Egypt/SC/Sudan

Question 1

SC built?

Answer 1

1869 by the French

Question 2

Disraeli shares in the SC?

Answer 2

177k/400k bought in 1875

Question 3

Stats evidencing SC importance to Br by 1880s?

Answer 3

By 80s, 80% SC traffic- British; 13% Br goods travelled through the SC

Question 4

SC value to British?

Answer 4

Logistic- allowed Br to avoid 9654km circumnavagtion of Africa to get to India
Economic- stats of Br trade in SC
Defence- Military fleets could move to the Easy Empire much quicker and, as Russia had presence in Mediterranean, Br. in SC acted as intimidation

Question 5

Br development in Egypt post-69?

Answer 5

Br. banks lent Egyptian government big loans for development

• 1000 miles of railway track laid
• Schools, road construction etc.
• By 1870, 40% of Egyptian imports were British

Question 6

Imperial competition motivating Br formal occupation of Egypt?

Answer 6

Nothing too overt but perhaps Fr. encroachment-
Fr. were encouraging Egypt to break away from the Ottoman Empire (implying they would try to take imperial control)
Palmerstone had said int he 1860s that Britain just wanted to ‘trade through Egypt’ - ie motives had changed

Question 7

1875 Egyptian economic state?

Answer 7

Debt Crisis; from 63-79, national debt had increased from 3m to 100m
And so they sought Br and Fr help

Question 8

First formal stages of Br involvement in Egypt?

Answer 8

1878: Anglo-Frech plan; French government officials and Br financial experts took control of the Egyptian economy creating stability

Question 9

1882 events in Egypt?

Answer 9

11 June- Nationalist uprising led by Arabi Pasha in Alexandria- killed 50 Europeans; prompted Br ordering for formal occupation of Egyptian
Oct- Egyptian rebellion crushed by Royal Navy bombardment and invasion of Br army; Br formally became ‘government of Egypt’ and instated Tewfik (puppet ruler) as Egyptian ruler, ending dual control with France

Question 10

Post-1882 Br influence in the SC?

Answer 10

2250/2727 ships in the Suez were British

Question 11

Egyptian’s status as a colony

Answer 11

seen as a ‘veiled protectorate’ - illusion of control through puppet ruler and local rule but was realistically under British administrative rule, with Egyptians not being allowed into higher ranks of civil service

Question 12

Consul-general of Egypt?

Answer 12

Evelyn Baring (82-1907)
Oreintalist
Acted as the 'invisible man' ie the power behind the scenes

Question 13

Baring bad for natives

Answer 13

• Signed the Granville Doctrine, which meant British officials could dismiss Egyptian officials if they didnt follow British directions (unwilling to share power)
• Shunned educated classes from higher ranks: his grave was spat on by Egyptians in Britain
• Used education to suppress Egyptians; (Baring believed that education had led to nationalism in India)- not until 1909 was there one uni teaching modern subjects and Uni of Cairo only taught religious education
• Denshawai incident showed his administration’s racism

Question 14

Baring good for natives

Answer 14

Developed Egypt- more prosperity

• eg Aswan Dam: 18m high, quarter mile long, held back waters of Nile, opened in 1902 and the reservoir irrigated 0.5m acres of former irrigated land; led to all-year-round cultivation
• To balance Egyptian accounts he made cutbacks to Egypt’s military and bureaucracy and he invested in communications and irrigation schemes
• Within years of his rule, exports of cotton and sugar trebled

Question 15

Denshawai incident?

Answer 15

June 1906- Br men went to pigeon-shoot near Denshawai. An officer’s gun went off and wounded a village member/
Led to fight- British general died (due to exhaustion/heat) as a result and the Br. killed a local thinking he had killed the Br. guy

Question 16

Who replaced Baring?

Answer 16

Gorst- tried to use censorship and various penal laws to try and quell nationalism
Germans provided funds to fuel anti- Br sentiment

Question 17

Economic value of Egypt?

Answer 17

Gold exports worth 40m

Question 18

Why/when did Britain get involved in the Sudan?

Answer 18

77-80: Gordon sent to be governor-general of Egyptian-administered Sudan
81-82: Ahmad (a high profile Mahdist) began to create a jihadist army in opposition to the Br, and by 82 he gained control of the entire of Khartoum
84: Gordon told to evacuate Br troops from Khartoum
Jan 85: Gordon beheaded by Mahdist troops
1896: campaign led by Kitchener to assert Br control over Mahdists

Question 19

What happened in Sept 1898 (Sudan)?

Answer 19

Sudanese attacks being repelled by long-range artillery, killing 11k and injuring 16k
Day after (Sept 3rd)- Br and Egyptian troops raised flags over Khartoum and held a memorial service for Gordon
Lots of looting of Khartoum- Kitchener was criticised

Question 20

Where is Fashoda?

Answer 20

County in the Upper Nile, South Sudan

Question 21

What/when was the Fashoda incident?

Answer 21

1898-
By 1890, Fr had made many agreements with the Sudanese and so were given large tracts of W Sudan
Marchand, the French general, occupied Fashoda
Kitchener treated him politely and raised Egyptian flag on the area…Marchand withdrew

Question 22

Effect of Fashoda incident?

Answer 22

Embarassing for the French; demonstrated Br imperial dominance

Question 23

Sudanese natives sad to be ruled by Br?

Answer 23

• Didnt accept Br rule well: took 30yrs for Br to subdue locals who objected novelties like tac and refused to customs like inter-tribal warfare or stock rustling
• A total of 33 punitive expeditions were mounted t force tribesmen in Nuba mountains to accept new orders and rebellious natives were often brutally treated
• Br stopped processes, initiated by Muhamed Ali, of uniting Sudan and Egypt
• Br frequently crushed Madhist uprisings eg 1904 and 1908 and used public hangings

Question 24

Br rule benefiting Sudanese (usually undermined though…)

Answer 24

• Kitchener opened the ‘Gordon College to try and train the young Sudanese how to govern their own country
• Development of railway extended to link key areas in N Sudan (but didnt go further than Nile areas…only for British interest)
• Port Sudan opened in 1906 and Gezira Cotton Scheme in 1911 (but only there to provide cotton for British textile interests)