Evaluate the contributions of both Tewodros II and Yohannes IV to the unification of Ethiopia.

The question requires that candidates make an appraisal of the contributions to Ethiopian unification of both Tewodros II and Yohannes IV weighing up the strengths and limitations of both individuals. Contributions to unification may predate the timeframe but they must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may evaluate the significance of military actions and conquered territories, or of the process of cultural unification related to language and religion. Candidates may refer to the submission of peoples of different cultures under the Ethiopian state. Other relevant factors may be considered, for example, the link between trade with European countries and Ethiopian unification under Tewodros II and Yohannes IV, but with a focus on the issue in the question. Candidates may note that Tewodros focused on modernising Ethiopia through land reform and the creation of a professional army. However, his actions alienated other princes and elites such as the clergy and led to British armed intervention in the form of the Napier expedition. They may contrast this with Yohannes’s approach to domestic politics, which was more conciliatory. He was also successful in defending Ethiopia from external threats posed by Sudan, Egypt and Italy. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.