Army of the Derg

The Army of the Derg emerged from officers within the Imperial Ethiopian Army, primarily drawn from four divisions: Division I, Imperial Guard, Addis Ababa; Division II, Eritrea-based counter-insurgency; Division III, a mechanized unit in Harar; and Division IV, Addis Ababa, overseeing southwestern Ethiopia.^[1]

Shaped by the 1960s student movement, the army reflected a hierarchical structure of three sociopolitical classes: the Military Upper Class (senior officers), Military Middle Class (junior/intermediate officers), and Rank and File with NCOs, who responded to growing socio economic unrest. The officer corps was predominantly Amhara (over 80% of generals, 65% of colonels), followed by Tigreans, Oromos, Gurage, and a few Muslim members.^[1]

The Derg army emerged from several army officers divisions splintered from the Ethiopian Empire Army. By 1960s, these divisions were based in Debre Zeyit (Air Force) and small naval unit in Asmara. The Division I, also known as the imperial guard was based in Addis Ababa, safeguarding the imperial Haile Selassie's officials; Division II – based in Asmara – tasked to subdue Eritrean separatists; Division III – a mechanized Harar unit – used to combat Somali forces in the east; and the Division IV was based in Addis Ababa to supervise the situation of southwestern Ethiopia.^[1]

During the 1960s student movement, the armed force of the empire had three identifiable sociopolitical classes that led pivotal role for the revolution:

• The Military Upper Class – led by colonel, the supreme unit.
• The Military Middle Class – made of junior and intermediate colonel. Officers were general at the age of twenties and early thirties who functioned as civil intelligentsia.
• The Rank and File and NCOs – deals with the increasing socioeconomic challenges.^[1]

In February 1974, so-called the "February Movement", the non-commissioned officer, although lack of institutional revolution, began protesting with little effective for power struggle. On 25 February, the Eritrean private and NCOs Division II arrested the government high-ranking officers, ensued by the Addis Ababa Division I and IV. Massawa-based naval forced Admiral Iskinder Desta to flee to Djibouti and later to Addis Ababa. The Division III of Harar was inactive during the period.^[2]

In June 1974, the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police and Territorial Army, also called the Derg, emerged from several divisions from the Army of the Ethiopian Empire by group of police officers led by General Aman Andom.^[2] The Derg army was challenged by internal divisions and lack of support from Ethiopia's external enemies. The army was then recruited by the peasants. Taking advantage from the 1973 economic recession, the NCOs monthly salaries was raised by $200–300 free tax. This concerned the raising prices, food security, pension and injustice system. According to Derg's booklet published in 1975, these officers took oath as the emperor told not to reveal secret. The secrecy continued to be kept in the Derg regime.^[2]

From the events of the Ethiopian Revolution, the army rapidly grew within three years as their high rank army officers emerged during the World War II. Military personnel and officers were mostly consisted of Amharas, followed by Tigreans of Eritrea, Oromos, Gurage and other ethnicities, while few handful Muslim members also existed.^[1] By the 1980, the army exceeded to 250,000 troops, costing about 50-70% of Ethiopia's national budget since 1978. In addition to the regular army, the Derg also organized some civilian militias: People's Militia (150 000 fighters in 1980) and People's Protection Brigades. After the Derg fell in 1991, the army had about 45,000 troops that were disintegrated shortly.^[3]