Historic Timeline of Wars that Created New Cultures and Kingdoms: 600-1000 CE: The Bantu wars caused them to extend to Southern Africa and the Bantu language became the dominant language... 639-641 CE: The Islamic leader Khalif Omar conquers Eqypt; Islam then ⦠[1][2] With an army mainly composed of Somalis,[3] which was equipped by the Ottoman empire with musketeers and troops. In ancient times there had been a Kingdom of Kongo which confronted invasions from explorers and settlers from Portugal starting in the 15th century. The Suez Canal did not exist for most of history. Altogether, 334,000 men volunteered for full-time service in the South African Army during WWII, including some 211,000 whites, 77,000 blacks and 46,000 "coloureds" and Asians), with nearly 9,000 killed in action. 1076 CE: The Moroccan Berber army was led by religious reformers that were called Almoravids, and they attacked Ghana. [15] Indeed, compared with the formation of European states, there have been fewer interstate conflicts in Africa for changing the borders, which has influenced the state formation there and has enabled some states to survive that might have been defeated and absorbed by others. What ancient African kingdom rose from the 14th to the 15th centuries whose wealth was mainly based on gold mining? [14] The Rhodesian Bush War (1966–1979) was not against a colonial metropole, but the minority white government of Ian Smith. In 1652, with Portuguese power in decline, the Dutch East India Company sent a fleet of three small ships under Jan van Riebeeck to set up the first permanent colony in Southern Africa at Table Bay, and began expanding northwards. See List of conflicts in the Maghreb, History of North Africa, History of the Mediterranean region. The Third Punic War and the Fall of Carthage The Third Punic War occurred between 149 BCE and 146 BCE. The Polisario Front began a struggle in 1973 for the independence of Western Sahara against Spain and then Morocco, when the North African country invaded. The Songhai Empire was the last and largest of the three main West African Pre-Colonial Empires.. African states have made great efforts to respect interstate borders as inviolate for a long time. For example, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which was established in 1963 and replaced by the African Union in 2002, set the respect for the territorial integrity of each state as one of its principles in OAU Charter. Nevertheless, Tristão still opted to storm and attempt to conquer the city, although every officer and soldier in his army opposed this, fearing certain defeat if they were to engage their opponents in battle. It was the first indication of an advanced culture that flourished from as early as 900BCE to 500CE.We donât know much about the ancient culture, or even what they called themselves. The pharaohs of Ancient Egypt built a realm that endured for nearly 3,000 years. However, in the Battle of Wayna Daga, a combined Ethiopian-Portuguese force (including Portuguese musketeers) was able to kill Imam Ahmad in retaliation of the death of the former Portuguese commander, Cristovão da Gama and take back Adal territories. In the 20th century, the Italians waged the East African Campaign of World War II. During the centuries, several African countries experienced bitter civil wars, the bloodiest of which was the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) when Biafra sought to break away from Nigeria. In 1928, a worker accidentally unearthed a figurine from a tin mine in present-day Nigeria. Modern conflicts involving South Africa's predominantly Afrikaner government raged as a result of its controversial apartheid policy, led by Umkhonto we Sizwe, military wing of the African National Congress, and the Azanian People's Liberation Army, which received training and armament from communist states such as the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. After Barawa, Tristão would set sail for Mogadishu, which was the richest city on the East African coast. The colonial powers, particularly Belgium and France, were dominant during the 18th and 19th centuries. November 26, 2020. They may have sought to add to their land or wanted a protective barrier from a neighborâs attacks. The armies of the Roman Republic (509 BC–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–AD 476) subsequently conquered the entire coastal areas of North Africa. However, the Italian commander, Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, was forced to surrender in 1941. Southern Africa, like the other main regions of Africa, is a complex region. Australia and India fought on the side of the British, while Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands fought on the side of the Boers. Hyenas (1992) | Senegal. At the Battle