[nb 4] With Tafari gone, Zewditu would be the sole claimant to succession as the ruler of the Ethiopian Empire (Mangista Ityop'p'ya).
[1] Early in 1928, the authority of Ras Tafari Makonnen was challenged when Dejazmach[nb 5] Balcha Safo went to Addis Ababa with a sizeable armed force.
The revenues he remitted to the central government did not reflect the accrued profits and, as a result, Tafari recalled him to Addis Ababa.
[5] In September 1928, a group of palace reactionaries including some of the courtiers of the Empress, made a final bid to get rid of Tafari.
As Negus and with the tacit approval of the Empress, Tafari called for the governors of several neighboring provinces to suppress the Oromo revolt.
As a result, the response to Tafari's call was less than enthusiastic, efforts to suppress the Oromo were dissipated in palace intrigue, and the revolt continued.
[7] Ultimately a trusted cousin of Tafari, Ras Imru Haile Selassie, was made Shum[nb 8] of Wollo[8] in an effort to end the revolt.
In addition to not being happy with the rise of Tafari, Gugsa Wale tried to rally "traditional Ethiopia" to his side in support of his wife, the Empress.
In the end, as part of the government, the Empress was in the strange position of being formally on the same side as King Tafari and being against her husband who was rebelling on her behalf.
The newly appointed Minister of War, Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu, was only able to raise an Army of the Center (Mahel Sefari) with 16,000 men pledged to it.
Even worse, Gugsa Wale was now in open revolt and he had already gathered an army in Debre Tabor of 35,000 utterly devoted men.
[9] In mid-March, Ras Mulugeta marched the Mahel Sefari to Debre Tabor to face the rebellious Gugsa Wale.
[9] On 31 March, Gugsa Wale and his army met the Mahel Sefari at Debre Zebit on the plains of Anchem.