The Race to Fashoda: European Colonialism and African Resistance in the Scramble for Africa

by David Levering Lewis

The fortress of Fashoda is on an obscure junction of the Nile, but from 1870 onwards, because of its strategic position and the rise of European colonialism, it became the subject of conflict between the rival Western powers of Britain, France, Belgium, Germany and Italy. This is an account of those struggles based largely on unpublished documents and told from the perspective of the Africans themselves. It also aims to show how this conflict led to the African people's first battles for their independence and fostered the political tensions that helped to cause World War I.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Africa

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

David Levering Lewis is the Julius Silver University Professor and Professor of History Emeritus at New York University.

Reviews

[Bob Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marchand's Marches

In the last quarter of the 19th century, the European powers divided up Africa like a geographical pizza. The only thing was, they didn't politely divide the pie in equal pieces. It was more "every man for himself". As the race to acquire territory (and hopefully, resources) quickened, all kinds of armed maneuvers became necessary if any player was to grab and maintain hold on a claim. Britain envisioned a solid belt of colonies from Cairo to Capetown, (north to south) while France planned to get a wide band from Dakar to Djibouti (that is, west to east). As the Hollywood movie title goes, "Something's Gotta Give". Meanwhile, King Leopold schemed and sent his private army everywhere until he had gotten the vast chunk of Africa that became the Belgian Congo. Not satisfied with that huge piece, Leopold played Oliver and demanded "more". The Italians, latecomers, thought they would carve out an empire [which self-respecting European nation lacked one ?] on the Horn of Africa, but ran into a patch of bad luck---the Ethiopians destroyed their army in 1896. Russians too, played at least a minor role in Ethiopia. Africans seldom agreed with the carve-up. Ethiopia was the only country that managed to steer clear of the disaster, the Khedive of Egypt (formerly part of the Ottoman Empire) was already under control thanks to Egypt's enormous financial debts to Europe, but the Swahili sultans of Zanzibar/Oman, the khalifas of Mahdist Sudan, and various other African leaders put up fierce resistance. If you want to know all the details, you couldn't do better than to read THE RACE TO FASHODA, which is a greatly-expanded tale of how a small group of French soldiers, led by Jean-Baptiste Marchand, struggled mightily to cross Africa from today's Gabon to South Sudan to plant the French flag at a crumbling fort called Fashoda on the Nile, thereby denying Britain's attempt to connect all their colonies from north to south. This valiant group sailed up rivers, hauled their boats hundreds of miles overland, got lost in marshes, fended off angry hippos and elephants, got malaria, and eventually arrived at their goal. It seems, though, that they never ran out of champagne ! Meanwhile, the British, with Arab and Indian auxiliaries, fought their way down through today's Sudan and arrived at Fashoda as well. World War I nearly broke out 15 years earlier, but it didn't. Lewis writes in colorful style. He could have used a few more maps, and put them all at one place in the text. The number of players is immense; you need a good memory, but you'll come away with a different view of African history. Can we say that Africans have really got control of their continent yet ? Maybe. If you want to know something of why that is a reasonable question, read this book.

[Joseph Tyrrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the first, but a seminal incorporation of African perspectives and resistance to the European "race" to carve up and subjugate the continent.
Incorporating a wealth of information and players, David Levering Lewis nonetheless manages a sprightly, stirring style. The unfortunate Yohannes IV, true self-believer Muhammad Ahmad, Swahili magnate Tippu Tip, shrewd Empress Taitu take their place here alongside unsavory interlopers like Leopold II and Herbert Kitchener.
Not that Lewis skews the facts, giving much attention to actual "racers," the brave, back-breaking and thoroughly misguided adventure of Jean-Baptiste Marchand and his men through the difficult lands of central Africa.
Now more than three decades old, this history retains its impact and value.

[Ryan Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the Fashoda Incident between the British, French, Belgians, and Africans that took place towards the end of the 19th Century during the Scramble for Africa.

I enjoyed the narrative of the events that led to “race” and how the competing European powers attempted to carve up different parts of the continent. My favorite part had to be the areas that explored Ethiopia’s role in the “race.”

I recommend this book to anyone who is studying the Scramble for Africa, the British Conquest of Egypt, or late 19th early 20th century European history.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much a mainstream, top-down history of the Belgian-British-French race to colonize the Upper Nile. Frustrating in that it is dominated by European sources and there is very little politics or theory involved. Very encyclopedic at times. I appreciate his efforts to add complexity to the traditional narrative of European colonization of Africa and Africans by being very specific about places, people and ethnicities. And of course by focusing on African resistance to colonialism, and how colonialism impacted Africa and resistance to it impacted Europe.

[David A-S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Europe is carving up Africa as much for their egos as their commerce. In the meantime, it is almost 1900 and they are still racing to secure loose pieces. Africans are fighting back and showing their own political acumen. The end of the colonial expanisionist era is beginning to dawn. It is ugly. It is violent. It is interesting. Lewis picks great topics, but he can lose you through an inundation of facts and his erudition, but hold on it is worth it.