The First Time The British Fought The Sudanese Mahdists - The Battle of El Teb 1884

[@SAMISami-fi8gf]

A great telling. And for me, as a Sudanese, you sound very neutral and objective.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Very kind of you. Keep safe.

[@Thomo2461]

What a situation politicians get themselves in the guise of agreements and policies which always seem to require the military enforce. Lots of 'What if' questions come to mind regarding this battle. Thanks to the new technology weapons the brits won this battle. Can't wait for the next piece of the puzzle. Many thanks Chris.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you enjoyed and keep your eyes peeled for next installment. Should be out on Friday (famous last words!)

[@darrenmarsh8830]

I love hearing about these colonial wars. Thankyou for such an informative presentation.

[@TheHistoryChap]

My pleasure!

[@jackgreenfitness3640]

I knew nothing about this period of history, so thanks for your video.

[@TheHistoryChap]

My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@martinetti123]

thanks! Unfortunately, a Gladstone is not far and wide in sight in London today...

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

[@AgentGB1]

Ah never heard of this part of history and battles! So many good picttures and always well written & narrated. Thank you!

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you enjoyed. Thanks for posting your comment.

[@georgegoodyear9631]

An intriguing narrative, concerning a battle of which I previously knew nothing. It is a pity that George MacDonald Fraser is no longer around to weave a yarn that would have included Harry Flashman into this Conflict of Empire.

[@TheHistoryChap]

I’m sure Flashman could have helped Valentine Baker 🤣

[@markeubank1451]

Thanks, Great History retelling. I thoroughly enjoy your work.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for your kind words.

[@johnhudghton2287]

Thank you Chris. I very much enjoyed this episode. It is interesting how neither numbers, nor advanced weaponry grant any side an "auto win". Belief, professionalism, discipline and morale are huge factors. I guess it is one reason why milirary padres are still used today - not necessarily because of ideological reasons but because they can act as force multipliers.

[@TheHistoryChap]

What a great observation.

[@richardthompson9836]

Thanks Chris. Most interesting as well as exciting. I can't wait for your next adventure to stimulate the theatre of my mind.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you enjoyed. More coming soon.

[@silasrocco]

Such a great telling history chap👍🏻 I've not long finished a book on the Egyptian/Sudan campaign, absolutely terrific stuff

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for your kind comment.

[@davefellhoelter1343]

Love How it All Tied together in Spacetime, History, AND Humanity! Both Sides Gave all and Paid their Prices on to the Next Time, and History Repeats, only the Names and Dates have changed.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for taking the time to comment

[@jfh9219]

I remember reading about this way back in the 80's. It's great to see the faces, maps and your usual awesome presentation bring it back to my mind. Very well done!!

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you enjoyed. Thanks for watching

[@fredazcarate4818]

I thoroughly enjoyed your lecture regarding the two Battles of El Teb. Absolutely brilliant mini documentary would like to see more. God bless! 🧐🤔👊👍🙏

[@TheHistoryChap]

More coming very soon (hopefully on Friday)

[@fredazcarate4818]

@@TheHistoryChap await your next video presentation Sir

[@allanburt5250]

Another excellent packed episode 👌 thanks for sharing

[@TheHistoryChap]

My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@dokkenratt]

I always look forward to your uploads. I wish you'd have been my history teacher at school. You know your stuff and you make it entertaining too.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for those very kind words

[@jeffsmith2022]

@@TheHistoryChap It's always good to' know your stuff'...

[@snevs]

My Great Grandad was in at this battle he was a colour sergeant in the Royal Irish Fusiliers, I have an original 'coloured' photo of him in his uniform looking very formidable, I don't know much about him but would love to find out more!.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for sharing.

[@william.ianmoore9606]

My great great grandfather was a corporal there.

[@kiwifruit27]

I had never heard this before. Fascinating, thanks

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you enjoyed.

[@TheMartymar1976]

Awesome content, could you do an episode about Baden-Powell and the siege of Maefking during the Boer War?

[@TheHistoryChap]

I will add to my list. Great idea!

[@ropeburnsrussell]

Great story telling. I cant wait to hear about the broken square, I suspect Kipling will make an appearance.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Peter, it would be rude not to !

[@speakupriseup4549]

Another stirring story. Would love to see you present the Boxer Rebellion & Fall of Peking.

[@TheHistoryChap]

it's on my (ever-growing) list. Stay tuned.

