Sudan Flashcards
What happened in 1877?
Colonel Charles Gordon sent from Britain to act as Governor-General of Egyptian-administered Sudan in 1877
What happened to Gordon in Sudan?
He faced serious opposition from Sudanese Islamic Cleric, Muhammed Ahmad, who, in June 1881, declared himself the Mahdi
What did the Mahdi do?
He used the long term resentment of Egyptian control in the Sudan as well as more recent British involvement to transform an emerging nationalist movement to a jihadist army
What was the aim of the Mahdists?
Free Sudan from outside rule and by 1882 they had taken control over area around Khartoum
What happened in 1883?
A join British and Egyptian military expedition, led by Colonel William Hicks, launched a counterattack against the Mahdists but it proved to be ineffective and Hicks himself was killed in the ensuing conflict
What was PM Gladstone’s attitude to the Mahdists?
He was reluctant to get drawn in to further conflicts and ordered General Gordon to oversee the evacuation of all British and Egyptian troops from Khartoum 1884
-January 1885, Khartoum overrun and almost the entire garrison killed with General Gordon beheaded
-Gladstone didn’t retaliate as he was keen to avoid further loss of life and money, so British left embarrassed
What happened to British attitudes towards Sudan after ww2?
-A national consciousness began to grow in the Sudan. Nationalist activity was not violent and focused on Sudanese involvement in politics, although tensions did exist between rival parties
-British officials recognised the power of nationalism and tried to work with Sudanese elites by introducing new political institutions
What happened to Sudan in 1952?
Colonel Nasser ended Egypt’s claims to the Sudan. Undermining British position in Sudan, which they theoretically governed on behalf of Egypt. So in response, March 1953, Britain, Egypt and Sudan agreed to transition Sudan to self-government
What happened in Sudan 1954?
It was agreed that the Sudan should be granted its independence, which it attained on the 1st January 1956
What was the state of Sudan in 1890s?
-Suffering from civil war with internal resistance fighters as well as escalating levels of disease and famine, so PM Salisbury resolved to reconquer at least part of Sudan. Salisbury worried about the interest that other European nations showed in Africa
What was signed in 1890?
A treaty with the Germans was signed by Salisbury in 1890, giving Germans control of Tanganyika and gave the British control of Kenya, this forced the French to concentrate on West Africa which the British had little interest in. Whilst Italy was expanding on the Red Sea coast and attempted to seize Ethiopia in 1896
What role was Kitchener appointed when?
General Kitchener was appointed commander-in-chief of the new Egyptian Army in 1896, he was given orders to go as far as Dongola within the Sudanese territory. But Kitchener was determined to go further by taking Khartoum and conquering the whole region
What was the most significant event of General Kitchener’s control?
The battle of Omdurman which Kitchener won in 1898
What happened to Kitchener after the battle of Omdurman?
Kitchener was directed to go to Fashoda where a French expedition, led by Major Marchland had just arrived. Kitchener and Marchland pressed their countries claims to the area, accusing each other of trespassing
What happened as a result of the dispute between French Major Marchland and General Kitchener?
This was labelled the Fashoda incident 1898, both Britain and France were on the brink of war, though the French were concerned about British strength and chose to back down
-A year later 1899 the French promised to stay out of Nile Valley in return for territory further west
