Final answer:
The British accelerated the decolonization of their African colonies to avoid violence, while American interest in African independence movements was minimal and primarily influenced by Cold War dynamics. African Americans provided significant support to these movements, connecting them to their own struggle for civil rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The role and influence of the British and Americans in Ethiopia's domestic and foreign affairs during the liberation period were complex and varied. British influence in Ethiopia can be seen in their hastened decolonization efforts across Africa, prompted partly by nationalist movements and the realization that the era of colonialism was ending, as noted in Harold Macmillan's "The Wind of Change" speech. The British worked to quickly move their colonies towards independence, seeking to avoid violent confrontations and insurgencies that plagued other regions such as the Congo.
During this period, the United States adopted a position influenced by imperialism and Cold War strategic interests. Rather than taking an active role in African nations' independence movements, US policy was often disinterested or influenced by concerns over the geopolitical balance during the Cold War. African Americans, however, showed significant support for these movements, both ideologically and financially, associating African liberation with their own civil rights struggle.
Ethiopia was one of the few African nations that remained independent through the colonial period. However, during the Cold War, Ethiopia became an area of competition between the superpowers, with the US and the Soviet Union both seeking to influence its domestic and foreign policies through economic and military support, aligning with their respective ideological camps.