[@simplyphil.photography164]

A very good talk and explanation of the situation.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Many thanks.

[@william.ianmoore9606]

My great great grandfather was a corporal at the 2nd Battle of El Teb. He was decorated by Queen Victoria for his bravery saving the life of a wounded officer. We have a photo of the men who had just received their medals from the Queen.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Wow. Great story.

[@nigelcarter7758]

Another battle id never heard of, fascinatin..great thabX

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you enjoyed.

[@rodeastell3615]

Excellent as always. Thanks for posting.

[@TheHistoryChap]

My pleasure. Thanks for your support.

[@JamesDesk]

My Great Great Grandfather Barnes Robinson commanded the Royal Irish Fusiliers and his future son in law Frederick Angell was a platoon commander at El Teb. Barnes was wounded but also caught malaria resulting in his subsequent death when he returned to Dover.

[@TheHistoryChap]

James, thanks for sharing your family history. A lot more colourful than mine!

[@danm7298]

Such well made an interesting videos. Thank you and the ppl for making those drawlings. really gives you a great image to describe the location and conditions of the event. Actual photos of the places and ppl are great too. Even locations as they are today would be cool to see.

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

It's good to see the Mahdist War getting more attention, I feel it often gets overlooked when it set the stage for a lot of future players like Kitchener and Churchill. If those leaf blades at Omdurman had been just a bit more accurate in their thrusts world history for the next fifty years might have looked very different. I still remember reading about this in Khartoum the Ultimate Imperial Adventure, seeing films like Khartoum, The Four Feathers(both versions). Those works, Gunga Din, Zulu Dawn and Zulu gave me a deep fascination with this particularly period of the British Empire along with their conflicts in Afghanistan.

[@TheHistoryChap]

"Brave Men's Blood" is a very good read.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you enjoyed the film.

[@col4574]

According to Lance Corporal Jones the second mad Mahdi was even madder than the first mad Mahdi.

[@johnroche7541]

Check out the movie "Young Winston" starring Simon Ward which depicts 3 colonial conflicts : North-West-Frontier,Sudan Campaign(Battle of Omdurman) and Anglo-Boer War(Winston being captured by Boers when the armoured train he was on was ambushed in November 1899).

[@TheRealRedRooster]

@@col4574 Yeah, those fuzziwuzzies were a real dread back than... LOL

[@FranciscoPreira]

Another great video with top information, thank you sir.

[@TheHistoryChap]

My pleasure.

[@michaelmoorrees3585]

Q: Why are the Pyramids in Egypt ? A: Because they were too big to move to the British Museum.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

[@the5thmusketeer215]

“Many a true word spoken in jest…” 😂

[@alexanderjharper3549]

Brilliant,brave men on both sides,great stories

[@TheHistoryChap]

Indeed. Thanks for commenting.

[@gwinyairondozai5513]

Mahdist Sudanese history always captured my imagination ever since I watched the 4 Feathers movie years ago

[@b.critical7873]

Excellent narration Sir.

[@TheHistoryChap]

My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed.

[@cameronbrown9080]

Great video today thanks for what you do and I'm looking forward to the next one

[@TheHistoryChap]

Many thanks. I’m working on the next one and it should be out at the end of the week.

[@cameronbrown9080]

@@TheHistoryChap thank you looking forward to seeing it 😀

[@jamesbishop4635]

Thanks Chris. Great as ever,very entertaining.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@1958letgo]

You paint an extremely exciting picture with words.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thank you. I think History is full of exciting stories rather than a list of dates.

[@1958letgo]

@@TheHistoryChap If only people would learn.

[@ianknight2053]

They don’t like it up ‘em, those Fuzzi Wuzzis. Thanks Chris, very enjoyable.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed.

[@fedecano7362]

Im early, you have my like sir!

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for your support.

[@andrewgamble5332]

Interesting and very well presented thanks

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@emptyhad2571]

Beja tribe in Sudan looks soo cool. I met many of them before.

[@TheHistoryChap]

The Sudanese people whom I have met are such nice folk.

[@brianivey73]

Fabulous video, job well done

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you enjoyed my video, thanks for watching.

[@jb-fy1oc]

Brilliant as ever

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thank you.

[@davidheard709]

This is always a step to insight.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thank you for taking the time to comment

[@joeshmoe8345]

Real cool, thanks for sharing big dog

[@TheHistoryChap]

My pleasure.

