Paul W. answered • 11/29/22
Dedicated to Achieving Student Success in History, Government, Culture
The peoples of the continent of Africa resisted the conquest of their lands by European nation-states in a variety of ways. These include, but are not limited to, diplomacy, playing one European nation off against another, and, of course, the employment of military force.
As a military historian, I'm most familiar with military resistance by African states. During the 19th century, when the nations of European conquered nearly all of Africa, the continent contained a wide variety of native kingdoms, large and small, old and new, situated in the diverse regions of Africa. While some of these native states fielded armies with little organization, virtually no training, and arms that were hopelessly inferior compared to those in use by European forces, there were other states that were able to deploy well organized, superbly trained, and well armed troops.
In 1879 the British authorities governing southern Africa chose to invade the neighboring Zulu empire. The Zulus had developed an excellent military system. Boys were organized by age into regiments that were put through a grueling training regime, enabling them to move and fight in close formation. On the battlefield these regiments were deployed in a 'buffalo' formation, with a 'chest' in the center that advanced to contact with the enemy army, fighting hand-to-hand with shields and short stabbing spears. Meanwhile, other regiments forming the right and left 'horns' swept around the enemy's flanks, encircling their army while it was busy struggling against the Zulu 'chest'. Lastly, a 'loins' was stationed behind the 'chest' to act as a reserve. The British invaders grossly underestimated the Zulus, crossing the border into Zulu territory in four separate columns that were too far apart to support one another. At Isandlwana a British force of 1,100 troops, camped in the open, was attacked by a Zulu army of 20,000. The concentrated rifle and cannon fire of the British soldiers inflicted heavy casualties among the Zulus, but their intense discipline meant that the survivors continued their advance, ultimately overwhelming the British defenders. Roughly fifty British soldiers survived the battle.
Unfortunately for the Zulu Empire, despite their success in defeating the British first invasion attempt, a second was launched later that year. The British, having learned from their defeat, employed new tactics that succeeded in repulsing Zulu assaults, so that conquest was achieved. The same could not be said for another, younger European power.
In 1896 Italy went to war with the last remaining independent kingdom in Africa, Abyssinia / Ethiopia. The Emperors of Abyssinia / Ethiopia had seen how modern firearms had given European armies a decisive edge in Africa and had ensured that the forces of the regional warlords from which the kingdom's armies were composed were armed with modern rifles. At Adowa the Italian invaders, 17,700 troops, met the Abyssinian / Ethiopian Army of roughly 100,000 warriors in battle. Like the British, the Italian forces were divided into three separate columns that were deployed too far away from each other to work together. Each column was devastated by the massive firepower from Abyssinian / Ethiopian troops. Over 6,100 Italians were killed and, unlike Great Britain, Italy chose to accept defeat so that Abyssinia / Ethiopia retained its independence (until 1935-36, when Mussolini avenged the defeat at Adowa, conquering Ethiopia).
