General Gordon
Gordon from Wikipedia
From Victoria Web
Ah yes, General Gordon. As I stated in my introduction, I grew up watching the movie Khartoum and now have the DVD.
John Cleese said Gordon was one of many British explorers with what Mr. Cleese called "dodgy sex lives," but I will leave that for another discussion.
Gordon, it seems was highly capable but could be rather irritating. He got his start helping the Qing Dynasty in China defeat the Taiping Rebellion. His first time as Governor General of the Sudan he worked to try and wipe out the slave trade.
He was about to be offered a job under King Leopold of Belgium in Leopold's newly acquired territory, the Congo. He turned it down, for he was called back into British service to go to Sudan. A certain holy man, the Mahdi, (see separate post) was making waves in the Sudan.
Until recently, I asked why would Gladstone send Gordon, knowing Gordon would do his own thing? British popular opinion clamored for it. So Gordon went, Khartoum was cut off and Gordon got himself killed.
Why does this matter today? This led up to something Gladstone did not want. The British Conquest of the Sudan. In future posts, you will learn about the British conquest and how the Sudan was run under them.
From Victoria Web
Ah yes, General Gordon. As I stated in my introduction, I grew up watching the movie Khartoum and now have the DVD.
John Cleese said Gordon was one of many British explorers with what Mr. Cleese called "dodgy sex lives," but I will leave that for another discussion.
Gordon, it seems was highly capable but could be rather irritating. He got his start helping the Qing Dynasty in China defeat the Taiping Rebellion. His first time as Governor General of the Sudan he worked to try and wipe out the slave trade.
He was about to be offered a job under King Leopold of Belgium in Leopold's newly acquired territory, the Congo. He turned it down, for he was called back into British service to go to Sudan. A certain holy man, the Mahdi, (see separate post) was making waves in the Sudan.
Until recently, I asked why would Gladstone send Gordon, knowing Gordon would do his own thing? British popular opinion clamored for it. So Gordon went, Khartoum was cut off and Gordon got himself killed.
Why does this matter today? This led up to something Gladstone did not want. The British Conquest of the Sudan. In future posts, you will learn about the British conquest and how the Sudan was run under them.
posted by CactusCorner at 6:14 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home