[@sharonrigs7999]

The Fuzzy Wuzzys were pretty damn intimidating looking. Especially when they are holding mean looking sabres and spears.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Fearsome warriors.

[@lmclm1755]

My Granny's father, Thomas White, was in 5 major battles during this period when serving with the Black Watch. He talked of the Fuzzy Wuzzies cutting the legs off the men in the line in front and having to step into the breach repeatedly.

[@killer3000ad]

Sadly, the Bejas today have been large Arabized and have adopted Arab language, dressing styles and Islam. Many don't even speak their native tongue.

[@مدنيمحمد-ق8ت]

Who said that still they speak beja language ​@@killer3000ad

[@danm7298]

Osman Digna (Mahdi General, leader of the Beja people) (Arabic: عثمان دقنة) (c. 1840 - 1926) was a follower of Muhammad Ahmad, the self-proclaimed Mahdi, in Sudan, who became his best known military commander during the Mahdist War. He was claimed to be a descendant from the Abbasid family. As the Mahdi's ablest general, he played an important role in the fate of General Charles George Gordon and the loss of the Sudan to Turkish-Egyptian rule. In Britain, Osman Digna became a notorious figure, both demonised as a savage and respected as a warrior. Winston Churchill described him as an "astute" and "prudent" man, calling him "the celebrated, and perhaps immortal, Osman Digna

[@andyjones6643]

Brilliant thanks

[@TheHistoryChap]

My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed

[@jeffsmith2022]

I have begun to read the book ' Beyond The Reach of Empire' and would like to know more about ' Billy Hicks'...I thought that this was a minor battle much before Khartoum...You could easily do 2 hours on Charles Gordon I would think...Gladstone wanted no part of any of this mess to begin with...

[@garybrockwell2031]

Charles Gordon's picture hangs on SHERLOCK HOMES wall? Fascinating FELLA, Agree with you there👍🇬🇧🆘😤👁️💥👁️💪🗣️🎬

[@TheHistoryChap]

Jeff, thanks for Billy Hicks suggestion. As for Charles Gordon I did two videos about him earlier this year. It was a 2-parter talk. Here is video 1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGWnmJqtiJaKqJI and here is part 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iausmqGDfNV7eNU

[@jeffsmith2022]

Thank you, Chris...@@TheHistoryChap

[@prestons9305]

Those beja warriors look terrifying

[@TheHistoryChap]

Hard men and incredibly brave fighters.

[@joeritchie4554]

Such interesting history!

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you found it interesting.

[@nigeldeforrest-pearce8084]

Marvelous!!!

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you enjoyed.

[@greggouws129]

Hi there Chris. In your video on the siege and attack on Khartoum, you say that one of Gordon's military commanders opened the gates to the city. However, in other accounts of the battle such as on Wikipedia, it says that the Mahdists broke down the city gate? Interestingly, in the 1966 movie Khartoum, it shows the gate being blown open with an explosive. Can you shed any light on this? Thanks, Greg from Durban, South Africa.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Hi Greg, yes there is some controversy as to whether the gate was blown up or it was opened. I would need to go back to my notes from the beginning of the year. PleaseDrop me a line via my website (www.thehistorychap.com) so I can come back to you.

[@charlescrowell3346]

@@TheHistoryChap read the "Mahdi of Allah," by Bergman. It reads like a great adventure novel. Now the army will fix bayonets and advance!

[@greggouws129]

@@TheHistoryChap Thanks so much Chris. Will do so.

[@tomtaylor6163]

Hey Chris , How far up the Nile was it Navigable for the larger Vessels?

[@TheHistoryChap]

The Nile had a series of rapids - so they couldn't get further than Wadi Halfa (Aswan dam today). They either had to pull boats up through rapids or along the bank.

[@briggsahoy1]

Excellent, RB, Nova Scotia.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Many thanks for your support.

[@darrelneidiffer6777]

Nicely done.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thank you.

[@darthpanda]

Can you make a playlist for Egypt-Sudan campaign?

[@mortenpoulsen1496]

Well that is a much deeper look into the Mahdist era than I have read or seen before. Really appreciate it. Plus I can se why there might be a bit of confusion on which empire is ruling/commanding which empire/land/state/province.😂

[@TheHistoryChap]

Glad you enjoyed. Thanks for watching.

