Blockade of Zanzibar
| Blockade of Zanzibar | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Scramble for Africa | |||||
 Portuguese navy in the Zanzibar blockade, 1889 | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 German Empire British Empire Portuguese Empire Kingdom of Italy |
 Sultanate of Zanzibar | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
|
Karl August Deinhard Edmund Fremantle Augusto de Castilho Francesco Preve | Unknown | ||||
| Strength | |||||
|
25 warships[a] ~4,200 men[b] | Unknown | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| Minimal | Minimal | ||||
The Zanzibar Naval Blockade (1888–1889) was a joint international operation led by Germany, with the support of the British Empire, Portugal and Italy, against the Sultanate of Zanzibar, with the aim of ending the slave and arms trade off the eastern coast of Africa.
Background
[edit]Anglo-German Agreement of 1886
[edit]Two years earlier, in 29 October – 1 November 1886,[4] an agreement was made between the British and German governments to prevent the Germans from taking over the whole of East Africa.[5] The two agreed to limit the Sultan of Zanzibar's mainland territory to a ten-mile wide coastal strip. In the interior, the German sphere would extend from the Umba River to Lake Victoria Nyanza in the north and to the Rovuma River in the south, while the British sphere would extend from the German boundary up to the Juba River in the north.[5]
Later, the coastal territories of the Sultanate were administered and operated by the Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC), since 1887, and by the German East Africa Company (DOAG), since April 28, 1888.[6] The agreement divided the Sultanate into the British to the north (Kenya), and the Germans to the south (Tanzania).[6]
Blockade
[edit]Early stages
[edit]Following the expansion of the German East Africa Company over three years, a revolt, known as Abushiri revolt, began in August 1888, which sparked the initiative for a blockade by the Germans.[7]
Realizing they could not solve the problem alone, the German Empire developed a diplomatic action, inviting the British Empire. Germany argued for British involvement to defend their company's interests and securing their northern territories.[7] Prince Bismarck also invited to join in the blockade the Cabinets of Paris, Lisbon, Brussels, and Rome.[8]
On November 5, just two days after receiving the German memorandum, the British agreed to support a naval blockade, though it refused to intervene on land, which would prevent not only the slave trade, but also the supply of arms and ammunition from the Arab nations via the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.[7]
Portugal joins the alliance
[edit]On November 8, 1888, the Baron de Waecker-Gotter, German ambassador to Lisbon, in the name of the Prince of Bismarck, delivered a dispatch to Henrique de Barros Gomes, Minister of Foreign Affairs, with an invitation to take part in the blockade.[9]
On the 16th, George Glynn Petre, ambassador of the United Kingdom to Portugal, also supported the idea to the Portuguese Minister. That same day, Barros Gomes replied to the German ambassador that Portugal would not decline the invitation.[10]
Two days later, on the 18th, he also replied to Petre, that for this objective, the blockade on the east coast of Africa should be extended to include a part of the coast of Mozambique.[10]
Italy joins the alliance
[edit]Unlike Portugal, the Italians did not join the blockade to patrol their own coastline in Somalia, but rather to patrol in the German and British areas, which required less naval units.[11]
The Kingdom of Italy, however, had its own reasons for joining the blockade. On one hand, to secure its interests along the Somali coast, and on the other, to continue its fight against the slave trade.[11]
Aftermath
[edit]It is known that in April 1889, 1,282 dhows were boarded and inspected by the Royal navy, and about 1,500 by the German navy.[12] According to Chériau:
