Ethiopian Civil War

1974–1991 conflict in Ethiopia

This article is about the civil war of 1974 to 1991. For other civil wars in Ethiopia, see Ethiopian civil war (disambiguation).

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Ethiopian Civil War

Part of the Eritrean War of Independence, the Ethiopian–Somali conflict, the Oromo conflict, the Cold War, and the Revolutions of 1989

Clockwise from top:
Public demonstration amid the Ethiopian Revolution; T-62 tank destroyed shortly after the fall of the Derg; Abandoned T-55 tank in northern Eritrea; Red Terror victims' skull remains at "Red Terror" Martyrs' Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa; Haile Selassie being deposed in the 1974 coup d'état

| Date| 12 September 1974 – 28 May 1991
(16 years, 8 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)

|

Location|

Ethiopia

Result|

EPLF/TPLF rebel victory

* Fall of the Ethiopian Empire and subsequent implementation of military rule
* Creation, then collapse, of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia by the Derg
* Installation of the TPLF-led transitional government which would later become the EPRDF government in Ethiopia
* Installation of the EPLF-established PFDJ government in Eritrea after independence from Ethiopia

Territorial
changes|  Independence of Eritrea; Ethiopia becomes a landlocked country.
Belligerents

EPRDF

* TPLF
* EPDM
* OPDO

EPRP
MEISON (from 1977)
EDU
OLF
WSLF
ALF
ONLF[1]
Eritrean separatists:

* ELF (until 1981)
* EPLF

|  Derg (1974–1987)
PDR Ethiopia
Supported by:
Soviet Union[2][3][4] (1974–1990)
Cuba (1974–1990)
South Yemen (1974–1990)
Israel[5] (from 1990)
Commanders and leaders
Meles Zenawi
Tsadkan Gebretensae
Isaias Afwerki
Elemo Qiltu †|  Mengistu Haile Mariam
Tesfaye Gebre Kidan
Fisseha Desta
Strength
141,000 (1991)
110,000 (1990)[6]
13,000 (1991)[7]|  230,000 (1991)
Casualties and losses
Casualties and impact of the Ethiopian Civil War
≈400,000–579,000 killed[8][9][10]
~1,200,000 deaths from famine[8][9][11]

* v
* t
* e

Post-1960 conflicts
in the Horn of Africa

* Eritrean War of Independence
* Eritrean civil wars
* 1961 revolt in Somalia
* Bale revolt
* Somali–Kenyan conflict
* Shifta
* Rhamu
* Ethiopian–Somali conflict
* 1963 Ogaden Rebellion
* 1964
* Ogaden
* 1982
* 2022 Al-Shabaab
* Oromo conflict
* Ethiopian Civil War
* Somali Civil War
* Rebellion
* Puntland–Somaliland
* 2006–09
* 2009–present
* Somaliland War of Independence
* Djiboutian Civil War
* Insurgency in Ogaden
* 2007–08
* Second Afar insurgency
* Gedeo–Guji clashes
* Hanish Islands conflict
* Eritrean–Ethiopian War
* border conflict
* OEF – Horn of Africa
* Djiboutian–Eritrean conflict
* Ethiopian civil conflict
* Afar–Somali
* Oromia–Somali
* OLA insurgency
* Benishangul-Gumuz
* Tigray war
* War in Amhara
* Al-Fashaga conflict

Part of a series on the

History of Ethiopia

Early history

|  Prehistory|

|

Dʿmt|  980 – 400 BC

Middle Ages

|  Aksum|  100 – 940 AD

|

Zagwe dynasty|  900–1270
Early Solomonic period|  1270–1529
Amda Seyon's Expansions|  1314–1344

Early modern history

|  Ethiopian–Adal War|  1527–1543

|

Oromo migrations|  1543 – 17th cent.
Habesh Eyalet|  1557 – 17th cent.
Gondarine period|  1632–1769
Zemene Mesafint|  1769–1855
Ottoman border conflict|  1832–1848

Modern history

|  Unification|  1855–1913

|

Menelik's Invasions|  1878–1904
First Italo–Ethiopian War|  1895–1896
Modernization|  1913–1974
World War I|  1914–1918
Second Italo–Ethiopian War|  1935–1936
Italian East Africa|  1936–1941
World War II|  1941
Italian guerrilla war|  1941–1943
Federation with Eritrea|  1952–1962
Eritrean Independence War|  1961–1991
Ethiopian Civil War|  1974–1991
Ogaden War|  1977–1978

Recent history

|  Eritrean–Ethiopian War|  1998–2000

|

Eritrean border conflict|  1998–2018
Police massacre|  2005
War in Somalia|  2006–2009
East Africa drought|  2011–2012
Oromo protests|  2014–2016
Ethiopian civil conflict|  2018–present
Tigray war|  2020–2022

Topics

* Economic history
* Emperor
* Aristocracy
* Military
* Army of the Empire
* Expansion
* Currency
* Aksumite
* Famines

* v
* t
* e

Part of a series on the

History of Eritrea

Pre-colonial

|  Prehistory|

|

Land of Punt|  (c. 2500–980 BC)
Kingdom of Dəmot|  (c. 980–400 BC)
Aksumite Empire|  (c. 150 BC–AD 960)
Sultanate of Dahlak|  (960–1557)
Zagwe Dynasty|  (c. 1137–1270)
Ethiopian Empire|  (1270–1974)
Dankali Sultanate|  (c. Late 13th century–18th century)
Sultanate of Aussa|  (1734–1936)

Colonial

|  Eyalet-i Habeş|  (1554–1872)

|

Italian Eritrea|  (1882–1936)
Eritrea Governorate of Italian East Africa|  (1936–1941)
East African Campaign of World War II|  (1940–1941)
British Military Administration|  (1941–1952)

Post-Colonial

|  Autonomy within Ethiopia|  (1952–1962)

|

Eritrean War of Independence|  (1961–1991)
Annexation as the Eritrea Province|  (1962–1993)
Ethiopian Civil War|  (1974–1991)

State of Eritrea

|  1990s in Eritrea|

|

Eritrean–Ethiopian War|  (1998–2000)
2000s in Eritrea|
2010s in Eritrea|

Eritrea portal

* v
* t
* e

The Ethiopian Civil War was a civil war in Ethiopia and present-day Eritrea, fought between the Ethiopian military junta known as the Derg and Ethiopian-Eritrean anti-government rebels from 12 September 1974 to 28 May 1991.