[@mortenpoulsen1496]

@@TheHistoryChap no thank you for enlightenment. BTW Are you a teacher or just a big history fan .?

[@bobwilliams899]

What about Egyptian plans in the Lake Victoria Area?

[@TheHistoryChap]

thanks for watching my video

[@kmorton54]

Valentine Barker had more than just a stiff upper lip while riding on that train! Another great video Mr. Chris

[@TheHistoryChap]

Naughty 😆

[@kmorton54]

@@TheHistoryChap Not as naughty as Valentine! The cad!

[@the5thmusketeer215]

Thanks for the laugh! 😂👍 I needed one Today…

[@johnwright9372]

Egypt was not only bankrupted by the Khedive's ambitions, but also by his extravagance, as his successor Farooq did 80 years later.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for watching my video.

[@claudiox2183]

I guess Kipling's Fuzzy-Wuzzy was dedicated to those Sudanese warriors..

[@TheHistoryChap]

Yes it was, although specifically about the next battle (Tamai) which I will be talking about later this week.

[@victorydaydeepstate]

What about the artwork and movies that depict the English army in anachronistic red uniforms when khaki color was period correct?

[@TheHistoryChap]

Victorian artists still used the red uniforms in their depictions for 2 reasons - 1. thats what the public expected (old habits die hard). 2. Red made it easier to spot which side was which and made the soldiers stand out. Same happened with depictions at Omdurman and in the Boer War.

[@StooTV]

It's also worth mentioning that the last time a British regiment wore red in action was at the Battle of Ginnis, Sudan at the very end of 1885 (December 30). I'm a collector of Victorian-era military films and, *most* of the time, the uniforms are coloured correctly. When they're wrong, sometimes it bothers me and sometimes it doesn't, simply because the red looks so good!

[@adoakster]

Any idea if there are records for who fought in 1884?

[@adoakster]

I have a newspaper record from the Belfast Newsletter on Friday 18th October 1940 that states my Great Grandfather, Alex Doak, "an Army veterian .. saw active service in Egypt 1884 - 56 years ago" - I'm trying to find out if he indeed did serve in the Battle of El Teb.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for watching my video. Re the records, try the British Army War Records Office in London

[@benoneill9683]

What is the name of the piece of music you end your videos with please?

[@TheHistoryChap]

Brooke's Triumphal March

[@benoneill9683]

Thank you!

[@georgeamanor-boadu6771]

I wouldn't blame the Egyptians for turning tail; the mere sight of those Beja warriors and their hair would scare the living daylights out of a lot of folk, me included.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Me too!

[@llamamanism]

Now, those Beja Warriors are what, one might call and using the vernacular of the time - Fuzzy Wuzzies

[@TheHistoryChap]

hence their nickname. It is a shame it is now used as a general term.

[@MrBook123456]

good

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thank you.

[@Dictatorswagger]

W EGYPTIANS AND THE BRITISH!!!!

[@TheHistoryChap]

Not sure, I understand your comment

[@Indigenous-English-Man]

🇬🇧

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for posting.

[@victorydaydeepstate]

Cnut the Great, please.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for the suggestion

[@rustykilt]

The US Military have experienced that to depend on Logistical superiority creates a weakness and does not guarantee victory. The Soviets thought superior technology and firepower would see the Afghan tribesmen crushed, but they were so wrong. The sheer size of the logistical investment in Afghanistan by the Allies failed to secure the Country and defeat the Taliban. The Allies lived in Islands of fortified security with every mod-con while the Taliban ruled the rest of the Country.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@ak9989]

I got 3 medals with EL Teb-Tamaii clasp.2 to the Royal Irish and one to the Gordon's. I like the Egypt medals I'v collected 16 of them so far.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for sharing.

[@nathanappleby5342]

Well done Chris! The British performed well at Second El Teb, but the Mahdists were undeniably cunning. It is ironic that Gladstone didn't want to see slave rule restored to Sudan since he himself was a slave owner before it's abolishment in the British Empire plus I read that privately Gladstone supported the Mahdist cause. A military commander or any person in general should know that when it comes to fighting numerically superior forces, numbers matter in in addition to weaponry. The British learned that lesson the hard way in the Mahdist and Boer Wars. Hey Chris, a couple of questions. Going off topic but, in the First World War, the BEF landing in France, had battalions each numbering 1,000 men. When one hears the name of a British unit that fought in the war, does it refer to the battalion or the regiment? Also, would you be willing to do a video on Sir Frederick Robert's 313 mile march to Kandahar and the subsequent battle? It is a significant feat in British military history and is not well known.