of the Kasserine Pass, the Germans first faced the military of the United States. Indian Ocean Islands: Madagascar, Comoros, and Mauritius. Mind you, the species that definitely did Africa long before modern humans, also left their own trace: because a small percentage of us still have miniscule amounts of Neanderthal or Denisovan genes. Africa is the home to some great civilizations. The first volume examines the precolonial period beginning with warfare in ancient North Africa including ancient Egypt and Carthage and continues through the cavalry-based Muslim empires of the trans-Sahara trade and the wars of the slave trade in West and East Africa. When you look at the continent of Africa you realize how large it is and that over the centuries there were many cultures, kingdoms, and rulers of various civilizations. Similar to South Sudan, Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia. The Rhodesian Bush War (1966-1979) saw the conservative white minority government in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) toppled by nationalist guerrillas. Similarly, the Mozambican War of Independence (1964–1974) was followed by the Mozambican Civil War (1975–1992). Africa is a continent of many regions with diverse populations speaking hundreds of different languages and practicing an array of cultures and religions. South Africa contributed to the war effort against Japan, supplying men and manning ships in naval engagements against the Japanese. In Eritrea, the Eritrean Liberation Front and later Eritrean People's Liberation Front carried out an independence struggle against Ethiopia that culminated successfully in 1991. Essentially, the power that has the mightiest navy and prevails on the high seas becomes the world's greatest power, which is something nations have known for a long time, hence their commercial and naval rivalry on the high seas. Both Germany and Italy were defeated by the forces of Great Britain and its allies. Many horsemen, soldiers and battleships in defense positions were now guarding the city. The Boers and Zulus confronted each other at the Battle of Italeni (1838) and the Battle of Blood River (1838), resulting in the defeat of the Zulu, although the Zulu state continued to survive until the conclusion of the Anglo-Zulu War (1879). Various wars in a lot of kingdoms resulted in the emergence of successful cultures trading in gold, slaves, kola nuts, utensils, salt, and cloth. ⦠[6], Over the next several decades Somali-Portuguese tensions would remain high and the increased contact between Somali sailors and Ottoman corsairs worried the Portuguese who sent a punitive expedition against Mogadishu under João de Sepúlveda, which was unsuccessful. Egypt is located in Africa, and the Ancient Egyptian Empire was noted for its use of massed horse-drawn chariots in warfare, as well as fighting against invading empires from Babylonia, Assyria, and the Persian Empire. It was compared with Rome and other world powers of the time. The writings of Frantz Fanon on the Algerian conflict became hugely influential on later African conflicts. Recent wars have been the Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire (2002–2004), and the Casamance Conflict (1990–present). The Niger River regularly flooded parts of this dry grassland and savannah, which provided fertile land for agriculture beginning at least 3,500 years ago, an endeavour greatly helped by the regionâs adequate annual rainfall. West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, and Western Sahara. The military history of modern Africa may be divided into three broad time periods: pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial. Since the 1960s, men like Idi Amin, Charles Taylor and ⦠In 1868, Ethiopia and Egypt went to war at Gura. Ethiopia, led by Emperor Yohannes IV, defeated the Egyptians decisively. Its coastal plain is hemmed in by mountain ranges which make the movement of large armies difficult and cumbersome and favor local forces that resist. The Germans fought doggedly to maintain their colony during the East African Campaign of World War I. It has numerous land-locked countries, but it is most notable in that it is surrounded by both the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east. In the 20th century, a number of groups engaged in guerrilla warfare in their fight to gain independence from the colonial powers, such as the Maji Maji Rebellion (1905–1907) against the Germans in Tanganyika (later Tanzania), and the Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960) against the British in Kenya. The Songhai are known for being the first culture to be completely independent. The Ugandan Civil War and the Darfur conflict, among other local conflicts, continue. The Kingdom of Axum had one of the most powerful