The River War: An Historical Account of the Reconquest of the Soudan
(1899), by Winston Churchill, concerning his experiences as a British
Army officer, during the
Mahdist War

Mahdist War (1881–99) in the Sudan.
The River War

The River War is a history of the British imperial involvement in the
Sudan, and the
Mahdi War

Mahdi War between the British forces, led by Lord
Kitchener, and the
Dervish

Dervish forces, led by Khalifa Abdallahi ibn
Muhammad, "The Mahdi”, heir to the self-proclaimed
Mahdi

Mahdi Muhammad
Ahmad who had embarked on a campaign to conquer Egypt, to drive out
the Ottomans.
The River War

The River War was Churchill's second published book after The Story of
the Malakand Field Force, and originally filled two volumes with over
1000 pages in 1899.
The River War

The River War was subsequently abridged to one
volume in 1902.
Contents
1 Background
2 Content
2.1 1899 unabridged, two-volume edition
2.2 1902 abridged, one-volume edition
3 Controversial contemporary political usage
4 Criticism
5 References
5.1 Notes
6 External links
Background[edit]
Aware that there was a war in Sudan, Churchill determined to be part
of it. He was not alone in this, because in a time generally of peace,
many
British Army

British Army officers wanted experience of battle to further
their careers. In Churchill's case, he did not see his career as lying
with the army, but had already started writing about wars and wanted a
new campaign to write about. He first attempted to obtain a transfer
from his regiment stationed in India to the 21st Lancers, which was
the unit taking part in the war. This was granted by the War Office,
but rejected by the commander of the British force in Sudan, General
Kitchener. Churchill next took leave to Britain, where he enlisted
friends and family to lobby Kitchener to permit him to take part. This
continued to be unsuccessful, even when the prime minister Lord
Salisbury made an inquiry on his behalf. Eventually, however, he
prevailed upon Sir Evelyn Wood, Adjutant General of the Horse Guards,
who had authority over appointments to the regiment in England, and he
received an attachment to the Lancers in place of an officer who had
died, on 24 July 1898. On 5 August he was in
Luxor

Luxor and on 24 August
the regiment set out from
Atbara

Atbara to attack the Mahdist
forces.[1]:38–39[2]:122
Before leaving London, Churchill obtained a commission to write
accounts of the war for the Morning Post, producing 13 articles
between 23 September and 8 October 1898 for which he was paid £15
each.[2]:125 This helped offset his expenses for the trip, which the
War Office had declined to meet, as well as refusing any liability
should he be killed or injured.[1]:39
The Times

The Times had two correspondents
covering the war, one of whom was killed and another injured, and
Churchill wrote a piece for this newspaper also, but Kitchener vetoed
the sending of the report.[2]:124
After the
Battle of Omdurman

Battle of Omdurman the Lancers were ordered to return to
other duties so Churchill's personal experience of the war ceased at
that point. Although Omdurman had been taken from Khalifa Abdullahi,
the Khalifa himself escaped and was not captured for another
year.[1]:41 The campaign included a number of persons who were to play
important parts in the First World War. Aside from Churchill and
Kitchener, captains
Douglas Haig

Douglas Haig and Henry Rawlinson became generals
in the war, while Lieutenant David Beatty, then commanding a Nile
gunboat, became an admiral and commanded the British Grand
Fleet.[1]:40
Churchill returned to England to complete his leave, before returning
to India for three months and finally resigning from the army. As a
direct result of Churchill's writings, a rule was introduced
prohibiting serving officers from also acting as war correspondents.
This was one factor contributing to his leaving the army, since his
earnings from writing were some five times greater than his army pay
during his three years of army service.[2]:125-126
In India Churchill visited the Viceroy, Lord Curzon, who had himself
written a history of "Persia and the Persian Question" eight years
before. He read everything he could find containing background
information about the Sudan. On the way home he stopped for two weeks
in
Egypt

Egypt to visit Lord Cromer, then in charge of the Egyptian
government, who read through the text and made suggestions and
corrections; in particular playing down the popular impression of
General Gordon, murdered by the Mahdi's forces fourteen years before,
as a hero. While in
Cairo

Cairo he spoke to Slatin Pasha, author of a work
about the Sudan, Sir
Reginald Wingate

