"Face-off at Fashoda: How Close Did Britain and France" Topic

… Come to War in 1898?

"On 2 September 1898, Major-General Horatio Herbert Kitchener fought his most famous action of his military career, the Battle of Omdurman. It was the finale of a long campaign against the Mahdists of Sudan, and the even longer awaited avenging of General Charles Gordon's killing over a decade earlier. Thousands of fanatical Islamic warriors lay dead or wounded in the burning sands, while their defeated leader, the Khalifa, scurried off to make good his escape. Thanks to Kitchener, Mahdism was all-but dead and Sudan returned to Egypt, albeit under British rule.

Within days of this stunning victory, Kitchener was about to become involved in a major confrontation with one of Britain's oldest adversaries. Worries of a French invasion of Britain persisted throughout much of the nineteenth century, but few had envisaged a potential war between the two European powers originating in a remote part of Africa. Nevertheless, at the time of the so-called ‘Fashoda Incident' the likelihood of war seemed real; but just exactly how close did the two countries come to war?…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Two SUPERB books on the subject.

Race to Fashoda – David Levering Lewis

Especially noted for the African response across Africa, ranging from mutinies to the Belgians clearing out the last remnants of Mahdist forces south of the Sudan.

The Fashoda Incident of 1898 – Encounter on the Nile – Bates

A very even handed account concentrating on the French advance and British response. Also puts paid to the idea that Kitchener's Campaign against the Khalifa and his Mahdist forces was not political cover to confront Marchand militarily.

There is also oblique reference to Fashoda in PJ Buchanan's "Churchill and Hitler". While some of Buchanan's arguments might have something of a leg to stand upon, two countries negotiating diplomatically in good faith is NOT a "cabal", but people will believe just about anything nowadays!

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

I've always wanted to put together a hypothetical game for this encounter using TSATF.
Cheers,
JB