British Empire Timeline

By riyam01

  • Suez Canal opens

    Opened a new trade route to India. Cut the journey by 6000 miles and from 2 years to 3 months

  • Disraeli purchases £4 million shares in Suez Canal

    Bond holders in the City of London also had significant investment into Egypt.

  • Bartle Frère becomes High Commissioner and Governor of Cape Colony

    Frère was tasked with merging South Africa with the Dutch Boer Transvaal.
    Acted as a "man on the spot" and deliberately provoked a war with the Zulus in 1879

  • Depose of Khedive Ismail Pasha

    Deposed due to Egypt becoming bankrupted (largely due to British and French loans and investment). Sultan deposed but British persuaded him to appoint Tewfik Pasha (son) instead. Tewfik acted as a British figurehead.

  • Emergence of Urban Pasha

    British, French and Ottoman interference led to nationalist figurehead emerging (Urabi Pasha). Started from dissatisfaction of army's pay to national revolt.

  • Emergence of Mahdist

    Unhappy with control over Sudan from Egyptians, Ottoman Empire and the British and French. Grievances grew and resistance radicalised when it become religious and finding a 'pure' Islam

  • Gambetta Note

    Britain and France issue a diplomatic note threatening military intervention if any nationalist movement was to threaten and depose the Khedive

  • Egypt becomes a "veiled protectorate"

  • Bombardment of Alexandria

    After 50 Europeans killed by Pasha, British intervened with naval bombardment. Pasha's forces were defeated near Tel el-Kebir. 2000 Egyptians dead.

  • General Hicks Expeditionary Force killed

    300/7000 forces massacred by Mahdists in Sudan

  • Evelyn Baring becomes Consul-General in Egypt

    Issued the Dufferin Report. Instructed the reorganisation of the Egyptian government under British control.

  • Siege of Khartoum

    General Gordon initially meant to evacuate Egyptian garrison from Sudan. Instead he led a dug in for 10 months. Was beheaded by Mahdist supporters. British relief forces arrived 2 days late

  • British South Africa Company formed

  • Africa Exhibition

    Celebrated the explorers and colonisers in Africa. Justified the British presence in Africa.

  • Battle of Omdurman

    General Kitchener led Anglo-egyptian army of 25,000. 11,000 Mahdist supporters slaughtered by the use of the Maxim gun.

  • Fashoda Incident

    Kitchener marched to Fashoda, where French expeditionary forces were at the Nile. Forced them to retreat with the threat of war and secured British interests in Egypt and Sudan. Stand-off between the French and British but agreed to resolve diplomatically.

  • Condominium in Sudan with Egypt

  • Entente Cordiale

    Egypt given to Britain. Morocco given to France. Decreased tensions between two powers.

  • Denshawai Incident

  • Port Sudan opened

  • University of Cairo established

  • Gezira Cotton Scheme

    Irrigation scheme - water from the Blue Nile was distributed into canals and ditches. Soil was fertile for cotton. Cotton was provided to Britain for their textile industry.

  • Ghana Independence

    Gold Coast becomes Ghana under leadership of Kwame Nkrumah

  • Wind of Change Speech

    Macmillan speech
    "growth of national consciousness is a political fact"