The Derg overthrew the Ethiopian Empire and Emperor Haile Selassie in a coup d'état on 12 September 1974, establishing Ethiopia as a Marxist–Leninist state under a military junta and provisional government. Various opposition groups of ideological affiliations ranging from Communist to anti-Communist, often drawn from a specific ethnic background, began armed resistance to the Soviet-backed Derg, in addition to the Eritrean separatists already fighting in the Eritrean War of Independence. The Derg used military campaigns and the Qey Shibir (Ethiopian Red Terror) to repress the rebels. By the mid-1980s, various issues such as the 1983–1985 famine, economic decline, and other after-effects of Derg policies ravaged Ethiopia, increasing popular support for the rebels. The Derg dissolved itself in 1987, establishing the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (PDRE) under the Workers' Party of Ethiopia (WPE) in an attempt to maintain its rule.[12] The Soviet Union began ending its support for the PDRE in the late-1980s and the government was overwhelmed by the increasingly victorious rebel groups. In May 1991, the PDRE was defeated in Eritrea and President Mengistu Haile Mariam fled the country. The Ethiopian Civil War ended on 28 May 1991 when the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a coalition of left-wing ethnic rebel groups, entered the capital Addis Ababa. The PDRE was dissolved and replaced with the Tigray People's Liberation Front-led Transitional Government of Ethiopia.[13]

The Ethiopian Civil War left at least 1.4 million people dead, with 1 million of the deaths being related to famine and the remainder from combat and other violence.[12]

## Background

[edit]

Further information: Opposition to Haile Selassie

In the 1950s, discontent grew within the Ethiopian Empire toward Emperor Haile Selassie’s imperial regime. Many members of the aristocracy became frustrated with the empire's stagnation and limitations. The government's repression and prohibition of autonomous organizations stifled any reformist movements within the ruling class. Although many elites recognized the need for serious reform, Emperor Selassie refused to tolerate any form of protest, especially organized efforts. Even influential Ethiopian families feared the regime's extensive network of spies and the emperor’s potential reaction to dissent, creating an atmosphere of fear among the ruling class.[14]

By the 1960s, the Ethiopian Empire had become politically unstable. The administration was becoming unpopular across all levels of society due to stagnating quality of life, slow economic development, and widespread human rights abuses. During this period, a radicalized student movement emerged, calling for land reform and democratization.[15] In December 1960, the Imperial Guard attempted a military coup, which was violently suppressed by the imperial army and air force.[14] While the use of the military saved Haile Selassie's regime, it made the armed forces a crucial pillar of his rule. The emperor's increasing dependence on their loyalty left the regime's stability precarious, as any signs of discontent within the military could threaten his survival. Throughout the following decade, Selassie sought to placate the military, further heightening their awareness of their growing power and political significance.[16] Since the failed 1960 coup attempt, no further coups had been attempted, largely due to deep divisions within the armed forces.[17]

As the imperial regime declined, the army became increasingly politicized due to Emperor Selassie's reliance on oppressive governance. Recruitment from educated Ethiopians throughout the 1960s and early 1970s heightened the political awareness of the armed forces. This awareness grew as the army was frequently used to suppress student protests, peasant uprisings, and regional revolts in Ogaden, Bale, and Eritrea.[17]

## History

[edit]

### 1970s

[edit]

At the start of the 1970s numerous parallel and interlocking trends across the empire were converging against the old feudal order, though had yet to coalesce into a well organized oppositional force. Working class Ethiopians had become increasingly dissatisfied with low wages and inflation, while the educated middle class of society were angered by poor governance and stunted advancement.[15]

In Eritrea province, armed resistance against imperial rule was rapidly escalating, but the independence movements were divided into the rivaling Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) and Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front (EPLF). In the Ogaden and Bale region, attacks by Somali insurgents were beginning to escalate. Elsewhere within the empire, spontaneous peasant uprising began proliferating and students were organized into underground organizations in urban areas across Ethiopia.[15]

The Ethiopian imperial army itself began protesting grievances to the government as the morale of its forces began to break down in Eritrea and the Ogaden.[15] By the early 1970s, with multiplying regional revolts and an economic downturn, many army units became rebellious as their living conditions worsened. By 1973, many observers recognized that the army held the true power behind the throne, and it was widely expected that the military would take control upon the emperor's death. The military mutinies that triggered the 1974 Ethiopian Revolution began with demands for better working conditions and wages for troops stationed in remote regions like Ogaden, Negele, and western Eritrea.[17]

#### Ethiopian Revolution

[edit]

Main article: Ethiopian Revolution

Deposition of Haile Selassie at Jubilee Palace on 12 September 1974

On 12 September 1974, Haile Selassie and his government were overthrown by the Derg, a non-ideological committee of low-ranking officers and enlisted men in the Ethiopian Army who became the ruling military junta. On 21 March 1975, the Derg abolished the monarchy and adopted Marxism–Leninism as their official ideology, establishing themselves as a provisional government for the process of building a socialist state in Ethiopia. The Crown Prince went into exile in London, where several other members of the House of Solomon lived, while other members who were in Ethiopia at the time of the revolution were imprisoned. Haile Selassie, his daughter by his first marriage Princess Ijigayehu, his sister Princess Tenagnework, and many of his nephews, nieces, close relatives, and in-laws were among those detained. On 27 August 1975, Haile Selassie died under mysterious circumstances in detention at the National Palace in Addis Ababa.[18][19] That year, most industries and private urban real estate holdings were nationalized by the Derg regime. The assets of the former royal family were all seized and were nationalized in a program designed to implement the state ideology of socialism.