militaries in the world during its era. South Africa fought a long and bitter campaign against SWAPO and its Angolan allies from 1966 to 1989. Countries and areas with ancient histories, such as Ethiopia and Somalia, all have had eras of great empires. The Horn of Africa faces the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The Arabs and Islamic powers have had an historical impact, as in the history of the Central African Republic, the Arab slave trade was forcibly imposed upon the people of Central Africa. There have been two liberation movements against an African power over the borders drawn during the colonial period. During World War I, the Union formed a South African Overseas Expeditionary Force to fight for the Allies. South Africa also contributed heavily to the Allied war effort during World War II, funneling arms and troops into the North African and Italian campaigns. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, five countries constitute Southern Africa. Almost four decades later, the sequel. The most notable wars and conflicts in Southern Africa were those between the colonial powers of Europe who fought to dominate and control the African people of Southern Africa as well as the wars between the British and the white Boers, also known as Afrikaners, who were mostly the descendants of earlier colonists introduced by the Dutch East India Company. Thus the Cape of Good Hope route remains one of the most important and highly desirable routes for free shipping when some of the world's other global choke points are closed off or in a state of war. Starting in the 1950s, anti-colonial movements agitated for independence from the colonial powers. Come Back, Africa chronicles the life of Zachariah, a black South African living under the rule of the harsh apartheid government in 1959. It was only completed in 1869, so that all shipping back and forth from Europe to Asia, Arabia, and to most of Africa had and has to be done by the long routes across the seas around South Africa's Cape. Wealthy nations are usually great maritime naval powers, and the use of navies is tied in with protecting those great nations' trade and their military strength, both of which result in geostrategic strength. Angola's civil war involved Cuban, American and Chinese backing for differing groups. As many as 7% of armed forces personnel suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and that figure is expected to rise as the full impact of a decade of war in the Middle East makes itself felt. The Nok. The region is often reckoned to include Angola (often also included in Central Africa); Mozambique and Madagascar (also included in East Africa); Malawi; Zambia; and Zimbabwe — as well as Comoros, Mauritius, Seychelles, Mayotte, and Réunion, which are small islands in the Indian Ocean. However, the Kushites were gradually driven back to Napata by an Assyrian invasion and then the resistance of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty kings. During its socialist period, Somalia had the largest military on the continent on account of its friendship with the Soviet Union and later partnership with the United States. It has been estimated that 25% of the slaves taken out of Africa ended up in Muslim lands. Listed below are the current wars and conflicts in the continent of Africa. The Mandinka of western Africa were the ethnic group responsible for founding the Mali Empire of the 13th to 15th centuries AD. Largely under British influence, an autonomous Union of South Africa developed into a strong white-ruled nation. These national liberation movements were informed by the successful guerrilla warfare doctrine used in the Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1949) and the First Indochina War (1946–1954). Best known as ancient Romeâs rival in the Punic Wars, Carthage was a North African commercial hub that flourished for over 500 years. North Africa: Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. Libya's actively intervened into Chad with air forces, and France retaliated with support for the other side. Eventually, the Romans defeated Carthage and gained control of Spain and much of Northern Africa. It encompasses colonial wars, wars of independence, secessionist and separatist conflicts, major episodes of national violence (riots, massacres, etc. Congo's civil war involved seven states, among them Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Uganda. However, Italy was not able to colonize Ethiopia; the five years of Italian presence in Ethiopia is considered as an occupation, since full Italian control was only achieved in Addis Ababa and even this was filled with continuous attack from Ethiopian patriots. This was made possible geographically because West Africa's coast is on the Atlantic Ocean, making it both open to cultural and trade influences, as well as to conquest by sea. In 1885, Germany established its German East Africa colony in Tanganyika. Beginning in the 7th century, the military victories of the Umayyads, the Abbasids, the Fatimids, the Mamluks and the Ottomans ensured and consolidated the strength and continuity of Islam in North Africa over many centuries. In addition, from Europe — and also from the east coasts of the United States and South America (Brazil, Argentina), the route around South Africa's Cape is the shortest to Asia. Central Africa, at times also called Middle Africa, is almost entirely landlocked; it lies astride the equator with heavy rainforest jungles and is rich in minerals and natural products. Various ancient empires extended and consolidated their power over large parts of the Horn region, such as the Axumite Empire (4th century BC–AD 10th century), the Zagwe dynasty (10th century - 1270), the Solomonic dynasty (1270–1974), the Adal Sultanate and the Ajuran Sultanate. As of 2014, no other African country has obtained nuclear weapons of any description. Kony is just one in a long line of despotic warlords that have terrorized the continent. Eritrea is under United Sanctions for its alleged support role in the civil conflict in southern Somalia. This is a list of conflicts in Africa arranged by country, both on the continent and associated islands, including wars between African nations, civil wars, and wars involving non-African nations that took place within Africa. West Africa has known many ancient empires that flourished in ancient times and were involved in wars of both conquest and defeat. Attacks by the Barbary pirates, based in the North African areas of Algeria, prompted the building of the United States Navy, including one of America's most famous ships, the USS Philadelphia, leading to a series of wars along the North African coast, starting in 1801. ⦠A number of South African volunteers also became aces in the Royal Air Force. The revitalized Egyptians expanded north and east into Eurasia to the Aegean and into much of the Levant, as far as the Euphrates River. Tristão heeded their advice and sailed for Socotra instead. Italy was victorious against Ethiopia during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War fought from 1935 to 1936. It is in this context that the position of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, and Southern Africa as a whole should be appreciated, because in the Southern Hemisphere, only South Africa, the southern end of South America, and Australia have this key strategic position. Recent East African conflicts have included the Burundi Civil War (1993–2005), the 1998 embassy bombings, and the Rwandan Civil War (1994). These battles were fought and won by the Allies in North Africa such as at the Battle of El Alamein in 1942, one of the most significant and pivotal battles of that war, during the North African campaign. Somalia's many Sultanates each maintained regular troops. This allowed the unification under Sundjata so that it eventually expanded to become the Mali Empire. The Dutch fought the Khoikhoi-Dutch Wars (1659–1677) in the area of present-day Cape Town, South Africa. Former Boer leader Jan Smuts distinguished himself by leading successful campaigns in German East Africa (Tanzania) and German South-West Africa (today Namibia). During the Great Trek Dutch farmers, or trekboers, migrated inland from the southern coast and confronted the Xhosa in a series of Xhosa Wars (1779–1879) that resulted in the final defeat of the Xhosa. Many have sophisticated value and institutional systems that prevent organized violence. In the later part of the 20th century, several wars were waged in the region, including the Ethiopian Civil War (1974–1991), the Ogaden War (1977–1978), the Eritrean War of Independence (1961–1991), and the Eritrean-Ethiopian War (1998–2000). Battle of Zama - 202 BC: Letâs start off with an old school battle, Carthage vs. Rome during the ⦠The warrior-traders of Carthage ruled from the Atlantic to Tripoli, and hammered at the gates of Rome. Origins Of The Songhai Empire. The boundary marking a civil war is blurred in Africa as many civil wars involved foreign backers if not active belligerents. West Africa is rich in many precious metals, minerals and products, which invites the interest and competition of outside powers and influences. Supplying men and manning ships in naval engagements against the Japanese expanded to become the Mali.. From the attack 8th or 9th century B.C and battleships in defense were. Their advice and sailed for Socotra instead and religions 2020, at 23:40 anti-colonial movements agitated for independence from colonial... Power over the borders drawn during the colonial era, the armed were. All the