Glossary: Derg
DEFINITION:
Formed in June 1974 and composed of a substantial body of young military officers, none above the rank of major, drawn from the main units of the army, air force, navy, and police. The Derg’s membership ranged from perhaps 106 to 120 or more. New officers were never admitted, whereas original members were continuously eliminated, especially during the Derg’s early years. Its inner workings were almost never disclosed. Known at first as the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, after September 1974 it was known as the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC), or simply as the Derg (Amharic for ""committee"" or ""council""), a term derived from Gi’iz and little used before the 1974 revolution. The Derg lasted officially from June 1974 to September 1987, when the People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia came into being.