King Tewodros II: Ethiopia's Moderniser Who Died by His Own Hand

Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic reign of Tewodros II, the emperor who tried to drag Ethiopia into the modern world through centralization, a standing army, and artillery, but whose vision clashed with entrenched regional lords and British imperial pride. We trace his rise from a minor noble named Kassa Hailu to his coronation as Tewodros, his brutal campaign against warlords, his controversial alliance with missionaries, and his fatal letter to Queen Victoria that ended in the 1868 British Expedition—the Napier Expedition—and Tewodros's suicide at his mountain fortress of Magdala. Along the way, we discuss his wives, including Empress Tiruwork Wube, his use of the term 'Ethiopia' to unify the country, and his legacy as a failed but transformative figure who inspired later emperors like Menelik II. No previous episode has covered Tewodros directly, making this a fresh addition to the series. #TewodrosII #KassaHailu #Magdala #NapierExpedition #EthiopianEmpire #BattleOfMeqdala #TiruworkWube #BritishExpedition #Ethiopia #19thCentury #Modernization #Siege #ZemeneMesafint #Gondar #EthiopianOrthodox #Africa #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo