ref>