ABSTRACT
Ethiopia gained ports along the Red Sea with its federation with Eritrea in 1952, and Emperor Haile Selassie seized this opportunity to develop Ethiopia’s naval infrastructure. Initial development at the Massawa and Assab ports emphasized international trade, although attention quickly shifted towards military development. In line with his broader modernization of Ethiopia’s armed forces, Selassie courted foreign powers for assistance in launching the Imperial Ethiopian Navy. While Great Britain was arguably the greatest contributor, being intimately involved in both the procurement of armaments and training the Imperial Ethiopian Navy’s emerging officer class, countries like Norway and the United States of America actively aided Ethiopia’s fledgling navy. To an extent, this naval development was motivated by nationalistic fervour rather than practical considerations. By the late 1960s, this was especially apparent with the grand spectacle of the Navy Days Celebrations, which major and minor powers alike attended annually.
