Battle of Omdurman in the Mahdist War

Battle of Omdurman in the Mahdist War The Battle of Omdurman took place in present-day Sudan during the Mahdist War (1881-1899). Battle of Omdurman - Date The British triumphed on September 2, 1898. Armies Commanders British: Major General Horatio Kitchener8,200 British, 17,600 Egyptian Sudanese Mahdists: Abdullah al-Taashiapprox. 52,000 men Battle of Omdurman - Background Following the capture of Khartoum by the Mahdists and the death Major General Charles Gordon on January 26, 1885, British leaders began contemplating how to retake power in Sudan. Over the next several years, the urgency of this operation waxed and waned as William Gladstones Liberal Party exchanged power with Lord Salisburys Conservatives. In 1895, the British consul-general of Egypt, Sir Evelyn Baring, Earl of Cromer, finally convinced Salisburys government to take action citing the desire to create a Cape-to-Cairo chain of colonies and the need to prevent foreign powers from entering the area. Concerned about the nations finances and international opinion, Salisbury gave permission for Cromer to began planning the reconquest of Sudan, but stipulated that he was to use only Egyptian forces and that all actions were to appear to take place under Egyptian authority. To lead Egypts army, Cromer selected Colonel Horatio Kitchener of the Royal Engineers. An efficient planner, Kitchener was promoted to major general (in Egyptian service) and appointed sirdar (commander-in-chief). Taking command of Egypts forces, Kitchener began a rigorous training program and equipped his men with modern weapons. Battle of Omdurman - Planning By 1896, the sirdars army numbered around 18,000 well-trained men. Advancing up the Nile in March 1896, Kitcheners forces moved slowly, consolidating their gains as they went. By September, they had occupied Dongala, just above the third cataract of the Nile, and had met little resistance from the Mahdists. With his supply lines badly stretched, Kitchener turned to Cromer for additional funding. Playing on the governments fears of French intrigue in East Africa, Cromer was able to secure more money from London. With this in hand, Kitchener began building the Sudan Military Railroad from his base at Wadi Halfa to a terminus at Abu Hamed, 200 miles to the southeast. As the construction crews pressed through the desert, Kitchener dispatched troops under Sir Archibald Hunter to clear Abu Hamed of Mahdist forces. This was accomplished with minimal casualties on August 7, 1897. With the completion of the railroad on in late October, Salisbury decided to expand the governments commitment to the operation and began sending the first of 8,200 British troops to Kitchener. These were joined by several gunboats. Battle of Omdurman - Kitcheners Victory Concerned about the Kitcheners advance, the leader of the Mahdist army, Abdullah al-Taashi sent 14,000 men to attack the British near Atara. On April 7, 1898, they were badly defeated and suffered 3,000 dead. As Kitchener prepared for the push to Khartoum, Abdullah raised a force of 52,000 to block the Anglo-Egyptian advance. Armed with a mix of spears and antique firearms they mustered near the Mahdist capital of Omdurman. On September 1, British gunboats appeared in the river off Omdurman and shelled the city. This was followed by the arrival of Kitcheners army in the nearby village of Egeiga. Forming a perimeter around the village, with the  river at their back, Kitcheners men waited for the arrival of the Mahdist army. Around dawn on September 2, Abdullah attacked the Anglo-Egyptian position with 15,000 men while a second Mahdist force continued moving north. Equipped with the latest European rifles, Maxim machine guns, and artillery, Kitcheners men mowed down the attacking Mahdist dervishes (infantry). With the attack defeated, the 21st Lancers were ordered to reconnoiter in force towards Omdurman. Moving out, they met a group of 700 Hadenoa tribesman. Switching to the attack, they were soon confronted by 2,500 dervishes which had been hiding in a dry streambed. Charging through the enemy, they fought a bitter battle before rejoining the main army. Around 9:15, believing the battle won, Kitchener ordered his men to begin advancing on Omdurman. This movement exposed his right flank to a Mahdist force that was lurking to west. Shortly after beginning their march, three Sudanese and one Egyptian battalion came under fire from this force. Compounding the situation was the arrival of 20,000 men under Osman Shiekh El Din which had moved north earlier in the battle. Shiekh El Dins men soon began attacking the Sudanese brigade of Colonel Hector MacDonald. While the threatened units made a stand and poured disciplined fire into the approaching enemy, Kitchener began wheeling the rest of the army around to join the fight. As at Egeiga, modern weaponry triumphed and the dervishes were shot down in alarming numbers. By 11:30, Abdullah gave up the battle as lost and fled the field. With the Mahdist army destroyed, the march to Omdurman and Khartoum was resumed. Battle of Omdurman - Aftermath The Battle of Omdurman cost the Mahdists a stunning 9,700 killed, 13,000 wounded, and 5,000 captured. Kitcheners losses were a mere 47 dead and 340 wounded. The victory at Omdurman concluded the campaign to retake Sudan and Khartoum was quickly reoccupied. Despite the victory, several officers were critical of Kitcheners handling of the battle and cited MacDonalds stand for saving the day. Arriving at Khartoum, Kitchener was ordered to proceed south to Fashoda to block French incursions in the area.