Under the Derg, the new Ethiopian military was dominated by the Amhara ethnic group. Similar to the period of the Ethiopian Empire under Menelik II and Haile Selassie, over 80% of generals and over 65% of colonels in the armed forces were Amhara's.[20] While the Amhara constituted the majority of the officer corps, the army was still ethnically heterogeneous.[21]

#### Ethiopian Red Terror

[edit]

Main article: Red Terror (Ethiopia)

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|

The Derg did not fully establish their control over the country, and the subsequent power vacuum led to open challenges from numerous civilian opposition groups. The Ethiopian government had been fighting Eritrean separatists in the Eritrean War of Independence since 1961, and now faced other rebel groups ranging from the conservative and pro-monarchy Ethiopian Democratic Union (EDU), to the rival Marxist–Leninist Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP), and the ethnic Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). In 1976, the Derg instigated the Qey Shibir (Ethiopian Red Terror), a campaign of violent political repression primarily targeting the EPRP and later the All-Ethiopia Socialist Movement (MEISON), in an attempt to consolidate their power. The Qey Shibir was escalated on 3 February 1977 following the appointment of Mengistu Haile Mariam as Chairman of the Derg, who took a hardline stance against opponents. The urban guerrilla warfare saw brutal tactics used on all sides, including summary executions, assassinations, torture and imprisonment without trial.[22] By August 1977, the EPRP and MEISON were devastated, with their leadership either dead or fleeing to the countryside to continue their activities in stronghold areas, but despite this, the Derg did not successfully consolidate their power as much as hoped. Ironically, the majority of the Qey Shibir's estimated 30,000 to 750,000 victims are believed to be innocents, with the violence and collateral damage shocking many Ethiopians into supporting rebel groups. There are currently[when?] many civilians who are still missing who are thought to have been systematically killed by the Derg but are yet unaccounted for.[23]

#### Eritrean insurgency

[edit]

Eritrea had been annexed by the Ethiopian Empire in the early 1960s. In 1961, the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) began armed resistance to Ethiopian rule. When the Derg came to power, Eritreans were widely subjected to increasing repression and economic disruption as the government sought to crush the elusive insurgency in vain. Reports from Asmara in 1974, the capital of the region, told of civilian massacres by army troops and rape at gunpoint. During January 1975 Eritrean resistance fighters began attacking the Ethiopian army in and around Asmara.[15]

The following year saw the Derg regime mobilize its first in a series of 'peasant marches'. The government made a call for 100,000 peasants to crush the Eritrean nationalists, though only 30,000 were organized for the first assault into Eritrea.[15]

#### Somali insurgency and Ogaden War

[edit]

Main articles: Western Somali Liberation Front and Ogaden War

The early 1970's saw the Somali liberation movement for the Ogaden region continue to gain momentum off the foundations of the Nasrallah insurgency which had fought a major revolt from 1963 to 1965 against Emperor Haile Selassie's empire.[24] The many veteran insurgents and young intelligentsia from the Ogaden region within Siad Barre's government lobbied for Somalia to support the resumption of the armed struggle during the 1970s.[25]

By June 1977, the Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLF) had been successful in forcing the Ethiopian army out of much of the Ogaden and into the major urban strongholds of Jigjiga, Dire Dawa and Harar. President of Somalia Siad Barre decided to intensify the war by involving the Somali army as he believed it would allow the WSLF to press home their growing victories and enable the complete secession of the Ogaden. On 13 July 1977, the Ogaden War was triggered when the Somali Democratic Republic invaded the Ogaden region in order to assist the WSLF. By November and the onset of the rainy season, the WSLF was poised to capture the city of Harar.[26] A massive military air and sea lift from the Soviet Union transferred around two billion dollars worth of military equipment while 1,700 Soviet advisors and 17,000 Cuban troops were deployed against the Somali National Army and WSLF.[15] In early 1978 the Ethiopian forces, spearheaded by Cuban troops in an operation planned by Soviet generals, managed to push back the SNA/WSLF forces.[26]

### 1980s

[edit]

Areas of operation of the various insurgent groups during the war. The EPRDF drive on Addis Ababa is shown with red arrows.

By 1980, the original 120 ruling members of the Derg had been whittled down to only 38. All members but three were ethnic Amhara and were predominantly from settler colonialist neftenya origins. Many member of the ruling elite were deeply opposed to the idea of loosening control on the rebellious southern regions conquered under Menelik II.[15]

At the start of the decade the Ethiopian army had swelled to a force of 250,000 strong.[15] During the early 1980s the Ethiopian government rendered the Somali inhabited Ogaden region a vast military zone, engaging in indiscriminate aerial bombardments and forced resettlement programs.[27] During the fall of 1980, towns and villages in Tigray were bombarded with napalm and cluster bombs by the regime. Massive military infantry sweeps across the countryside resulted in high civilian fatalities. The Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) dominated most the region, with the Ethiopian army restricted to major towns and highways.[28] In 1981 there were an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 Ethiopian army troops in Eritrea. 70,000 troops were also stationed in the Ogaden, supported by 10,000 Cuban army troops who garrisoned the regions towns. In Tigray there were an estimated 40,000 and in the southern Oromo provinces 20,000 were deployed.[29]

The Derg in its attempt to introduce full-fledged socialist ideals, fulfilled its main slogan of "Land to the Tiller", by redistributing land in Ethiopia that once belonged to landlords to the peasants tilling the land. Although this was made to seem like a fair and just redistribution, the mismanagement, corruption, and general hostility to the Derg's violent and harsh rule coupled with the draining effects of constant warfare, separatist guerrilla movements in Eritrea and Tigray, resulted in a drastic decline in general productivity of food and cash crops. Although Ethiopia is often prone to chronic droughts, no one was prepared for the scale of drought and the 1983–1985 famine that struck the country in the mid-1980s, in which 400,000–590,000 people are estimated to have died.[30] Hundreds of thousands fled economic misery, conscription and political repression, and went to live in neighboring countries and all over the Western world, creating an Ethiopian diaspora community for the first time in its history. Insurrections against the Derg's rule sprang up with ferocity, particularly in the northern regions of Tigray and Eritrea which sought independence and in some regions in the Ogaden. Hundreds of thousands were killed as a result of the Qey Shibir, forced deportations. The Derg continued its attempts to end rebellions with military force by initiating several campaigns against both internal rebels and the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), the most important ones being Operation Shiraro, Operation Lash, Operation Red Star, and Operation Adwa, which led to its decisive defeat in the Battle of Shire on 15–19 February 1989 which ultimately led to Eritrean independence. This marked a receding end in power to the Derg.

### 1990s

[edit]

Main article: Fall of the Derg

Military situation during the Ethiopian Civil War

On 28 May 1991, Mengistu's government was overthrown by its own officials and a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), after their bid for a push on the capital Addis Ababa was successful. There was some fear that Mengistu would attempt to fight to the bitter end for the capital, but after diplomatic intervention by the United States, he fled to asylum in Zimbabwe, where he still resides.[31] The regime only survived another week after his ousting before the EPRDF poured into the capital and captured Addis Ababa.

