XIXᵉ siècle – XIXᵉ siècle
West Africa
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Dahomey, centred on Abomey, was a Fon kingdom that resisted French expansion during the final decade of the nineteenth century. Its rulers maintained a permanent army, mobilized compulsory wartime service and relied on the feared Amazons. After a 1890 treaty ceded Cotonou’s recognition to France, Dahomey modernized its armaments and resumed resistance. French campaigns captured Abomey and conquered northern Dahomey in 1893–1894, replacing Behanzin with Goutchilli and ending the kingdom’s independent rule.
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Le récit
Dahomey, identified in the passage with Abomey, faced a direct threat when France declared a protectorate over Porto Novo, a vassal of Abomey. The move damaged the economic interests of the kingdom and provoked resistance from the Fon population. Under Behanzin, the state combined diplomatic negotiation with military mobilization, seeking to preserve its political independence while confronting an increasingly determined French presence on the coast.
Dahomey’s military institutions gave the kingdom substantial capacity for resistance. Its permanent army numbered about 4,000 men and women in peacetime, wartime service was compulsory for males, and the Amazons served as feared female warriors. After the conflict around Cotonou, the treaty of 3 October 1890 recognized French possession of the port and granted customs and garrison rights in exchange for an annual payment to Behanzin.
The settlement of 1890 did not end the struggle. Dahomey purchased rapid-firing rifles, Krupp cannon, machine-guns and ammunition from German firms in Lomé between 1891 and 1892. After Fon soldiers fired on the gunboat Topaz in March 1892, Colonel Dodds led a French expedition from Porto Novo toward Abomey. Fon troops used surprise attacks, defensive stands and guerrilla methods, but suffered heavy losses.
French operations were aided by the destruction of the harvest by Yoruba slaves released by Dodds’s army. Food shortages fractured the Fon military effort as soldiers returned to their villages. Behanzin rejected demands for indemnity and disarmament, and when French forces entered Abomey in November 1892, he had burned the city and retreated northward. He continued to regroup and raid areas held by France, retaining the support of the population.
The final campaign began in September 1893 under Dodds, now a general, and conquered northern Dahomey. Goutchilli was crowned king on 15 January 1894, while Behanzin was arrested after a betrayal on 29 January. The outcome ended the independent political order defended by Behanzin and brought the kingdom’s military resistance to a close.
XIXᵉ siècle – XIXᵉ siècle
West Africa
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
Dahomey, centred on Abomey, was a Fon kingdom that resisted French expansion during the final decade of the nineteenth century. Its rulers maintained a permanent army, mobilized compulsory wartime service and relied on the feared Amazons. After a 1890 treaty ceded Cotonou’s recognition to France, Dahomey modernized its armaments and resumed resistance. French campaigns captured Abomey and conquered northern Dahomey in 1893–1894, replacing Behanzin with Goutchilli and ending the kingdom’s independent rule.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
Dahomey, identified in the passage with Abomey, faced a direct threat when France declared a protectorate over Porto Novo, a vassal of Abomey. The move damaged the economic interests of the kingdom and provoked resistance from the Fon population. Under Behanzin, the state combined diplomatic negotiation with military mobilization, seeking to preserve its political independence while confronting an increasingly determined French presence on the coast.
Dahomey’s military institutions gave the kingdom substantial capacity for resistance. Its permanent army numbered about 4,000 men and women in peacetime, wartime service was compulsory for males, and the Amazons served as feared female warriors. After the conflict around Cotonou, the treaty of 3 October 1890 recognized French possession of the port and granted customs and garrison rights in exchange for an annual payment to Behanzin.
The settlement of 1890 did not end the struggle. Dahomey purchased rapid-firing rifles, Krupp cannon, machine-guns and ammunition from German firms in Lomé between 1891 and 1892. After Fon soldiers fired on the gunboat Topaz in March 1892, Colonel Dodds led a French expedition from Porto Novo toward Abomey. Fon troops used surprise attacks, defensive stands and guerrilla methods, but suffered heavy losses.
French operations were aided by the destruction of the harvest by Yoruba slaves released by Dodds’s army. Food shortages fractured the Fon military effort as soldiers returned to their villages. Behanzin rejected demands for indemnity and disarmament, and when French forces entered Abomey in November 1892, he had burned the city and retreated northward. He continued to regroup and raid areas held by France, retaining the support of the population.
The final campaign began in September 1893 under Dodds, now a general, and conquered northern Dahomey. Goutchilli was crowned king on 15 January 1894, while Behanzin was arrested after a betrayal on 29 January. The outcome ended the independent political order defended by Behanzin and brought the kingdom’s military resistance to a close.
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