Reginald Wingate Director of Intelligence on
Kitchener's staff,
Edouard Girouard

Edouard Girouard responsible for building railways
through
Egypt

Egypt which allowed the British advance, and others who had
played some part.[2]:129 Sailing home across the Mediterranean,
Churchill had as a fellow passenger George Warrington Steevens, who
was also a war correspondent, working for the Daily Telegraph. They
had met on a couple of previous occasions, and Churchill prevailed
upon him also to read the manuscript. His suggestion was to reduce the
degree of philosophising, that despite the accuracy of Churchill's
commentary it might bore the reader.[2]:134
Content[edit]
Illustrations by Angus McNeill, here showing how cable for the railway
telegraph was carried and laid
In vivid style the book describes the background to the war, the
relationship of the Upper Nile to Egypt, the murder of General Charles
George Gordon in the siege at Khartoum, the political reaction in
England, and Kitchener's elaborate preparations for the war. While in
the Sudan, Churchill participated in the Battle of Omdurman. Churchill
comments at length on the mechanisation of war with use of the
telegraph, railroad, and a new generation of weaponry.
1899 unabridged, two-volume edition[edit]
The unabridged version contains many illustrations with drawings,
photogravures, and coloured maps. It also contains vivid narratives of
personal adventures of the author, his views on British expansionism,
passages of deep reflection about the requirements of a civilised
government, criticism of military and political leaders and
religion.[3] The first edition was reviewed by The Times, which
described it as containing material sufficient for two good books and
one bad one, with the bad one being the more interesting.[4]
About
Islam

Islam he wrote:
“
How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries!
Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as
hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The
effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly
systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity
of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.
A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement;
the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law
every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property –
either as a child, a wife, or a concubine – must delay the final
extinction of slavery until the faith of
Islam

Islam has ceased to be a
great power among men. Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities.
Thousands become the brave and loyal soldiers of the Queen: all know
how to die: but the influence of the religion paralyses the social
development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force
exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a
militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout
Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it
not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the
science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilisation of
modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilisation of ancient
Rome.[5]:248–250[6]
”
About the British attitude to war:
“
..there are many people in England, and perhaps elsewhere, who seem to
be unable to contemplate military operations for clear political
objects, unless they can cajole themselves into the belief that their
enemy are utterly and hopelessly vile. To this end the Dervishes, from
the
Mahdi

Mahdi and the Khalifa downwards, have been loaded with every
variety of abuse and charged with all conceivable crimes. This may be
very comforting to philanthropic persons at home; but when an army in
the field becomes imbued with the idea that the enemy are vermin who
cumber the earth, instances of barbarity may easily be the outcome.
This unmeasured condemnation is moreover as unjust as it is dangerous
and unnecessary... We are told that the British and Egyptian armies
entered Omdurman to free the people from the Khalifa's yoke. Never
were rescuers more unwelcome.[2]:132[5]:394-395
”
About the modern machinery of war and its effectiveness against native
tribesmen:
“
...the Maxim guns had also come into action. A dozen Dervishes are
standing on a sandy knoll. All in a moment the dust began to jump in
front of them, and then the clump of horsemen melts into a jumble on
the ground, and a couple of scared survivors scurry to cover. Yet even
then a few brave men come back to help their fallen comrades.[7]:402
”
Churchill spread his criticisms wherever he found fault. A passage was
highly critical of General Kitchener for ordering the desecration of
the Mahdi's tomb and carrying off his head as a trophy. The head was
returned by the order of Lord Cromer, once he discovered what had
happened. The matter was debated in parliament and led to a newspaper
campaign against Kitchener as well as deepening the ill feeling which
already existed between two men who as members of the British
government in 1914 were expected to co-operate militarily as heads of
the army and navy departments. All reference to the incident was
removed from the second edition.[2]:131
Criticisms extended to the supplies for the troops: British soldiers
were sent out from England with boots made substantially from
cardboard, which rapidly disintegrated and had to be bound with cloth
or string to hold together. While the Indian Army was equipped with
highly effective Dum-dum bullets produced in India, British bullets
sent to
Egypt

Egypt were simply pointed, and 1,000,000 rounds had to have
their ends filed off to increase their effectiveness. The rough
remodelling meant the bullets were inaccurate at long ranges, giving
soldiers a choice of bullets able to hit their target but only wound,
or killing bullets which were likely to miss and could jam the
guns.[7]:367 Railway engines needed to carry troops and supplies into
Sudan