The EPRDF immediately disbanded the Workers' Party of Ethiopia and shortly afterward arrested almost all of the most prominent Derg officials that were still in the country. In December 2006, 72 officials of the Derg were found guilty of genocide.[32] Thirty-four people were in court, 14 others died during the lengthy process and 25, including Mengistu, were tried in absentia.[33] These events marked the end of socialist rule in Ethiopia. Ethiopia then embraced a federal democracy to represent the many ethnic groups living in the country.

## Peasant revolution in Ethiopia

[edit]

Main article: Peasant revolution in Ethiopia

Senior Derg members Mengistu Haile Mariam, Tafari Benti, and Atnafu Abate.

There is not much in-depth information available about the revolution, but the book Peasant Revolution in Ethiopia by John Young provides detailed information about the revolution, why it started, how the Derg affected the nation, and the role of the peasant population in Tigray and Eritrea.[34][35]

## Casualties and impacts

[edit]

Main article: Casualties and impact of the Ethiopian Civil War

Skull remain of the Red Terror at "Red Terror" Martyrs' Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa

The Ethiopian Civil War left at least 1.4 million people dead, with 1 million related to famine and the remainder from violence and conflicts, which was one third of the population.[36][37] It also had impacts on land and agriculture: the reversal of the former feudal system and implementation of nationalized reforms led peasants to lose 75% of their production to landlords.[38] Total forest cover in Wollo Province was approximately 2.2% of the total area in 1980, and in Tigray 0.5%, roughly 50% decline since 1960. Soil erosion could halt grain production by 120,000 tons per year in Wollo Province.[39]

During the first six years, food production also increased by 6%. Crop production declined by 12.2% per year from 1982 to 1984. With the 1983–1985 famine, ten million people were affected five times of the 1973 drought.[38]

## List of major battles

[edit]

* 1974: Battle of Tirro
* 1977: First Battle of Massawa
* 1977: Siege of Barentu
* 1977–1978: Battle of Jijiga
* 1978: Battle of Harar
* 1982: Red Star Campaign
* 1988: Battle of Afabet, 17–20 March
* 1988: Battle of Shire (1989), 28 December 1988 – 19 February 1989
* 1990: Second Battle of Massawa, 8–10 February

## See also

[edit]

* Africa portal
* Eritrea portal

* Neftenya
* Second Afar Insurgency

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Ethiopia: Crackdown in East Punishes Civilians". 3 July 2007.
2. ^ Keneally, Thomas (27 September 1987). "IN ERITREA". The New York Times - via NYTimes.com.
3. ^ ""Wir haben euch Waffen und Brot geschickt"". Der Spiegel. 2 March 1980 - via www.spiegel.de.
4. ^ "Attempts to distort history". www.shaebia.org. Archived from the original on 17 November 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
5. ^ "Ethiopia-Israel". country-data.com. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
6. ^ "Eritrea (01/06)". U.S. Department of State.
7. ^ Schmid & Jongman 2005, pp. 538–539
8. ^ a b Sanchez, Carlos (25 May 1991). "A Victory Tempered By Sorrow". Washington Post.
9. ^ a b Henry, Neil (21 May 1991). "Mengistu Leaves Ethiopia in Shambles". Washington Post.
10. ^ Obermeyer, Ziad; Murray, Christopher J L; Gakidou, Emmanuela (19 June 2008). "Fifty years of violent war deaths from Vietnam to Bosnia: analysis of data from the world health survey programme". BMJ. 336 (7659): 1482–1486. doi:10.1136/bmj.a137. ISSN 0959-8138. PMC 2440905. PMID 18566045.
11. ^ Rapoport, Louis (28 April 1990). "Knives Are Out For A Bloodstained Ruler". Sydney Morning Herald.
12. ^ a b Woldemariam, Michael; Woldgabreal, Yilma (November 2023). "Atrocity denial and emotions in the Ethiopian civil war". Elsevier. 73. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2023.101875. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
13. ^ Valentino, Benjamin A. (2004). Final solutions: mass killing and genocide in the twentieth century. Cornell studies in security affairs. Ithaca (N.Y.): Cornell university press. p. 196\. ISBN 978-0-8014-3965-0.
14. ^ a b Kebede 2011, pp. 139–142
15. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ethiopia: Conquest and Terror". Horn of Africa. 4 (1): 8–19. 1981.
16. ^ Kebede 2011, p. 163
17. ^ a b c Kebede 2011, pp. 198–199
18. ^ "Ethiopia Frees 7 Relatives of Haile Selassie". The New York Times. Reuters. 22 May 1988. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
19. ^ Perlez, Jane (3 September 1989). "Ethiopia Releases Prisoners From Haile Selassie's Family". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
20. ^ Tareke 2009, p. 123
21. ^ Tareke 2009, p. 162.
22. ^ "The Red Terror". Africa Center, University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
23. ^ "AUHRM Project Focus Area: Ethiopian Red Terror". African Union. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
24. ^ Abdi 2021, p. 84.
25. ^ Abdi 2021, p. 93-94.
26. ^ a b Urban, Mark (June 1983). "Soviet intervention and the Ogaden counter-offensive of 1978". The RUSI Journal. 128 (2): 42–46. doi:10.1080/03071848308523524. ISSN 0307-1847 - via Taylor and Francis.
27. ^ Hagmann, T.; Khalif, Mohamud H. (2008). "State and Politics in Ethiopia's Somali Region since 1991". Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies. S2CID 54051295.
28. ^ "Tigray: Forced Labor But No Relief". Horn of Africa. 4 (1): 29–34. 1981.
29. ^ Anonymous (1981). "Ethiopia: Conquest and Terror". Horn of Africa. 4 (1): 8–19. "...there were 60,000 to 70,000 government troops tied down in Eritrea, 40,000 based in Tigray, 70,000 in the Ogaden and 20,000 in the southern Oromo provinces, with over 10,000 Cuban troops garrisoning the main Ogaden towns."
30. ^ De Waal 1991, p. 175
31. ^ Beyer, Lisa (27 May 1991). "Ethiopia: Uncle Sam Steps In". Time.
32. ^ Bloomfield, Steve (13 December 2006). "Mengistu found guilty of Ethiopian genocide". The Independent. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
33. ^ "Mengistu found guilty of genocide". BBC News. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
34. ^ Young, John (1997). Peasant Revolution in Ethiopia: The Tigray People's Liberation Front, 1975–1991. African Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-59198-0.
35. ^ Woldemariam, Yohannes (1998). "Review of Peasant Revolution in Ethiopia: The Tigray People's Liberation Front, 1975-1991". African Studies Review. 41 (2): 193–195. doi:10.2307/524856. ISSN 0002-0206. JSTOR 524856. S2CID 246234825.
36. ^ Millward, Steve (20 April 2016). Fast Forward: Music And Politics In 1974. Troubador Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-78589-158-8.
37. ^ De Waal 1991
38. ^ a b Gupta, Vijay (1978). "The Ethiopian Revolution: Causes and Results". India Quarterly. 34 (2): 158–174. doi:10.1177/097492847803400203. ISSN 0974-9284. JSTOR 45071379. S2CID 150699038.
39. ^ Lanz, Tobias J. (1996). "Environmental Degradation and Social Conflict in the Northern Highlands of Ethiopia: The Case of Tigray and Wollo Provinces". Africa Today. 43 (2): 157–182. ISSN 0001-9887. JSTOR 4187094.

