The Resistance
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Welcome to Colonialism Level 1, Lesson 3: The Resistance
In this lesson, you will learn about:
The kingdoms and empires that resisted Europeans through war
The methods of resistance used by Africans
Africans regaining their independence
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will understand:
Which kingdoms most famously battled Europeans
Who defeated the Italians
Who defeated the British
What guerrilla warfare is
Which Black African country was the first to declare independence
The name of the ruler of this country
European colonialism was challenged every step of the way for years.
The late 19th century saw many military conflicts, with Great Benin battling the British up until 1897. The Ashanti Empire also defended itself against Britain as wars lasted into the 20th century. The French were met with similar resistance from the Kingdom of Dahomey, and the Italians and British were both defeated by Ethiopia and the Zulus of South Africa respectively.
Other methods of resistance were also undertaken by Africans. Guerrilla warfare was often employed, where small groups of organised Africans who were masters of fighting would attack European army camps in a hit-and-run fashion. They would use their knowledge of the environment to get to safety before the Europeans could retaliate.
African resistance continued well into the 20th century. Kenya, whose citizens were put into concentration camps by the British, used military force against the colonisers in the 1950s. Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe, also militarily resisted the British through the 1960s and 1970s. Within just a few decades of colonial rule, many African nations began to gain independence through military action. And, although limited, these forms of independence were never supposed to have occurred. The Gold Coast under Kwame Nkrumah was the first Black African country to declare independence from Europe’s colonial claws, and the nation was renamed Ghana.
The following decade saw the great majority of Africa follow suit.