Soviet Diplomacy in the Horn Revisited: Ethiopian Revolution, Arms Transfers, and Cold War Realignment, 1974–7

In 1974, a revolution in Ethiopia led to the deposition of Emperor Haile Selassie and the rise of the military junta known as the Derg, which quickly sought Soviet military assistance. Drawing on newly declassified Russian sources, including Politburo records, this article re-examines how Soviet diplomats in Addis Ababa engaged with the Derg and its emerging leader, Mengistu Haile Mariam. It highlights the activism of the Soviet Addis Embassy promoting arms transfers to the Derg and reframing the Ethiopian Revolution as a progressive ‘anti-feudal’ movement led by the military intelligentsia, with Mengistu portrayed as guarantor of Ethiopia's socialist orientation. Despite Somali opposition and caution within the Soviet military, the Soviet diplomats in Addis Ababa persistently argued that responding to Derg's request for arms transfers was essential to safeguard the Ethiopian revolution, reduce US influence, and maintain peace with Somalia. Their lobbying culminated in the first Soviet–Ethiopian arms agreement of December 1976, which paved the way for Ethiopia's abrogation of its US defense treaty in April 1977. This article demonstrates how the Embassy's interpretations shaped Cold War realignment in the Horn of Africa between 1974 and 1977 and underscores the role of ideology and bureaucratic lobbying in Soviet foreign policy during détente.