## Works cited

[edit]

* De Waal, Alex (1991). De Waal, Alexander; Human Rights Watch (eds.). Evil days: thirty years of war and famine in Ethiopia. An Africa Watch report. New York: Human Rights Watch. ISBN 978-1-56432-038-4.
* Abdi, Mohamed Mohamud (2021). A History of the Ogaden (Western Somali) Struggle for Self-Determination: Part I (1300–2007) (2nd ed.). UK: Safis Publishing. ISBN 978-1-906342-39-5. OCLC 165059930.
* Kebede, Messay (2011). Ideology and elite conflicts: autopsy of the Ethiopian revolution. Lanham, Md: Lexington books. ISBN 978-0-7391-3796-3.
* Hammond, Jenny (1999). Fire from the ashes: a chronicle of the revolution in Tigray, Ethiopia, 1975 - 1991 (1. print ed.). Lawrenceville, NJ: Red Sea Press. ISBN 978-1-56902-086-9.
* Schmid, Alex Peter; Jongman, A. J. (2005). Political Terrorism: A New Guide to Actors, Authors, Concepts, Data Bases, Theories, & Literature. Vol. 3\. Transaction. ISBN 9781412804691.
* Tareke, Gebru (2009). The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-15615-7.
* Young, John (1997). Peasant revolution in Ethiopia: the Tigray People's Liberation Front, 1975-1991. African studies series. Cambridge, U.K. ; New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-59198-0.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ethiopian Civil War.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Ethiopian Civil War.

* Ethiopian Civil War

* v
* t
* e

Ethiopian Civil War (1974–1991)

Background|

| Scramble for
Africa|

* Italian colonialism
* Italo-Ethiopian Wars
* 1887–89
* First
* 1935 crisis
* Second
* Italian East Africa
* WWII
* Ethiopian–Eritrean Federation
* Eritrean loss of autonomy

|

Opposition to
Haile Selassie|

* Ethiopian Empire
* Mekwanint
* Gugsa Wale's rebellion
* Woyane rebellion
* 1958 Tigray famine
* Ethiopian Student Movement
* 1972–1975 Wollo famine
* 1960 coup attempt

Other factors|

* Cold War
* 1973 oil crisis
* Ethnic discrimination
* Land reform
* Neftenya
* Pan-Somali nationalism

War|

| Prelude|

* Eritrean War of Independence (1961–1991)
* Ethiopian Revolution
* Timeline
* 1974 coup d'état

|

Major events|

* Villagization
* Massacre of the Sixty
* Death of Haile Selassie
* Red Terror
* 1983–1985 famine
* Peasant revolution
* Hawzen massacre
* Fall of the Derg regime

Related conflicts|

* Eritrean Civil Wars (1972–74; 1980–81)
* Oromo conflict (1973–present)
* Ethiopian–Somali conflict
* Ogaden War (1977–78)
* 1982 border war
* Somali Rebellion (1978–1991)
* Somaliland War of Independence (1981–1991)

Impact|

| Casualties|

* Casualties of the Ethiopian Civil War
* Massacres in the Eritrean War of Independence

|

Aftermath|

* Somali Civil War
* Djiboutian Civil War
* Eritrean independence
* Eritrean–Ethiopian War
* Trials of the Derg members

Memorials|

* "Red Terror" Martyrs' Memorial Museum
* Downfall of the Derg (holiday)

Groups|

| Governments|

* The Derg
* People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

|

Ethiopian rebels|

* EPRDF
* Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement
* Tigray People's Liberation Front
* Afar Liberation Front
* All-Ethiopia Socialist Movement
* Ethiopian Democratic Union
* Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Army
* Ogaden National Liberation Front
* Oromo Liberation Front
* Western Somali Liberation Front

Eritrean rebels|

* Eritrean Liberation Front (1961–1981)
* Eritrean People's Liberation Front (1970–1991)

Cold War in Africa

* v
* t
* e

Ethiopia articles

History|

* Prehistoric
* Kingdom of Dʿmt
* Kingdom of Aksum
* Kingdom of Wolaita
* Ethiopian Empire
* Emperor
* list
* regnal lists
* Solomonic dynasty
* Zagwe dynasty
* Kingdom of Kaffa
* Ethiopian–Adal War
* Gondarine period
* Zemene Mesafint
* Menelik's Expansions
* Italo-Ethiopian wars
* 1887–89
* First
* Second
* World War I
* Italian occupation
* World War II
* Revolution
* 1974 coup d'état
* Derg
* Civil War
* Ogaden War
* Federal Democratic Republic
* Eritrean–Ethiopian War
* Border conflict
* 2018 peace summit
* War in Somalia (2006–09)
* Civil conflict
* Tigray war
* Historiography
* Territorial evolution

Geography|

| Geology|

* Mountains
* Rivers
* Lakes
* Volcanoes
* Earthquakes
* Flora
* Fauna

|

Administrative|

* Regions
* Governors
* Zones
* Woredas
* Cities
* Kebele

Politics|

* Constitution
* history
* Government
* President
* list
* Prime Minister
* list
* Council
* Parliament
* Political parties
* Elections
* Foreign relations
* Foreign aid

Military|

* National Defense Force
* Ground Forces
* Air Force
* Military history
* Army of the Empire
* Navy

Economy|

* Agriculture
* Banks
* Birr (currency)
* Companies
* Energy
* Foreign aid
* Industrial development
* Land reform
* Manufacturing
* Taxation
* Telecommunications
* Tourism
* Trade unions
* Transport

