Hello everyone, today we discuss on the role of the Amazons during war times. I put down below the link the previous article with the references and I let you enjoy the reading. Don’t hesitate to leave a comment!
The most well- known war of the Amazons is the one against the French colonizers alongside with the King of Dahomey, Behanzin in 1892. France had the will to expend their territory, using the land of Dahomey as such. The French army headed to Abomey which was the capital of the Kingdom at that time. The French troops was constituted of more than 3000 men and was led by Colonel Dodds who was a French military who played an important role in the French colonial expansion in West Africa.
The 26th of October 1892, as they were reaching Abomey, where the King was, they got face to face to an entire army only constituted of women. They were the Amazons! Their reputation was not unknown to the French colonel as in 1852 Seh-Dong-Hong-Beh led 6000 Amazons in a huge battle to protect the population against slave traders. The Amazons were not afraid to die to protect the King Behanzin and the Kingdom. Dodds knew that he could not win against them as they would win based on their strength and courage so, he elaborated a strategy to win the war.
However, the Amazons were also very well organized. There were the ones holding the guns, the archers, which progressively disappeared when guns appeared, the ones holding knives which were very long (45 cm) and the hunters. The hunters were seen as being the best and were very respected. Only when the King and the Kingdom were in dangers would they come and join the fight.
Unfortunately, the French army won the fight and made the King a prisoner. Behanzin who asked to speak to the French Sovereign of that time will never arrive in France. He will be brought to the Martinique (French Carrebean) and will die of poisoning in Algeria.
The Last Amazon called Nawi, will die 1892 at over 100 years old in the village of Kinta in Benin.
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