African Resistance Movements

During the Scramble for Africa, European countries raced to claim and occupy territory in Africa as colonies. These colonies were set up to benefit the imperialist country, while the natives suffered dearly (commonly dying from disease, malnutrition, exhaustion, and sometimes outright murder). Africans often resisted colonization.

Some resistance movements had early success (with resistance fighters winning several battles against European imperialists) before eventually being put down by the European imperialists and the European much more advanced weapons (such as the Maxim gun). Only Ethiopia was able to maintain their independence using resistance, defeating Italy in the First Italo-Ethiopian War (1894-1896).

Despite having a huge advantage and always ending up successful (with the exception of Ethiopia), maintaining control of colonies was not easy for European imperialists. European imperialists fought against resistance movements in most of its colonies, some lasting several years.

For example, France fought against the Algerian Berbers and Arabs (1830-1884) for over 50 years in Algeria, and against the Mandingo (1884-1898) for 15 years in French West Africa.

Britain fought against a series of resistance movement against the Zulus (including the Anglo-Zulu War (1879)) and Boers (including the First Boer War (1880-1881) and Second Boer War (1899-1902)) in modern-day South Africa. Britain also fought a long resistance movements in other colonies, including Sudan (1881-1898) and the Dervish Resistance (1899-1920) in British Somaliland.

Germany, on the other hand, was consider particularly ruthless and continued to wage war against the Hereros in German Southwest Africa and the native African tribes in German East Africa for many years even after the resistance fighters were defeated.

Dervish Resistance (1899-1920)

Aside from Ethiopia defeating Italy, every African resistance movement was ultimately unsuccessful. However, the Dervish Resistance was one of the most successful resistance movements, fighting against the British (as well as the Italians and Ethiopians) for over 20 years (1899-1920) before being defeated.

The Dervish movement was sparked by Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, a Somali nationalist and Islamic militant leader, who recruited Muslim soldiers from across the Horn of Africa (modern day Somalia and Ethiopia is East Africa). The Dervish movement attempted to drive European imperialists out of Africa (and defeat Ethiopia) and then create an independent Muslim nation in Africa.

The Dervish were defeated by the British, but not until after World War I in which the British used airplanes to end the resistance. Nearly one-third of the population of Somaliland died due to these wars (and wars between rival clans).

The Herero Wars (1904-1908)

During the Herero Wars, the Herero people rebelled against German colonial rule in German Southwest Africa (modern-day Namibia). The actions of the German army following the war is considered an act of genocide.

The rebellion began in 1904 when Herero rebels massacred more than 100 German men (sparing women and children) living in German Southwest Africa. The Herero formed coalitions with other tribes and began using guerrilla warfare (surprise attack and disappear) against the Germans. Germany sent 20,000 German troops into the region to put down the rebellion. Despite being outnumbered 5 to 1, Germany defeated the Herero at the Battle of Waterberg due to superior weaponry. Germany drove the remaining rebels into the desert, where most rebels died from dehydration.

The general sent to put down the rebellion issued an extermination order to kill every Herero man (and drive the women and children into the desert). After a couple of months, the extermination order was suspended and surviving Herero people were imprisoned in concentration camps, where the majority died from disease, exhaustion, abuse or outright murder. The Shark Island Concentration Camp, one of five concentration camps, conducted medical experiments on the prisoners and was considered by many historians as an extermination camp (death camp).

Although the rebellion lasted for only a few months, the executions and concentration camps continued until 1908. About 80% of the entire Herero population died as a result of this genocide (the first genocide of the 1900s). Until recently, the human remains (skulls and other bones) of the human experiments were on display in museums in Germany (as well as the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, New York). Read 'The Troubling Origins of the Skeletons in a New York Museum'.

Maji Maji Uprising (1905-1907)

German occupation in German East Africa (a German colony in modern-day Tanzania) was particularly violent. African leaders were murdered for noncompliance, while the African population was enslaved and forced to grow cotton (instead of food for survival) and build roads for Germany.

During a drought, a prophet claimed that sacred water (translated as “Maji Maji”) sprinkled on their bodies would turn the Germans’ bullets into water. During the uprising, over 20 different ethnic groups united to fight for their freedom against the Germans. The fighters believed that their war had been ordained by God and that their ancestors would return to life and assist their struggle.

African villagers began attacking German outposts and destroying cotton crops (a cash crop for German export). These resistance fighters armed with spears and “protected” by sacred water (translated as “Maji Maji”) attacked a German machine-gun post… and were mowed down by the thousands.

Germany started a counteroffensive attacking the natives and purposely burning villages and destroying the crops of suspected Maji Maji supporters. According to German reports 75,000 resistance fighters died from combat. Between 125,000 and 175,000 died as a result of disease and famine (starvation) created by Germany’s army destroying their crops.

First Italo-Ethiopian War (1894-1896)

Ethiopia was the only African nation to successfully resist European imperialists in order to maintain their independence, defeating Italy during the First Italo-Ethiopian War (1894-1896).

The war began because of a disputed treaty which Italy claimed turned all of Ethiopia into an Italian colony. As Italy sent troops towards Ethiopia, Ethiopia’s emperor Menelik II declared war on Italy.

Surprisingly, Ethiopia was superior to Italy in most areas. Before the war, Ethiopia had modernized its army, purchasing weapons from Russia and France (which was a violation of the terms of the Berlin Conference for Russia and France). On the other hand, Italy was relatively new country (the city-states of Italy were not unified until 1861) whose army was equipped with outdated weapons. Therefore, Ethiopia had not only a numerical advantage, but also superior weapons.

Ethiopia (with the support of Russia and France) won the war, soundly defeated Italy at the Battle of Adowa. Thus, Ethiopia maintained their independence throughout the ‘Age of Imperialism’ and was a sovereign country until 1936 (when Italy attacked Ethiopia before World War II).