Society|

* Architecture
* Child marriage
* Demographics
* Education
* Ethnic groups
* Famines
* Flag
* Health
* Healthcare
* Maternal
* Women's
* Human rights
* LGBT
* Human trafficking
* Languages
* Law enforcement
* People
* Polygamy
* Public holidays
* Water and sanitation
* Women

Culture|

* Art
* Cuisine (wine)
* Literature
* Media
* Music
* Religion
* Sports
* World Heritage Sites

* Outline
* Index

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Armed conflicts involving Cuba

External and
international|

* Ten Years' War
* Cuban War of Independence
* Spanish–American War
* World War I
* World War II
* 1952 Cuban coup d'état
* Cuban Revolution
* Escambray rebellion
* Congo Crisis
* Bay of Pigs Invasion
* Sand War
* Cuban Missile Crisis
* Vietnam War
* Ñancahuazú Guerrilla
* Eritrean War of Independence
* South African Border War
* Yom Kippur War
* Ethiopian Civil War
* Angolan Civil War
* intervention
* Ogaden War
* Nicaraguan Revolution
* Salvadoran Civil War
* Invasion of Grenada

Related articles|

* Military history
* Foreign interventions
* Military internationalism
* FAR
* MINFAR
* Cold War
* Sphere of influence

* v
* t
* e

Cold War

* United States
* Soviet Union
* NATO
* Warsaw Pact
* ANZUS
* METO
* SEATO
* NEATO
* Rio Pact
* Non-Aligned Movement

1940s|

* Morgenthau Plan
* Hukbalahap rebellion
* Jamaican political conflict
* Dekemvriana
* Guerrilla war in the Baltic states
* Operation Priboi
* Operation Jungle
* Occupation of the Baltic states
* Cursed soldiers
* Operation Unthinkable
* Gouzenko Affair
* Division of Korea
* Indonesian National Revolution
* Operation Masterdom
* Operation Beleaguer
* Operation Blacklist Forty
* Iran crisis of 1946
* Greek Civil War
* Baruch Plan
* Corfu Channel incident
* Turkish Straits crisis
* Restatement of Policy on Germany
* First Indochina War
* 1947 Polish parliamentary election
* Truman Doctrine
* Asian Relations Conference
* May 1947 crises
* Partition of India
* Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948
* 1947–1949 Palestine war
* 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine
* 1948 Arab–Israeli War
* 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight
* Marshall Plan
* Comecon
* 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état
* Incapacitation of the Allied Control Council
* Al-Wathbah uprising
* Tito–Stalin split
* Berlin Blockade
* Annexation of Hyderabad
* Madiun Affair
* Western betrayal
* Iron Curtain
* Eastern Bloc
* Western Bloc
* Chinese Civil War
* Chinese Communist Revolution
* Malayan Emergency
* March 1949 Syrian coup d'état
* Operation Valuable

1950s|

* Bamboo curtain
* McCarthyism
* Korean War
* Arab Cold War (1952–1979)
* 1952 Egyptian revolution
* Iraqi Intifada (1952)
* Mau Mau rebellion
* East German uprising of 1953
* 1953 Iranian coup d'état
* Pact of Madrid
* Bricker Amendment
* 1954 Syrian coup d'état
* Petrov Affair
* Domino theory
* 1954 Geneva Conference
* 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état
* Capture of the Tuapse
* First Taiwan Strait Crisis
* Jebel Akhdar War
* Algerian War
* Kashmir Princess
* Bandung Conference
* Geneva Summit (1955)
* Vietnam War
* Cyprus Emergency
* "On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences"
* 1956 Poznań protests
* Hungarian Revolution of 1956
* Polish October
* Suez Crisis
* "We will bury you"
* Operation Gladio
* Syrian Crisis of 1957
* Sputnik crisis
* Ifni War
* Iraqi 14 July Revolution
* 1958 Lebanon crisis
* Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
* 1959 Mosul uprising
* 1959 Tibetan uprising
* Laotian Civil War
* Kitchen Debate
* Cuban Revolution
* Consolidation of the Cuban Revolution
* Sino-Soviet split

1960s|

* Congo Crisis
* Simba rebellion
* 1960 U-2 incident
* Bay of Pigs Invasion
* 1960 Turkish coup d'état
* Albanian–Soviet split
* Expulsion of Soviets from Albania
* Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
* First Iraqi–Kurdish War
* Berlin Crisis of 1961
* Berlin Wall
* Annexation of Goa
* Papua conflict
* Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
* Sand War
* Portuguese Colonial War
* Angolan War of Independence
* Guinea-Bissau War of Independence
* Mozambican War of Independence
* Cuban Missile Crisis
* El Porteñazo
* Sino-Indian War
* Communist insurgency in Sarawak
* Ramadan Revolution
* Eritrean War of Independence
* North Yemen civil war
* 1963 Syrian coup d'état
* Assassination of John F. Kennedy
* Aden Emergency
* Cyprus crisis of 1963–1964
* Shifta War
* Mexican Dirty War
* Tlatelolco massacre
* Guatemalan Civil War
* Colombian conflict
* 1964 Brazilian coup d'état
* Dominican Civil War
* Rhodesian Bush War
* Indonesian mass killings of 1965–1966
* Transition to the New Order (Indonesia)
* ASEAN Declaration
* 1966 Syrian coup d'état
* Cultural Revolution
* Argentine Revolution
* South African Border War
* Korean DMZ Conflict
* 12-3 incident
* Greek junta
* 1967 Hong Kong riots
* Years of Lead (Italy)
* Six-Day War
* War of Attrition
* Dhofar War
* Al-Wadiah War
* Nigerian Civil War
* Protests of 1968
* May 68
* Prague Spring
* USS Pueblo incident
* 1968 Polish political crisis
* 1968–1971 East Pakistan communist insurgency
* Communist insurgency in Malaysia
* Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
* 17 July Revolution
* 1968 Peruvian coup d'état
* Revolutionary Government
* 1969 Sudanese coup d'état
* 1969 Libyan revolution
* Goulash Communism
* Sino-Soviet border conflict
* New People's Army rebellion

