Part 2 of my talk about General Charles Gordon (Gordon of Khartoum), the British soldier who died during the battle of Khartoum 1885.
Join my Membership Channel to get exclusive videos (& more)
/ @thehistorychap
General Gordon was killed when the city was stormed in January 1885 during the Sudanese Mahdist revolt and his death reached legendary heights as an example of heroism, selflessness and acceptance of duty in Queen Victoria’s British Empire. This is the story of General Charles Gordon of Khartoum…the man and the legend.
If you missed the first part of this story then watch it by clicking the link below:
• General Charles Gordon...
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
Charles George Gordon was a general in the British Army who served with distinction in the Crimean War and then in China during the Taiping Rebellions where he was dubbed “Chinese Gordon” by the British Press.
General Gordon was appointed Governor-General of the Egyptian province of Sudan where he attempted to curb the Arab slave trade.
Always a maverick, who had a reputation of disobeying orders, Charles Gordon was also a mystical evangelical Christian.
Disillusioned with the corruption of Egyptian officials he resigned his position in Sudan and returned to Britain.
Just over a year after his departure, a Suffi mystic called Muhammad Ahmad proclaimed himself to be the Mahdi and vowed to rid Sudan of its Egyptian overlords.
The Sudanese Mahdist revolt swept all before it.
Apart from some pockets on the coast, the Egyptian presence was confined to the city of Khartoum.
Gordon was sent by the British government back to Khartoum with strict orders to organise an evacuation of Egyptian troops and foreign civilians.
Gordon, or Gordon Pasha as he was known in Sudan, ignored those orders and set about organising a defence of the city.
The Mahdi’s army soon besieged Khartoum.
The siege of Khartoum lasted nearly a year from 1884-1885.
Cut off and with food supplies dwindling, Gordon appealed to the British government to send a military expedition to relieve the city (and defeat the Mahdist revolt in the process. Exactly what the British Prime Minister, Gladstone, had been wary of all along.
With the Press now clamouring to rescue their darling, now referred to Gordon of Khartoum, the government felt compelled to organise a military expedition under General Sir Garnett Wolseley.
Eventually on the 28th January, a small flotilla of steamboats carrying a 20-man advance guard of British soldiers arrived at Khartoum only to discover that the siege of Khartoum had ended 2 days before hand as the Mahdist army (often called “Dervishes” by the British) had stormed the city killing General Charles Gordon.
Charles George Gordon was now elevated from hero to an almost mystical status of Gordon of Khartoum.
The famous painting of General Gordon's death “Gordon’s Last Stand” shows him meekly accepting death as a Christian martyr against the forces of Islam.
Whether that is exactly how Gordon died is a matter of dispute but the Victorian PR machine went into overdrive and the legend of Gordon of Khartoum became a cornerstone in the story of the British Empire.
#gordonofkhartoum #charlesgeorgegordon #generalgordon #khartoum #sudan #militaryhistory #britishempire
Follow me at:
www.thehistorychap.com
Instagram:bit.ly/3iySrAj
Facebook:bit.ly/37IUfkH
/ thehistorychap
My name is Chris Green ("The History Chap") and I am on a mission to share the amazing history of Britain so that we can appreciate where we have come from and why we are here.
History should not be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings & queens.
So rather than lectures or KZitem animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.
Just for the record, I do have a history degree and continue to have a passion for the subject I studied.
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Негізгі бет General Charles Gordon (Part 2 - Gordon of Khartoum)
Пікірлер: 298