The revolution abolished the monarchy; the emperor was arrested and imprisoned together with members of his regime. He was later killed in 1975 and immediately buried. This monarchy had existed for 200 years.

Ethiopia was taken over by an armed committee called the Derg, which was later called Provincial Military Advisory Council (PMAC) under Col. Haile Mengistu Mariam. He replaced Lt. Gen. Aman Andon. The Dergue was made up of 109 senior soldiers.

Most Americans were expelled and Ethiopia opened good relationship with the Socialist Soviet Union. As a result the country adopted Marxist policies with a single party political system.

All industries, banks, insurance firms, super markets, among others were nationalized without compensation to the former owners.

Land got from the landlords and the church was distributed to the peasants without compensating the rich. This was done through a programme known as Tikdem (Ethiopia first).

Producer cooperatives and state firms were set to increase agricultural production. However, they performed poorly.

Illiteracy campaigns were launched and improved health services were provided to the people. However the economy remained in poor state with high inflation, low wages, low production, no social security laws, among others.

The Orthodox Church and the Amhara language lost their special status that was accorded to them by the imperial regime.

The cold war intensified on the African continent when Mengistu Mariam attached himself to USSR. This forced USA to support Somalia as an enemy to Ethiopia.

Great land reforms were carried out. Influenced by the Marxist-Leninist ideology scientific socialism, the Dergue issued a land reform decree in March 1975.

A new housing policy was adopted in urban areas. Land in urban centres was also nationalised. Each family had to own only one house.

Power was vested into the hands of the people. For the first time in Ethiopia's history, local people started participating into their local government affairs.

Great social reforms were put in place. The Dergue government encouraged literacy for all.

The Dergue denounced tribalistic tendencies. All tribes were declared to be equal and no language was above others.

Religious tolerance was ushered in. During Sellassie's period, members of other religions especially Islam were greatly discriminated.

The Dergue ensured peace and security in the Country. A militia force was created right from the grass root levels to the top.

Crop farming was encouraged. State farms were set up to increase the coffee yields. This led to an increase in foreign exchange earnings.

Trade Union activities were allowed. The military men allowed a limited form of democracy such as the formation of workers' unions

Government tried to alleviate famine. Aware that drought and famine were endemic in Ethiopia, the Dergue encouraged peasants to grow enough food and store the surplus. During the 1978 famine, government sent help to the Northerners, When famine hit again in 1984-85, government resettled about 600,000 people from the drought stricken regions in the North to the South, Central and Eastern regions where land was a bit fertile. Though many people died during this famine, the government at least showed care.

Government succeeded in demanding for loans from developed countries.

NEGATIVE IMPACT

Decline of food production. As a result of the land reforms, land was fragmented into very small holdings which were too small for meaningful crop production.

There was the suppression of the opposition for example there was the "Red Terror" which was against the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Party (EPRP) which urged for establishment of a civilian government and also for freedom of Eritrea. All these reformists were put to death

Workers' conditions remained poor.

Unfair arrests and trials became rampant.

There emerged guerrilla war activities in urban areas and up country.

There was no freedom of speech, association or press. In 1975, workers in the labour unions known as Confederation of Ethiopian Labour Union (CELU), were arrested and detained.

People suffered from poverty because the general economic conditions were very bad. There was low level of production and investments in the country.

They caused a reign of terror. Mutual suspicions and fears within he Dergue led to assassinations within the Dergue committee itself. Out of the original 120 members, about 60 had been killed by 1976- a period of only two years in power.

The old sectarian tendencies re-appeared. Peoples' hopes about an enlightened regime soon suffered shock when officers in the key government departments were reshuffled and replaced with Shewan- Amharas.

War against the people of Ogaden and Tigre. People of Ogaden were more inclined towards Somalia and after Somalia's independence in 1960, their resistance became stronger.

War with Eritrean rebels continued. The military government had promised to solve the Eritrean crisis by peaceful means but resorted to war.

The Dergue contributed to refugee problems in Africa. Due to the harassment of various categories of people by the military committee, the Ethiopian revolution created a refugee crisis in the region.

Many people lost their lives. Sixty of the leading supporters of the former regime were killed including two former Prime Ministers and Seventeen Generals. The former Head of state, Gen. Aman, an Eritrean was killed in 1974. Another Head of State called Brigadier Teferi Banti with other officer were executed.

Ethiopia came to the brink of tearing apart due to claims of nationalism and autonomy from several regions including Eritrea and Somali dominated areas.

PMCA imposed a military dictatorship in the country to the disappointment of the civilians and revolutionaries who had hoped for a peoples government.

The leadership was shared between Mengistu and the Eritreans who assisted him to come to power. Mengistu who overthrew Selassie turned into a dictator and was not much different from his predecessor. He suppressed his opponents killed many people in what was called the Red terror. The bad economy, the secession Eritrean war and the rebel movements within the country became difficult for him until he was overthrown on 28 May 1991.

The triumphant rebels installed Meles Zenawi as an interim leader. Mengistu fled to Zimbabwe where he still lives. The Ethiopians have a parliament known as Shengo, which elects a president. One president who was sworn in on 22.8.1995 was Dr. Negasso Gidada. But executive powers are under the Prime Minister.