The podcast uses General Sir Harry Flashman, a fictional Victorian officer, to introduce the Abyssinian Expedition. This literary device immediately establishes a dramatic, first-person perspective, making complex history more accessible and engaging even though the source is invented.
Treasures taken by British troops from the Abyssinian citadel of Magdala in 1868 are now held in institutions like the British Museum, the V&A, and even the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. This highlights the lasting, global legacy of Victorian military expeditions on cultural heritage.
The warlord Kassa, after unifying the country, took the name "Theodros." This was a strategic move to tap into a long-standing Abyssinian tradition foretelling a messianic ruler named Theodros who would restore the nation's glory, effectively claiming a divine right to rule.
Emperor Theodros viewed his Christian kingdom as a natural ally to Christian Britain. However, British foreign policy was driven by realpolitik, prioritizing its strategic alliance with the Ottoman Empire and interests in Egypt, a calculation Theodros could not comprehend.
A key turning point in Emperor Theodros's reign was the death of his wife Tawabak, who was a moderating influence. Her loss sent him into a spiral of grief, heavy drinking, and paranoia, directly contributing to his increasingly erratic and violent behavior as a ruler.
Fascinated by foreign military power, Emperor Theodros II became obsessed with acquiring modern guns. He forced European missionaries to build blast furnaces and cannons for him, threatening them with death if they failed, despite their lack of expertise in gunsmithing.
After being slighted, missionary Henry Aaron Stern published a book highly critical of Abyssinian society, calling them a "false, treacherous and insolent race." This public critique reached Emperor Theodros, leading to Stern's arrest and torture, escalating the international crisis.
Emperor Theodros's escalating paranoia and imprisonment of British citizens stemmed from Queen Victoria's failure to reply to his letter. The British Foreign Office had simply received the letter, deemed Abyssinia unimportant, and filed it away, leading to a disastrous misunderstanding.
Emperor Theodros developed a powerful, almost lovesick attachment to Hormuzd Rassam, the British envoy sent to negotiate. After agreeing to free the hostages, Theodros reversed his decision at the last minute, seemingly unable to bear letting his new "friend" Rassam leave the country.
After imprisoning British envoys in a cellar, Emperor Theodros sat drinking with them before departing with a chilling confession. He acknowledged his family history of madness and admitted, "now I know it's true," showcasing a moment of tragic self-awareness amidst his tyranny.