The Battle of Omdurman

Join Peter Hart as he examines the decisive defeat of the Mahdist forces at Omdurman in 1898, and the lasting legacy for Sudan and Britain.

The Battle of Omdurman marked the climax of a colonial campaign for reconquest and revenge. 

In 1885, General Charles Gordon had been killed at Khartoum by the supporters of Muhammad Ahmad, the self-proclaimed Mahdi. The following year, an Anglo-Egyptian army led by Major-General Herbert Kitchener entered Sudan, gradually advancing up the Nile and achieving a series of victories against the Mahdist forces.

On 2 September 1898, Kitchener dealt a decisive blow to the forces of Abdullah Ibn Mohammed, the successor or ‘Khalifa’ to the Mahdi, at Omdurman. This battle effectively dismantled the Mahdist power. The Khalifa evaded capture until November 1899, but Sudan was quickly subdued.

As part of our Victorian Soldier Spotlight, Peter Hart will explore the events at Omdurman, revealing how the Mahdists, despite their fanatical bravery, were no match for the modern rifles and machine guns wielded by Kitchener’s army.

He will also examine the lasting legacy of the conflict - noting the fleeting nature of the resulting peace in Sudan - while also considering the implications had the British campaign never taken place.

About the speaker

Peter Hart worked as an oral historian at the Imperial War Museum from 1981 to 2020. He is the author of several books on the First and Second World Wars, and has recently published ‘Chain of Fire’, which explores the campaigns in Egypt and the Sudan between 1882 and 1898.