1970s|

* Détente
* Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
* Black September
* Alcora Exercise
* Corrective Movement (Syria)
* Western Sahara conflict
* Cambodian Civil War
* Communist insurgency in Thailand
* 1970 Polish protests
* Koza riot
* Realpolitik
* Ping-pong diplomacy
* 1971 JVP insurrection
* Corrective revolution (Egypt)
* 1971 Turkish military memorandum
* 1971 Sudanese coup d'état
* Four Power Agreement on Berlin
* Bangladesh Liberation War
* 1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China
* North Yemen-South Yemen Border conflict of 1972
* First Yemenite War
* Munich massacre
* 1972–1975 Bangladesh insurgency
* Eritrean Civil Wars
* 1973 Uruguayan coup d'état
* 1973 Afghan coup d'état
* 1973 Chilean coup d'état
* Yom Kippur War
* 1973 oil crisis
* Carnation Revolution
* Spanish transition to democracy
* Metapolitefsi
* Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
* Second Iraqi–Kurdish War
* Turkish invasion of Cyprus
* 15 August 1975 Bangladeshi coup d'état
* Siege of Dhaka (1975)
* Sipahi-Janata revolution
* Angolan Civil War
* Cambodian genocide
* June 1976 protests
* Mozambican Civil War
* Oromo conflict
* Ogaden War
* 1978 Somali coup attempt
* Western Sahara War
* Ethiopian Civil War
* Lebanese Civil War
* Sino-Albanian split
* Third Indochina War
* Cambodian–Vietnamese War
* Cambodian conflict
* Operation Condor
* Dirty War (Argentina)
* 1976 Argentine coup d'état
* Egyptian–Libyan War
* German Autumn
* Korean Air Lines Flight 902
* Nicaraguan Revolution
* Uganda–Tanzania War
* NDF Rebellion
* Chadian–Libyan War
* Second Yemenite War
* Grand Mosque seizure
* Iranian revolution
* Saur Revolution
* Sino-Vietnamese War
* New Jewel Movement
* 1979 Herat uprising
* Seven Days to the River Rhine
* Struggle against political abuse of psychiatry in the Soviet Union

1980s|

* Salvadoran Civil War
* Soviet–Afghan War
* 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympics boycotts
* Gera Demands
* Peruvian Revolution
* Gdańsk Agreement
* Solidarity
* Eritrean Civil Wars
* 1980 Turkish coup d'état
* Ugandan Bush War
* Gulf of Sidra incident
* Martial law in Poland
* Casamance conflict
* Falklands War
* 1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War
* Ndogboyosoi War
* United States invasion of Grenada
* Able Archer 83
* Star Wars
* 1985 Geneva Summit
* Iran–Iraq War
* Somali Rebellion
* Reykjavík Summit
* 1986 Black Sea incident
* South Yemen civil war
* Toyota War
* 1987 Lieyu massacre
* Operation Denver
* 1987–1989 JVP insurrection
* Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
* 1988 Black Sea bumping incident
* 8888 Uprising
* Solidarity (Soviet reaction)
* Contras
* Central American crisis
* Operation RYAN
* Korean Air Lines Flight 007
* People Power Revolution
* Glasnost
* Perestroika
* Bougainville conflict
* First Nagorno-Karabakh War
* Afghan Civil War
* United States invasion of Panama
* 1988 Polish strikes
* Polish Round Table Agreement
* 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
* Revolutions of 1989
* Fall of the Berlin Wall
* Fall of the inner German border
* Velvet Revolution
* Romanian Revolution
* Peaceful Revolution

1990s|

* Mongolian Revolution of 1990
* Min Ping Yu No. 5540 incident
* Gulf War
* Min Ping Yu No. 5202
* German reunification
* Yemeni unification
* Fall of communism in Albania
* Breakup of Yugoslavia
* Dissolution of the Soviet Union
* 1991 August Coup
* Dissolution of Czechoslovakia

Frozen conflicts|

* Abkhazia
* China-Taiwan
* Korea
* Kosovo
* South Ossetia
* Transnistria
* Sino-Indian border dispute
* North Borneo dispute

Foreign policy|

* Truman Doctrine
* Containment
* Eisenhower Doctrine
* Domino theory
* Hallstein Doctrine
* Kennedy Doctrine
* Peaceful coexistence
* Ostpolitik
* Johnson Doctrine
* Brezhnev Doctrine
* Nixon Doctrine
* Ulbricht Doctrine
* Carter Doctrine
* Reagan Doctrine
* Rollback
* Kinmen Agreement

Ideologies|

| Capitalism|

* Liberalism
* Chicago school
* Conservatism
* American conservatism
* Keynesianism
* Libertarianism
* Monetarism
* Neoclassical economics
* Reaganomics
* Supply-side economics
* Democratic capitalism

|

Socialism|

* Communism
* Marxism–Leninism
* Castroism
* Eurocommunism
* Guevarism
* Hoxhaism
* Juche
* Ho Chi Minh Thought
* Maoism
* Trotskyism
* Stalinism
* Titoism

Other|

* Imperialism
* Anti-imperialism
* Nationalism
* Ultranationalism
* Chauvinism
* Ethnic nationalism
* Racism
* Zionism
* Anti-Zionism
* Fascism
* Neo-Nazism
* Islamism
* Totalitarianism
* Authoritarianism
* Autocracy
* Liberal democracy
* Illiberal democracy
* Guided democracy
* Social democracy
* Third-worldism
* White supremacy
* White nationalism
* White separatism
* Apartheid

Organizations|

* NATO
* SEATO
* METO
* EEC
* Warsaw Pact
* Comecon
* Non-Aligned Movement
* NN States
* ASEAN
* SAARC
* Safari Club

Propaganda|

| Pro-communist|

* Active measures
* Izvestia
* Neues Deutschland
* Pravda
* Radio Moscow
* Rudé právo
* Trybuna Ludu
* TASS
* Soviet Life

|

Pro-Western|

* Amerika
* Crusade for Freedom
* Paix et Liberté
* Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