Abraham Lincoln Essay Example

Abraham Lincoln Essay Example Abraham Lincoln Essay Abraham Lincoln Essay Abraham Lincoln in the US History Abraham Lincoln, the greatest man in U.S. history, had many great accomplishments for this nation throughout his presidency. The most significant of these accomplishments was the abolishment of slavery.His love for America motivated him to do what he knew to be just.Lincoln had a meaningful, but shortened life, but he still accomplished more things than most other people in their lifetimes.Abraham Lincoln, the greatest man in U.S. history, had a childhood, education, and achievements that are exceptionally commendable. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. (Donald 22; Neely 347)Abe liked to work outdoors, and was raised to do farm work. (Sandburg 14; Neely 347)When Abe was seven, his family moved to Indiana. (Donald 23)Partly on account of slavery, Abraham recalled, but chiefly on account ofdifficulty in land titles in Kentucky. (Neely 347)His formal education he received in an Indiana Blab School, using only the spelling book. (A ngle 23)He loved to read, especially the Bible, Aesops Fables, and Robinson Crusoe, to name a few. (Angle 23-24)In 1817, his grandparents Tom and Betsey Sparrow died of milk sick.Abes mother also died from this on October 15, 1818. (Sandburg 11) Lincoln reached his full height, 64, before he was 20.Abe was thin, awkward, big-boned, and strong in the arms. (Baritt 313)Abe was interested in politics, and would walk 30 miles to a courthouse to hear lawyers speak and to see how they argued.Abe also heard political speakers and mimicked them.In 1830, he made hisfirst political speech, on improving the Sangamoon River for better navigation. (Sandburg 15, 21) On March 1, 1830, he left for Illinois to the town of New Salem, looking for a career to pursue. (Sandburg 20)In 1831, however, he was still unsure of his career.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 7

Assignment Example 4 Part D 5 Describe the single most important/useful thing about organizational behavior. 5 Part E 5 Assuming this is true, what would a culture look like for shaping high ethical standards? 5 What could top management do to strengthen that culture? 5 Do you think it’s possible for a manager with high ethical standards to uphold those standards in an organizational culture that tolerates, or even encourages, unethical practices? 5 Works Cited 6 Name of the Student Name of the Professor Name of the Course Date Part A Summarize article It is very important to bring about major changes within organizations. Otherwise, they tend to remain locked within the old patterns and lag behind their competitors. In some other cases, they end up in poor alignment with the business objectives or markets. In such cases, one of the best courses of action includes making big changes within organizations. The decision of bringing about a change within the organization is very risky. However, it i s better than lagging behind the competitors. Higher attention is required for the maintenance of team psychology during taking change initiatives or restructuring. Some of the necessary steps in this context include retaining talented employees, hiring new employees and building team cohesiveness. These are the important points to be considered as they might pose as big challenges to the organization and put restraints on the organizational changes. The article states that it is very important to consider how rewarding and motivation can be incorporated within organizations effectively. Motivational drivers are the reasons responsible for the performances of team members. Each and every team member has his/her own motivational driver. These drivers help in building elegant solutions with quality, creativity and skill. The motivational drivers for the managers include how to bring an effective change within an organization and leave their mark in it. Individuals within an organizati on require stability and knowledge regarding their specific functions along with their respective positions. The article states that organizational change is nothing but a race of stability. Part B What are the key signs of culture in your organization? Explain. Culture is a significant factor in an organization which helps in bringing together a group of different individuals (Hofstede 22). It is comprised of aspirations, beliefs and languages. In an organization, establishment of a unique prevalent culture is very important as cultural values are different for individuals belonging to different backgrounds. Organizational culture is of great significance in today’s world (Hofstede 48). In order to seek new opportunities, it is very important to respect the mission and values of the organization in which an employee is working. This is the first sign of positive working culture. It is essential to create a supportive environment for all employees, so that they can feel comfo rtable to work in it. It is vital to determine different ways to make the workplace comfortable and genial. These are the important signs of positive organizational culture. If much of the literature is accurate and ethical/moral values and behavior are shaped at an early age, how do you explain what has happened in recent business history? (Tyco, WorldCom, Enron, etc.) Ethics and moral values are very essential for shaping effective organizational behavior. However, the recent deceptive activities suggest that