[@alecblunden8615]

William Gladstone never held slaves. Sir John the first Baronet, did.

[@nathanappleby5342]

@@alecblunden8615 Thank you for correcting me. I was wrong. I read about the subject previously and I made a mistake.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Hi Nathan, thanks for your post. Love the idea of Roberts march to Kandahar. I was intending to do a video about him and his son (one of only 3 Father-Son combinations to both win the VC.

[@morriganmhor5078]

Most modern historians generally agree that slavery continued in Britain into the late 18th century, finally disappearing around 1800.[11] Slavery elsewhere in the British Empire was not affected - indeed it grew rapidly, especially in the Caribbean colonies. Slavery was abolished in the colonies by buying out the owners in 1833 according to the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. Most slaves were freed, with exceptions and delays provided for the East India Company, Ceylon, and Saint Helena. These exceptions were eliminated in 1843. Enlighten me please how under these conditions was William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS (/ˈɡlædstən/; 29 December 1809 - 19 May 1898) a slave owner? There is not much known about his activities in the Caribbean.

[@nathanappleby5342]

@@morriganmhor5078 I made a mistake about Gladstone. His father was a slave owner but Gladstone was in favor of a slow emancipation process. One can read about it on his Wikipedia page. He believed slaves should be educated about freedom for some years before being freed.

[@husseinabdelkarim9249]

Ottaman empire in the conquering of Sudan started in 1820 there main goal was to establish more land and territory and to make a slave army

[@TheHistoryChap]

Was Egyptians rather than ottoman

[@husseinabdelkarim9249]

Mumluks are considered freed slaves and who pleaged their allegiance to the ottaman empire

[@patrickt6642]

Long live the empire!!!

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thank you for posting your comment.

[@beachboy0505]

Excellent video 📹 Britain's other Afghanistan. The people of the Sudan were previously the Nubian peoples. They fought against the Pharaohs and indeed ruled Egypt. They embarrassed the Roman Empire. They defeated the Arab empire *battle of the eyes) Now the British were coming with the best weapons. Krupp artillery from Germany and Gatling guns from the USA.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

[@morriganmhor5078]

They defeated the Arabs so much that they became muslims and slave traders. Krupp guns and gatlings were not necessary to crush them - and their former slaves were great help - at Ommdurman fought 17,000 Sudanese and Egyptian troops against mahdists, twice the number of the British.

[@beachboy0505]

@@morriganmhor5078 Omdurman: the cowards 😤 battle For 10 years the British were afraid 😨 to fight them. The British and Egyptians hid behind the newly invented 'maxim gun". They were too afraid to fight the Mahdi, in combat. Except one young soldier, Winston Churchill, he saw the cowardice and charged the Mahdi.

[@morriganmhor5078]

@@beachboy0505 Charged the self-served Mahdi who was dead in the time for three years. Return to beach, boy.

[@morriganmhor5078]

That emphasis in the presentation on "modern guns" is excessive. British squares were repeatedly able to repel enemy forces, be it cavalry or infantry, already in the time of the Brown Bess flintlocks. That was proved succinctly in the Napoleonic wars and in sipahi mutiny in 1857. So, under normal conditions, Beja or other mahdists did have no big chance against British or British-led and thoroughly trained troops, even if they didn´t have Nordenfeldt repeaters. Even the old muzzle-loading field guns sufficed.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Interesting points you have made. Of course, as you are no doubt aware, the Mahdists did break the square at both Tamai and Abu Klea, so they weren't always impregnable.

[@morriganmhor5078]

@@TheHistoryChap Impregnable? No. But with good training and officers/NCO´s very resistant. And you know better than me how both these battles you mentioned ended.

[@johna1160]

7:26 One bad ass looking group of men. Most having narrow noses, bet they have a very unique DNA ethnic chart.

[@TheHistoryChap]

Yes, I bet the DNA would be very interesting.

[@eugenemurray2940]

Pointy noses... Nothing to with the Barbary Coast Slavers 🤔

[@donnyskinner3423]

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐦 😁

[@TheHistoryChap]

Thanks for taking the time to share your comment.