In the second half of the 19th century, European-led columns began to fan out across the African continent from their coastal footholds, smashing whatever forces could be brought against them, no matter how brave or determined the latter were. The process began at different dates in different parts of the continent, but much of the main activity was concentrated into the two decades between 1881 and 1902, subsequently but accurately nicknamed the ‘Scramble for Africa’.

By 1914 the Europeans had overrun the greater part of the continent, and, remarkably, had managed to do so without clashing with each other in the process: conflict between them only occurred after 1914 because what was essentially a European power-struggle was inevitably projected on to the African landscape. The armies responsible for this extraordinary period of expansion have seldom been surveyed as a whole, and never in the organisational detail attempted here.

As well as including an outline of the principal campaigns of the period, military historian Peter Abbott examines in detail the structure, dress and armament of the colonial armies fielded by the Congo Free State, the Belgian Congo, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, and includes in his text an unprecedented amount of order of battle material. Illustrations include 229 drawings of soldiers, 58 other illustrations, and two maps.

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
  • The colonial forces
  • Organisation
  • Arms
  • Dress
  • Notes on terminology
• The Congo Free State and Belgian Congo
  • The International African Association 1876—84
  • The Congo Free State 1884—1908
  • The Belgian Congo 1908—14
  • The Belgian Congo during the First World War
• Great Britain
  • British West Africa: the coastal settlements to 1872
  • British West Africa: conquest and pacification 1873—97
  • British West Africa: consolidation 1897—1918
  • British West Africa during the First World War
  • British South Africa to 1872
  • British South Africa 1872—99
  • The South African War 1899—1902
  • British South Africa 1903—10
  • The Union of South Africa 1910—13
  • South Africa during the First World War
  • Britain in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) 1867—69
  • Egypt and the Sudan 1884—95
  • Egypt and the Sudan 1896—1918
  • Egypt and the Sudan during the First World War
  • British Central Africa: Nyasaland 1885—1901
  • British Central Africa: Southern Rhodesia 1890—1914
  • British Central Africa: Northern Rhodesia 1891—1914
  • British Central Africa during the First World War
  • British East Africa: Zanzibar to 1914
  • British East Africa: Kenya 1887—1901
  • British East Africa: Uganda 1889—1901
  • British East Africa 1901—14
  • British Somaliland 1884—1914
  • British East Africa during the First World War
• France
  • Marine troops and l’Armée d’Afrique to 1871
  • Metropolitaine, Armée d’Afrique and Marine forces under the Third Republic
  • The Armée d’Afrique and Troupes Coloniales after 1900
  • The Armée d’Afrique and Troupes Coloniales in Morocco 1907—14
  • The Armée d’Afrique and Troupes Coloniales during the First World War
• Germany
  • Colonial expansion and consolidation 1884—95
  • The Schutztruppe 1896—1914
  • The First World War
• Italy
  • Eritrea 1869—96
  • Eritrea: the Adua Campaign
  • Post-Adua Eritrea to 1918
  • Somalia 1889—1918
  • The Turco-Italian War 1911—12
  • Libya 1912—21
• Portugal
  • Before 1869
  • Prelude to imperialism: the 1870s and 1880s
  • The colonial campaigns of the 1890s
  • The Colonial Army 1901—14
  • The First World War
• Spain
  • North Western Africa
  • Spanish Sahara and Ifni
  • Spanish Guinea (Fernando Po/Rio Muni)
• Bibliography