The post-WW2 army of Ethiopia was British trained / organized and equipped with a variety of left over Allied and Italian weapons.*
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During the regime of Emperor Haile Salassie, the Army consisted of a regular branch, an elite Imperial Guard and a territorial force of irregulars. With support and equipment from the United States, Ethiopian army morale and effectiveness continued to improve during the period following the Korean War.*
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Regional, etnic, religious and social dissent led to a bloody revolution that toppled the Salassie government in 1974. A socialist regime eventually controlled by the military under Major Mengistu Haile Mariam (Mengistu) took over.  During the 1977-78 Ogaden War with Somalia, Mengistu obtained massive support from the Soviet Union and Cuba.  The rapid influx of new equipment provided new hardware assets to the army but tended to dilute troop quality.*
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The 1980's were marked by continued regional conflict especially in the Tigray, Eritrea and Ogaden.  In 1991 Soviet support abruptly ended, the Megistu regime collapsed, and Eritrea gain independence leaving Ethiopia land locked and isolated.  As fighting in Eritrea continued, Ethiopian army quality plummeted. Despite famine and social chaos, military aid from foreign sources, often in the form of illegal arms shipments continues to fuel conflict in Ethiopia.  As late as Decemnber 2001, Russia forgives Ethiopia it's prior debts and approves shipment of six Mi-35 gunships, BTR-80 APCs and IGLA SAM weapons.*     