…despite such a demonstration of force, and much to the embarrassment of Admiral Fremantle, the results of the blockade seemed meager.[12]
Only one ship was seized with weapons, and another, under a French flag, with three slaves on board.[12]
In December 1888, the German corvette Carola captured a dhow carrying 84 slaves and 17 Arabs. The Arabs resisted, killing three German sailors, but were defeated.[13]
Fleet
[edit]German fleet
[edit]| Name | Date | Type | Ton. | Guns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leipzig | 1875/88 | corvette/frigate cruiser | 3930 | 18 |
| Schwalbe | 1887 | unarmed cruiser | 2159 | 14 |
| Sophie | 1881 | corvette | 2169 | 16 |
| Olga | 1880 | corvette | 2386 | 14 |
| Carola | 1880 | corvette | 2169 | 14 |
| Möwe | 1880 | gunboat | 848 | 5 |
| Pfeil | 1881 | aviso | 1328 | 5 |
Comprising seven ships, the fleet was under command of Rear Admiral Karl August Deinhard. Meanwhile, the Leipzig was, during the blockade, under Captain Franz Strauch (August 1888 – February 1889), Lieutenant Commander Hermann da Fonseca-Wollheim (February 1889 – March 1889), and Captain Max Plüddemann (March 1889 — November 1890).[14]
British fleet
[edit]| Name | Date | Type | Ton. | Guns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boadicea | 1876 | corvette | 4140 | 24 |
| Agamemnon | 1879 | turret ironclad | 8510 | 18 |
| Garnet | 1877 | corvette | 2120 | 14 |
| Penguin | 1876 | sloop | 1130 | 7 |
| Mariner | 1884 | gunboat | 973 | 10 |
| Algerine | 1880 | gunboat | 835 | 4 |
| Griffon | 1876 | gunboat | 780 | 8 |
| Stork | 1876 | gunboat | 465 | 4 |
Comprising eight ships, the fleet was under command of Rear Admiral Edmund Fremantle. The flagship Boadicea, however, was under Captain Assheton Curzon-Howe.[15]
Portuguese fleet
[edit]| Name | Date | Type | Ton. | Guns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afonso de Albuquerque | 1884 | corvette | 1150 | 13 |
| Mindelo | 1875 | corvette | 1120 | 8 |
| Rainha de Portugal | 1875 | corvette | 1120 | 8 |
| Liberal | 1884 | gunboat | 500 | 4 |
| Zaire | 1884 | gunboat | 500 | 4 |
| Quanza | 1877 | gunboat | 590 | 3 |
| Tâmega | 1875 | gunboat | 610 | 5 |
| Douro | 1873 | gunboat | 590 | 2 |
Comprising eight ships, it was the largest squadron, along with the British, led by Governor-General of Mozambique Augusto Castilho. Although a Navy officer, Castilho did not board any of the ships, so the command would be assumed by the Chief of the Naval Division, Captain José Alemão de Mendonça.[16]
Italian fleet
[edit]| Name | Date | Type | Ton. | Guns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dogali | 1885 | protected torpedo cruiser | 2050 | 15 |
| Archimede | 1876 | aviso | 720 | 4 |
It was the smallest naval force of the blockade, comprising only two ships, with the cruiser R.M. Dogali under command of Frigate Captain Francesco Preve.[17]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Saldanha 2024, p. 265.
- ^ Saldanha 2024, p. 271.
- ^ Cheriau 2021, p. 142.
- ^ Dispossession, Beyong (September 18, 2018). Spatial Appropriations in Modern Empires, 1820-1960. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 89. ISBN 9781527540156.
- ^ a b Itandala, Buluda (2012). "The Anglo-German Partition of East Africa". Sabinet African Journals. p. 12.
- ^ a b Liebst, Michelle. "The Anglo-German Partition of East Africa" (PDF). Cambridge University Press. p. 62.
- ^ a b c Saldanha 2024, p. 267.
- ^ Parliamentary Debates. Vol. 334. 1889. p. 889.
- ^ Das Staatsarchiv. Vol. 50. 1890. p. 67.
- ^ a b Saldanha 2024, p. 269.
- ^ a b Saldanha 2024, p. 277.
- ^ a b c Saldanha 2024, p. 283.
- ^ Saldanha 2024, p. 284.
- ^ Saldanha 2024, p. 272–273.
- ^ Saldanha 2024, p. 274–275.
- ^ Saldanha 2024, p. 278.
- ^ Saldanha 2024, p. 276.
Bibliography
[edit]- Saldanha, Nuno (2024). "The Blockade of Zanzibar (1888-1889)". academia.edu.
- Cheriau, Raphaël (May 3, 2021). Imperial Powers and Humanitarian Interventions. Routledge. ISBN 9781000383010.