Expansion in Africa - Relative Power (indigenous societies) Flashcards
1
Q
Egypt and the Sudan
A
- 2nd September 1898: Battle of Omdurman with the Mahdist
- British expected the Khalifah’s army to be 60k strong and Kitchener only assembled 25k: British government were expecting victory and considering future political settlement
- British long range rifles, machine gunsa nd artillery killed 11k of Khalifah’s army and wounded 16k
- illustrated difference between industrialised British war tech vs. opponents in Africa
2
Q
Southern Africa (Zulus)
A
- 1879 22nd January: Battle of Isandlwana climax of Zulu Wars
- 12,000 Zulus vs. 1200 British troops
- Zulus used shields and spears vs. British rifles
- Underestimated and British suffered defeat
3
Q
Southern Africa (Second Boer War)
A
- Boer War 1899-1902
- British expected it to take 3-4 months, 75,000 troops and no more than £10m
- British ultimately did win however not easily; almost 400,000 British troops, £250m; best part of 3 years
- 31 May 1902: Peace of Vereeniging saw Boers acknowledging themselves as British subjects
4
Q
Southern Africa (Xhosa)
A
- 1857: tactical error by Xhosa tribe who slaughtered their cattle hoping it would fulfil a prophecy which would bring back their ancestors to drive out the white men
- 1877-78: Xhosa War; British easily disarmed the Xhosa, annexing their land into the Cape Colony
5
Q
Treaties
A
- Men on the spot overcame indigenous African tribes with treaties or agreements where the native people would gain far less than the British who ultimately manipulated them
- Goldie and Lugard in WA and Mackinnon in EA
- e.g. Lugard manipulated tribal chiefs in Cano after physically overcoming them and went on to take interior West and East; 1890 Lugard signed a treaty with King Mwanga of Uganda on behalf of IBEAC giving British power over revenue trade and administration of justice
6
Q
East Africa (Zanzibar)
A
- 1896: Zanzibar’s Sultan Khalid refused to stand down after having ascended to the throne without British blessing
- After 38 mins he was overthrown and replaced with a pro-British Sultan
