Triumphant Entry - Victory Day

People of my country and especially my faithful soldiers!

No human lips can express the thankfulness which I feel to the merciful God who has enabled me to stand in your midst on this day of which the angels in heaven and the creation on earth could neither have thought of nor known. Before everything else I want to tell you and to make you understand that this day is a day on which a fresh chapter of the history of the New Ethiopia begins. In this new era a new work is commencing which it is the duty of all of us to perform.

People of my country, Ethiopia! Today is a day on which Ethiopia is stretching her hands to God in joy and thankfulness and revealing her happiness to her children.

This day, on which the people of Ethiopia are freed from oppressive foreign yoke and eternal servitude and on which I am enabled to rejoin my people, whom I love and have longed for, will be honored as a holiday to be commemorated annually as a Great Ethiopian Anniversary. On this day we shall remember those heroic warriors who, determined not to surrender the great charge passed on to them by their Father, became sacrifices, shedding their blood and breaking their bones for the freedom of the land they loved and for the honor of their Emperor and their flag. The history of Ethiopia will be witness for these our warriors.

The tribulations and afflictions which befell us during the past five years and which cannot be recounted and numbered in detail will be a great lesson to us all, and with industry, unity, co-operation and love engraved in your hearts, will be a great incentive to you to be my helpers in the affairs of Ethiopia which I have in mind. In the New Ethiopia I want you to be a people undivided and endowed with freedom and equality before the law.

You will have to join me in my efforts for the prosperity of the country, for the riches of the people, for the development of agriculture, commerce, education and learning, for the protection of the life and resources of our people, and for the perfection on modern lines of administration of the country.

It is my firm wish and purpose to merit the blessing with which God in His mercy has visited us, first, by showing our gratitude to our Allies, the British, by the release of the Imperial troops to fight the common enemy on other fronts, and by supplying them with troops whenever they may be needed; secondly, to do work beneficial to the people and the country by establishing in our Ethiopia a Government which will protect the Faith and cause it to be respected, and by guaranteeing liberty of the people and Freedom of conscience.

What I would finally announce to you, my people, is that today is a day of rejoicing for us all. Today is a day on which we defeated our enemy. Therefore, when we say let us all rejoice with our hearts let not our rejoicing be in any other way but in the spirit of Christ. Do not return evil for evil. Do not indulge in the atrocities which the enemy has been practicing in his usual way, even up to the last moment.

Take care not to spoil the good name of Ethiopia by acts which are worthy of the enemy. We shall see that our enemies are disarmed and sent the same way they came. As St. George who killed the dragon is the Patron Saint of our army as well as of our allies, let us unite with our allies in everlasting friendship and amity in order to be able to stand against the godless and cruel dragon which has newly risen and which is oppressing mankind. I charge you to consider them as a brother and a friend and to show them kindness and consideration.