Egypt/SC/Sudan Flashcards
SC built?
1869 by the French
Disraeli shares in the SC?
177k/400k bought in 1875
Stats evidencing SC importance to Br by 1880s?
By 80s, 80% SC traffic- British; 13% Br goods travelled through the SC
SC value to British?
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
Br development in Egypt post-69?
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
Imperial competition motivating Br formal occupation of Egypt?
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
1875 Egyptian economic state?
Debt Crisis; from 63-79, national debt had increased from 3m to 100m
And so they sought Br and Fr help
First formal stages of Br involvement in Egypt?
1878: Anglo-Frech plan; French government officials and Br financial experts took control of the Egyptian economy creating stability
1882 events in Egypt?
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
Post-1882 Br influence in the SC?
2250/2727 ships in the Suez were British
Egyptian’s status as a colony
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
Consul-general of Egypt?
Evelyn Baring (82-1907) Oreintalist Acted as the 'invisible man' ie the power behind the scenes
Baring bad for natives
- 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
Baring good for natives
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
Denshawai incident?
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
Who replaced Baring?
Gorst- tried to use censorship and various penal laws to try and quell nationalism
Germans provided funds to fuel anti- Br sentiment
Economic value of Egypt?
Gold exports worth 40m
Why/when did Britain get involved in the Sudan?
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
What happened in Sept 1898 (Sudan)?
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
Where is Fashoda?
County in the Upper Nile, South Sudan
What/when was the Fashoda incident?
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
Effect of Fashoda incident?
Embarassing for the French; demonstrated Br imperial dominance
Sudanese natives sad to be ruled by Br?
- 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
Br rule benefiting Sudanese (usually undermined though…)
- 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)
