The Battle of Omdurman Sudan 1898
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Another story from Chris Green, The History Chap, bringing the past to life.
The Battle of Omdurman fought in Sudan in 1898 was a highpoint in Queen Victoria's British Empire.
In many ways it's bloody outcome provided the final closure to the story of Gordon of Khartoum
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:51 General Kitchener
3:24 The Sudan Campaign 1898
7:25 Dervish Army Sighted
8:25 Subscribe for more History Stories
9:25 Battle of Omdurman begins
17:37 Charge of 21st Lancers
21:10 Hector MacDonald
24:30 Charles Gordon avenged
26:30 Aftermath
28:14 Support Me
#thebattleofomdurman1898 #battleofomdurman #sudancampaign
Omdurman was an epic battle between the 50,000 strong, almost medieval, army of the Ansar supporters of the dead Mahdi and the industrial might of the British Empire.
Fanatical Muslims armed (mainly) with swords and spears throwing themselves at the British army armed with modern rifles, maxim machine guns and over 4o artillery pieces, backed up by a heavily armed flotilla of steamboats on the river Nile.
The result was never really in doubt.
Commanded by General Kitchener, the Anglo-Egyptian force lost less than 500 men.
The Dervish losses amounted to over 10,000 dead and a similar number wounded.
The death of General Gordon in 1885 at the hands of the Mahdi's warriors had shocked Britain.
For over a decade the British public clamoured for the British Empire to take revenge.
The Sudan Campaign of 1898 was seen by the British public as time to avenge Gordon of Khartoum.
That was certainly the line the British public were fed. The Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury, was more interested in making sure that Sudan did not become part of the French Empire in Africa.
Advancing up the Nile, Kitchener's Anglo-Egyptian army defeated the Dervishes at the battle of Atbara and continued towards the Sudanese Khalifa's capital at Omdurman (across the Nile from the now derelict Khartoum where Charles Gordon had met his fate).
The battle of Omdurman was completely one-sided and effectively ended Sudanese independence as it became part of the British Empire.
There were moments when it could have turned out differently.
The famous charge of the 21st Lancers nearly ended in disaster and, but for the effective leadership of Hector MacDonald, the Dervish green flag column could have broken through the British lines during the second phase of the battle.
The Battle of Omdurman had a cast of characters who would play significant roles in Britain's military history especially in the Boer War and World War 1, not least Winston Churchill who took part in the charge of the 21st Lancers.
In this battle of Omdurman documentary, you will learn not just the details of the battle but the story before hand, the outcome of the battle and some of the fascinating characters who were involved.
As always with history, there will be different view points about the Battle of Omdurman but it did happen and I am telling the story to highlight the event. You draw your own conclusions as to who was right and who was wrong.
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/ thehistorychap
My name is Chris Green ("The History Chap") and I am on a mission to share the amazing history of Britain so that we can appreciate where we have come from and why we are here.
History should not be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings & queens.
So rather than lectures or KZfaq animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.
My aim is to be chat as if I were having a coffee or meal with you. Jean in Maryland, USA recently wrote: "Chris, is the history teacher I wish I had at school!"
Just for the record, I do have a history degree and continue to have a passion for the subject I studied.
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.