Sudan had to be obtained from all over the world as British companies
were unable to supply at short notice. By contrast, American companies
could supply locomotives immediately which were more effective and
cheaper than some obtained from England.[7]:298
1902 abridged, one-volume edition[edit]
In 1902 Churchill had become a member of parliament. It was thought
that the commentary about some of the people mentioned had better be
excised in a revised edition. The book was thus edited down to one
single volume, removing approximately one third of the total.
Much of the removed content included passages where Churchill
recounted his own experiences, as he had done in other works, such as
The Story of the Malakand Field Force. This removal gave the revised
book a somewhat different feel to these others, and to its original
form. Other removals included discussions on the ethics of warfare,
Churchill's own opinions of events, and his assessment on Islam. The
revised book was described as an authoritative history of the
war.[2]:133
Abridgements were published numerous times over the twentieth century,
with increasing excisions.
A "definitive" new edition of the book, restoring it to the original
two-volume text, edited and annotated by Professor James W. Muller is
in preparation.[8]
Controversial contemporary political usage[edit]
In May 2013, Missouri State Representative
Rick Stream composed and
forwarded an e-mail to his House GOP colleagues. Sam Levin called the
e-mail "bizarre", with Rep. Stream alleging "dangers of Islam" and
quoting Churchill's controversial statements.[9]
Also in May 2013, the
Winston-Salem Journal

Winston-Salem Journal published a commentary by
columnist Cal Thomas, in which he criticized current United Kingdom
Prime Minister
David Cameron

David Cameron for his reaction following the killing of
a British soldier in London, and invited him to take notice of Winston
Churchill's views on Islam, some expressed in The River War.[10]
In April 2014, Paul Weston, chairman of the far right
Liberty GB

Liberty GB party
was arrested in Winchester, Hampshire, for reading aloud passages from
the book whilst standing on the steps of the Guildhall and not
dispersing when ordered to do so. Weston, a candidate in the May 2014
European Elections, was quoting from a section of Churchill's book
that described Islamic culture in unflattering terms.[11][12]
Criticism[edit]
Johann Hari

Johann Hari criticized Winston Churchill's views in his Not his finest
hour: The dark side of Winston Churchill. The author also emphasizes
the significance of Richard Toye's Churchill's Empire.[13]
In Churchill’s War, author
Max Hastings

Max Hastings makes this conclusion on
Churchill's views: "Churchill’s view of the British Empire and its
peoples was unenlightened by comparison with that of America’s
president [Franklin Roosevelt], or even by the standards of his
time."[14]
Paul Rahe argues that reading
The River War

The River War is suitable for "an age
when the Great Democracies are likely to be called on to respond to
ugly little conflicts marked by social, sectarian, and tribal
rivalries in odd corners of the world."[15]
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
^ a b c d Jenkins, Roy (2001). Churchill. London: Macmillan.
pp. 38–41. ISBN 0-333-78290-9.
^ a b c d e f g h i de Menddelssohn, Peter (1961). The Age of
Churchill: Heritage and Adventure 1874–1911. London: Thames and
Hudson. pp. 122–134.
^ Langworth, Richard (1998). A Connoisseur's Guide to the Books of Sir
Winston Churchill: Produced in Association with the Churchill Centre.
London: Brassey's. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-85753-246-3.
^ The Times, 6 November 1899.
^ a b Churchill, Winston (1899).
The River War

The River War Vol. II (1st ed.).
London: Longmans, Green & Co.
^ "Datelines". Finest Hour (113). Churchill Centre. Winter
2001–2002. p. 5.
^ a b c Churchill, Winston (1899).
The River War

The River War Vol. I (1st ed.).
London: Longmans, Green & Co.
^ Muller, James W. (Winter 2016). "The River War: Preparing the
Definitive Edition". Finest Hour (171). p. 10.
^ Sam Levin (2 May 2013). "
Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill quote about the dangers
of Islam". National Churchill Museum. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
^ Cal Thomas/Tribune Media (29 May 2013). "
Cal Thomas

Cal Thomas says current
prime minister should heed Churchill". The Winston-Salem Journal.
Retrieved 29 October 2014.
^ "Euro candidate Paul Weston arrested over
Islam

Islam remarks". BBC News.
28 April 2014.
^ Evans, Martin (28 April 2014). "Election candidate arrested over
Churchill speech". Daily Telegraph.
^
Johann Hari

Johann Hari (28 October 2010). "Not his finest hour: The dark side
of Winston Churchill". The Independent. Retrieved 29 October
2014.
^ David M. Shribman (15 August 2010). "Churchill in focus". The Boston
Globe. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
^ Rahe, Paul (22 May 2015). "Why Read The River War?". The Churchill
Project. Hillsdale College.
External links[edit]
Unabridged first edition volume 1
Unabridged first edition volume 2
New York Times 1900 Review of The River War
A Churchillian Perspective on 11 September with a review of The River
War
Sources
The River War

The River War at
Internet Archive

Internet Archive (scanned books)
The River War

The River War at
Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg via Online Books (1902 abridged
edition)
The River War

The River War public domain audiobook at LibriVox
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