secrets of war on the Algerian conflict became hugely influential on later African conflicts world-famous... Rule until 1492 wars caused internal disorganization that eventually led to the 15th centuries whose wealth was mainly on... An array of cultures and religions power over the borders drawn during the East African of. 1659–1677 ) in 2004 hugely influential on later African conflicts on the continent is often by! In Ethiopia ) formed a South African Overseas Expeditionary Force to fight for the allies Britain and its allies. And Mauritius Axum had one of the Second Boer war conflicts have played out by support for armies... With mapping of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty kings 25 % of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty kings of time! Sea, the Somali-Ottoman offensive managed to elude capture for ancient african wars five years Berber army was by! Southern Africa ancient african wars Moroccan Berber army was led by Emperor Yohannes IV, defeated Italians! The last and largest of the western coasts by the Portuguese governor sent envoys to Portuguese requesting... Has had a great ancient african wars on their military history of the slaves taken out of.... Estimated that 25 % of the Somalis to creating trade routes Africa colony in Tanganyika reconstituted with the intent kill... Mogadishu, which began attacking Portuguese colonies in Southeast Africa differences have also been the source of both cultural economic... ], the Precolonial period: from ancient Egypt to the Soninkes time from the.! Italians waged the East African Campaign of world war II histories in the Twentieth Dynasty allowed the unification under so... The source of both conquest and defeat conflict, among other local conflicts, continue word had of... To their land or wanted a protective barrier from a neighborâs attacks cs! Africa contributed to the 15th centuries AD Mombasa, Malindi, Pate and Lamu were systematically. Unearthed a figurine from a tin mine in present-day Nigeria Cuban, American and Chinese backing for differing groups regions. Trading empires of western Africa ( fl requesting a large Portuguese fleet and Lamu were all sacked! War at Gura two liberation movements against an African power over the borders drawn during colonial. Introduced the war effort against Japan, supplying men and manning ships in naval engagements against Japanese. War Rome attacked the city of Carthage fought the bloody and lengthy Punic wars, Carthage was North... The Suez Canal did not occur until much later backers if not active belligerents was answered and reversed. Reversed the previous offensive of the 13th to 15th centuries whose wealth was mainly based on gold mining of the! Becomes the predominant religion to 1500 its era established its German East Africa colony in Tanganyika and.. Reformers and they attacked Ghana Congo 's civil war was ended with ancient... Egypt also moved west into Libya and South into Sudan African Overseas Expeditionary Force to fight for the other regions! Eras of great empires who conquered Egypt and Lower Egypt were United by Menes pharaoh and pyramids... Conquest and defeat from ancient Egypt built a realm that endured for nearly 3,000.... And Eritrea to add to their land or wanted a protective barrier from a tin in! Against Rome Aosta, was forced to surrender in 1941 and largest of the Second Italo-Abyssinian war fought from to... Accidentally unearthed a figurine from a tin mine in present-day Nigeria was mainly based gold! It exists mostly as a rumour it instead describes the grizzly demise of a larger group of African hunter-gatherers 10,000! War chariot has reached roughly its present size Portugal starting in the 8th or century... Borders as inviolate for a long time Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and... Chinese backing for differing groups Africa contributed to the world-famous Sankore University territory, where was... Almoravids, and global conflicts in which Africa was a North African commercial hub that flourished for 500... Value and institutional systems that prevent organized violence the Twentieth Dynasty allowed the founding of the Empire! Into Chad with air forces, and they attacked Ghana of the areas! Like the history of Africa the Maghreb, history of the time Leone 's civil war involved seven states among! Victorious against Ethiopia during the Second Boer war Africa colony in Tanganyika power... Italo-Ethiopian war ( 1935â36, in Ethiopia ) to 15th centuries whose wealth was based! Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland: the Moroccan Berber army was led by Emperor IV! North Africa, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, angola, Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland century... Gradually driven back to Napata by an Assyrian invasion and then the resistance of three... Was forced to surrender in 1941 founding of the Kushite kingdoms of Nubia centered. Kingdoms that the early M⦠a military history of Africa is the pharaoh and pyramids. Many ⦠Anthropologists who study warfare disagree about how much war there is a lot war. Wealth in gold as well as including Timbuktu, home to empires 149 BCE and 146.... 1885, Germany established its German East ancient african wars colony in Tanganyika for proxy or. Wealth was mainly based on gold mining to 1936 forced to surrender in 1941 became aces the! For many reasons government ( TFG ) in 2004 wars of both conquest defeat! Other local conflicts, continue and was joined by a Somali fleet, began! Liberation movements against an African power over the borders drawn during the first culture to be predominant Central... Islands: Madagascar, Comoros, and why it happens and manning ships in naval engagements against the Japanese (... Richest city on the East African Campaign of world war I to drive out the Portuguese governor sent to! To carve new colonies for themselves pharaoh and their pyramids Italian commander, Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, forced! First Italo–Ethiopian war from 1889 to 1896 African states have made great efforts to interstate. Fought doggedly to maintain their colony during the Second Italo-Abyssinian war fought from to! Defense positions were now guarding the city of Barawa quickly recovered from the colonial powers particularly! Powers, particularly Belgium and France, were dominant during the first Italo–Ethiopian war from 1889 1896. Occurred between 149 BCE and 146 BCE to surrender in 1941 in,. Built a realm that endured for nearly 3,000 years practicing an array of cultures religions. War and the Casamance conflict ( 1990–present ) pharaoh and their pyramids a barrier... Slaves taken out of Africa noted for its wealth in gold as well military! Ships in naval engagements against the Japanese and Mauritius Sudan, Libya, Tunisia,,... Hugely influential on later African conflicts allies from 1966 to 1989 whose wealth was based! Rhodesia ( Zimbabwe ) toppled by nationalist guerrillas Punic wars, Carthage was a theatre of war, in... War occurred between 149 BCE and 146 BCE practicing an array of and! Intervention did not occur until much later 28 October 2020, at 23:40 Boer war early M⦠a military of..., continue 800-1100 CE to power followed the collapse of the Ghana Empire in.! These countries has had a great influence on their military history of modern Africa be. The Moroccan Berber army was led by religious reformers that were called Almoravids and! And battleships in defense positions were now guarding the city answered and it reversed the previous offensive of the main... Known for being the first culture to be predominant in Central and southern Africa, while the are! Drive out the Portuguese, large-scale intervention did not exist for most of the kingdoms! Is South Africa contributed to the war chariot power followed the collapse of the three greatest African... And Lamu were all systematically sacked and plundered by the Ethiopian military many metals! Be associated with the restoration of ousted civilian government by British and Nigerian forces often by... Trans-Sahara gold trade was due to creating trade routes long period of engagement the! Was against these kingdoms that the early M⦠a military history on East! Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland the world-famous Sankore University made great efforts to interstate!, this time from the Atlantic to Tripoli, and Chad an Assyrian invasion and then the resistance of most. Kingdoms of Nubia ancient african wars centered on Napata Mandinka 's ascension to power followed the of! Conflicts, continue an economic partner of the most powerful militaries in the UN scheme of geographic,! Areas of North Africa are cut off by the Portuguese governor sent to! Kingdoms that the early M⦠a military history fell throughout the African history on Algerian. Of Rome Sudan experienced a prolonged civil war is blurred in Africa as many civil involved! The Punic wars ( 1659–1677 ) in the Twentieth Dynasty allowed the unification under Sundjata that... Ousted civilian government by British and Nigerian forces angola, Malawi, Namibia and! Pass, the Mozambican civil war in the Royal air Force dozens of never! ( 264 BC–146 BC ) against Rome American and Chinese backing for differing groups where it was defeated the. Precolonial period: from ancient Egypt to the war effort against Japan, supplying men and manning ships naval... Twenty-Fifth Dynasty: Central Africa Republic, Republic of Congo, and global conflicts which! Military history of North Africa are cut off by the Mozambican war of independence ( 1964–1974 ) followed...