* Red Scare
* Voice of America

Technological
competition|

* Arms race
* Nuclear arms race
* Space Race

Historians|

* Gar Alperovitz
* Thomas A. Bailey
* Michael Beschloss
* Archie Brown
* Warren H. Carroll
* Adrian Cioroianu
* John Costello
* Michael Cox
* Nicholas J. Cull
* Norman Davies
* Willem Drees
* Robert D. English
* Herbert Feis
* Robert Hugh Ferrell
* André Fontaine
* Anneli Ute Gabanyi
* John Lewis Gaddis
* Lloyd Gardner
* Timothy Garton Ash
* Gabriel Gorodetsky
* Fred Halliday
* Jussi Hanhimäki
* John Earl Haynes
* Patrick J. Hearden
* Tvrtko Jakovina
* Tony Judt
* Harvey Klehr
* Gabriel Kolko
* Walter LaFeber
* Walter Laqueur
* Melvyn P. Leffler
* Geir Lundestad
* Vojtech Mastny
* Jack F. Matlock Jr.
* Thomas J. McCormick
* Timothy Naftali
* Marius Oprea
* David S. Painter
* William B. Pickett
* Ronald E. Powaski
* Yakov M. Rabkin
* M. E. Sarotte
* Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
* Ellen Schrecker
* Giles Scott-Smith
* Shen Zhihua
* Timothy Snyder
* Athan Theoharis
* Andrew Thorpe
* Vladimir Tismăneanu
* Patrick Vaughan
* Alex von Tunzelmann
* Odd Arne Westad
* William Appleman Williams
* Jonathan Reed Winkler
* Rudolph Winnacker
* Ken Young

Espionage and
intelligence|

* List of Eastern Bloc agents in the United States
* Soviet espionage in the United States
* Russian espionage in the United States
* American espionage in the Soviet Union and Russian Federation
* CIA and the Cultural Cold War
* CIA
* MI5
* MI6
* United States involvement in regime change
* Soviet involvement in regime change
* MVD
* KGB
* Stasi

See also|

* Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War
* Soviet Union–United States relations
* Soviet Union–United States summits
* Russia–NATO relations
* War on terror
* Brinkmanship
* Second Cold War
* Russian Revolution

* Category
* List of conflicts
* Timeline

* v
* t
* e

Revolutions of 1989

Internal
background|

* Era of Stagnation
* Communism
* Anti-communism
* Criticism of communist party rule
* Eastern Bloc
* Eastern Bloc politics
* Eastern Bloc media and propaganda
* Emigration from the Eastern Bloc
* KGB
* Nomenklatura
* Shortage economy
* Totalitarianism
* Anti-communist insurgencies in Central and Eastern Europe

International
background|

* Active measures
* Cold War
* List of socialist states
* People Power Revolution
* Predictions of the collapse of the Soviet Union
* Reagan Doctrine
* Soviet Empire
* Terrorism and the Soviet Union
* Vatican Opposition
* Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia

Reforms|

* Uskorenie
* Perestroika
* Demokratizatsiya
* Khozraschyot
* 500 Days Program
* New political thinking
* Sinatra Doctrine
* Glasnost
* Chinese economic reform
* Socialism with Chinese characteristics
* Đổi Mới

Government
leaders|

* Ramiz Alia
* Nicolae Ceaușescu
* Mikhail Gorbachev
* Károly Grósz
* Erich Honecker
* Miloš Jakeš
* Egon Krenz
* Wojciech Jaruzelski
* Slobodan Milošević
* Mathieu Kérékou
* Mengistu Haile Mariam
* Ne Win
* Denis Sassou Nguesso
* Heng Samrin
* Deng Xiaoping
* Zhao Ziyang
* Todor Zhivkov
* Siad Barre

Opposition
methods|

* Civil resistance
* Human chains
* Magnitizdat
* Polish underground press
* Political demonstration
* Protests
* Samizdat
* Strike action

Opposition
leaders|

* Lech Wałęsa
* Václav Havel
* Alexander Dubček
* Ion Iliescu
* Liu Gang
* Wu'erkaixi
* Chai Ling
* Wang Dan
* Feng Congde
* Tank Man
* Joachim Gauck
* Sali Berisha
* Sanjaasürengiin Zorig
* Vladimir Bukovsky
* Boris Yeltsin
* Viacheslav Chornovil
* Vytautas Landsbergis
* Zianon Pazniak
* Zhelyu Zhelev
* Aung San Suu Kyi
* Meles Zenawi
* Isaias Afwerki
* Ronald Reagan
* George H. W. Bush
* Pope John Paul II

Opposition
movements|

* Beijing Students' Autonomous Federation
* Charter 77
* New Forum
* Civic Forum
* Democratic Party of Albania
* Democratic Russia
* Initiative for Peace and Human Rights
* Sąjūdis
* People's Movement of Ukraine
* Solidarity
* Popular Front of Latvia
* Popular Front of Estonia
* Public Against Violence
* Belarusian Popular Front
* Rastokhez
* National League for Democracy
* National Salvation Front
* Union of Democratic Forces
* Inter-regional Deputies Group
* Alliance of Free Democrats
* Hungarian Democratic Forum

Events
by location|

| Central and
Eastern Europe|

* Albania
* Bulgaria
* Czechoslovakia
* East Germany
* Hungary
* Poland
* Romania
* Soviet Union
* Yugoslavia

|

Soviet Union|

* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Chechnya
* Estonia
* Georgia
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Kazakhstan
* Kyrgyzstan
* Moldova
* Russia
* Tajikistan
* Turkmenistan
* Ukraine
* Uzbekistan

Elsewhere|

* Afghanistan
* Angola
* Benin
* Burma
* Cambodia
* China
* Congo-Brazzaville
* Ethiopia
* Mongolia
* Mozambique
* Somalia
* South Yemen

Individual
events|

* Jeltoqsan
* 1987–1989 Tibetan unrest
* 1988 Polish strikes
* Polish Round Table Agreement
* April 9 tragedy
* Removal of Hungary's border fence with Austria
* Hungarian Round Table Talks
* Pan-European Picnic
* Baltic Way
* Monday Demonstrations
* Alexanderplatz demonstration
* Fall of the Berlin Wall
* Fall of the inner German border
* Malta Summit
* Black January
* 1990s post-Soviet aliyah
* Helsinki Summit
* Revolution on Granite
* Reunification of Germany
* January Events in Lithuania
* January Events in Latvia
* Transnistria War
* 1991 protests in Belgrade
* 1991 Belarusian strikes
* Dissolution of the Warsaw Pact
* August Coup
* Dissolution of the Soviet Union
* Tajikistani Civil War
* Dissolution of Czechoslovakia

Later events|

* Colour revolution
* Decommunization
* Lustration
* Democratization
* Economic liberalization
* Post-Soviet conflicts
* Neo-Sovietism
* Neo-Stalinism
* Post-communism
* Yugoslav Wars
* Pink tide

Related|

* Human rights in the Soviet Union

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