A History of Patriotic Resistance Movements of Churchmen in Qolla Dega Damot Awrajja,1936–1941

The Italian occupation of Ethiopia was followed by firm resistance by the overall residents mainly churchmen. Henceforth, the resistance movement intensified due to the spiritual leaders’ never-ending efforts. Above all, without the active involvement of these religious leaders, Qolla Dega Damot Awrajja’s patriotic resistance movement was rendered invalid. The churchmen actively participated in the resistance activities, fighting for their nation’s liberation. Hence, even though their contributions to the 5-year patriotic resistance movement were not adequately documented, the churchmen of Gojjam, in general, and Qolla Dega Damot, in particular, played significant roles by actively participating in the armed conflict and acting as inner patriots for the evacuation of the fascist armies. This study therefore attempts to explore and record the roles played by churchmen in Ethiopia’s 1941 liberation from Italian rule. The sources were analyzed after various historical documents, both published and unpublished, were used.