In 1896, Great Britain sent General Herbert Kitchener to invade the Sudan. The British were hoping to avenge the death of General Gordon. The British built a railroad to carry their modern weapons to Khartoum.
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| British troops with cannons, preparing to invade the Sudan in 1896. |
| Photo: F. Gregson. |
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| To conquer the Sudan, the British built a railroad across the Nubian Desert and around the Nile cataracts. Completed in two years, it carried the troops, cannons, horses, and gunboats (brought in pieces) that defeated the Khalifa's army on Sept. 2, 1898 outside Omdurman. |
| Photo courtesy of the Sudan Archive, Durham University, UK |
A great battle was fought on the outskirts of Omdurman on Sept. 2, 1898. The 50,000-man Mahdist army, led by the Khalifa Abdullahi, attacked the British with swords, spears, and outdated guns. The 7000 man British army, joined by Egyptian and loyal Sudanese troops, attacked with modern cannons and machine guns. They easily defeated the Khalifa, who fled and was later hunted down and killed by the British.
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| Sudanese warriors with swords and war drum, taken in 1896. |
| Photo: F. Gregson. |
The British took control of the Sudan. They rebuilt the city of Khartoum. The new city included streets laid out, by Kitchener's order, according to the design of the British flag.