The Mad Mullah: Somali Dervish Resistance Against Empire

The Mad Mullah: Somali Dervish Resistance Against Empire

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable story of the Dervish resistance in Somaliland, led by Mohammed Abdullah Hassan—known to the British as the 'Mad Mullah'. We trace his rise from a wandering sheikh to a military leader who unified Somali clans against Ethiopian, British, and Italian colonization. Learn about the key battles at Taleh and Jidbali, the construction of the Dervish fortresses, and the role of Sayyid's poetry in mobilizing followers. We also discuss the use of the Italian rifle and the 1920 aerial bombardment that finally broke the resistance. This episode sheds light on a lesser-known but fierce chapter of the Scramble for Africa, where a poet-warrior held off three empires for over two decades. #MohammedAbdullahHassan #MadMullh #DervishState #Somaliland #Taleh #Jidbali #BritishSomaliland #ItalianSomaliland #EthiopianEmpire #Sayid #DervishPoetry #AerialBombardment1920 #ScrambleForAfrica #ColonialResistance #SomaliHistory #HornOfAfrica #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Abyssinian Victory at Adwa: Africa Defeats Italy

In 1896, Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia led a coalition army against Italian colonial forces at the Battle of Adwa. This episode explores the diplomatic maneuvering that united Ethiopia, the military strategy that exploited Italian weaknesses, and the aftermath that secured Ethiopian sovereignty. We discuss the Treaty of Wuchale's translation dispute, Ras Alula's key role, the role of Empress Taytu Betul, and how cannons captured at Adwa still guard the road to Addis Ababa. The victory inspired anti-colonial movements across Africa and forced European powers to respect Ethiopian independence for another forty years. #BattleOfAdwa #MenelikII #Ethiopia #Italy #TreatyOfWuchale #RasAlula #TaytuBetul #OresteBaratieri #EmpressTaytu #FirstItaloEthiopianWar #1896 #Adwa #Tigray #Amhara #YohannesIV #Colonialism #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Berlin Conference Lines That Still Divide Africa

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the lasting legacy of the Berlin Conference of 1884-85. They focus on how the straight-line borders drawn by European diplomats—without any knowledge of African geography, ethnic groups, or trade routes—created boundaries that persist today. The conversation examines specific examples: the border between Nigeria and Cameroon that splits the Bakassi Peninsula; the Caprivi Strip, a panhandle that gives Namibia access to the Zambezi but was a colonial bargaining chip; and the Angolan-Congolese border that separated the Kongo Kingdom. They discuss the legal doctrine of uti possidetis, which postcolonial African states adopted to avoid endless wars, freezing colonial borders in place. The episode also touches on the work of the African Union Border Programme, which has resolved some disputes but left others simmering. This is not a rehash of the conference itself but a deep dive into the consequences of that drawing-room cartography. #BerlinConference #ScrambleForAfrica #ColonialBorders #UtiPossidetis #CapriviStrip #BakassiPeninsula #KongoKingdom #AfricanUnion #BorderDisputes #Nigeria #Cameroon #Namibia #Angola #DRC #Zambezi #History #FexingoHistory #ColonialLegacy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Herero Genocide: Germany's First Mass Murder of the 20th Century

Long before the Holocaust, Imperial Germany carried out a campaign of deliberate annihilation in its colony of German South West Africa. Between 1904 and 1908, the Herero and Nama peoples were subjected to a war of extermination that included forced marches into the Omaheke Desert, systematic concentration camps on Shark Island, and medical experiments on prisoners. This episode explores the origins of the uprising under Herero leader Samuel Maharero, the genocidal orders of General Lothar von Trotha, the role of settler colonialism, and the shadow this atrocity casts over German history. We also discuss the 2021 German government acknowledgment and the long struggle for reparations. With specific dates, military details, and the experiences of individuals like Hendrik Witbooi, we trace how a frontier rebellion became the first genocide of the 20th century. #HereroGenocide #GermanSouthWestAfrica #SamuelMaharero #LotharvonTrotha #HendrikWitbooi #Nama #OmahekeDesert #SharkIsland #Namibia #ColonialAtrocities #20thCenturyGenocide #ImperialGermany #History #FexingoHistory #ScrambleForAfrica #SettlerColonialism #Vernichtungsbefehl #Reparations Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Fashoda Incident: Britain and France Nearly Go to War Over Sudan

In 1898, a small French expedition led by Major Jean-Baptiste Marchand arrived at the abandoned fort of Fashoda on the White Nile, claiming the region for France. Waiting for them was a much larger British force under General Horatio Kitchener, fresh from his victory at Omdurman. What followed was a tense standoff that brought Europe's two largest imperial powers to the brink of war — all over a muddy outpost in South Sudan. This episode unpacks the geopolitics, the personalities, and the surprising resolution that redrew Africa's colonial map without a single shot fired between the French and British. We examine Marchand's epic two-year trek across central Africa, Kitchener's calculated diplomacy, and the role of the Suez Canal and the Nile waters in shaping the outcome. A pivotal moment that defined the boundaries of modern Sudan and cemented British dominance in the region. #Fashoda #FashodaIncident #Marchand #Kitchener #ScrambleForAfrica #Sudan #WhiteNile #Omdurman #BritishEmpire #FrenchEmpire #ColonialHistory #JeanBaptisteMarchand #HoratioKitchener #NileWaters #AfricaHistory #FexingoHistory #History #1898 Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]