An understanding of warfare in historical perspective – in Africa oranywhere else – can only begin with an appreciation of certain keydrivers and dynamics over the longue durée. The roles ofenvironment and economy are central in this respect, and certain social,cultural and political parameters and permutations need to be surveyed beforeembarking on an exploration of the finer detail. It might be pointed out thatsome of the broad observations made in what follows represent ‘universaltruths’, in that they are by no means peculiar to Africa’scircumstances: So, for example, dense forest and open savannah facilitatemarkedly distinct forms of combat and military organisation; politicalauthority, in whatever guise, is rarely without a military component, whethercovert or overt; all human communities celebrate their own courage and sense ofhonour on the field of battle, whatever form the battle itself takes. But itwill be clear from the ensuing discussion that there are particular dynamics atwork in Africa’s military history – despite the enormous diversityacross the continent – which can be, and need to be, highlighted by wayof a preliminary overview.

Terrain and Population

Particular physical environments and climates have had a direct bearing on formsof organised violence. They have implications for the very nature of militarism– by which is meant the centrality of warfare in society and culture– as well as military structures and strategies of defence andaggression. Two broad features need to be noted from the outset. Firstly, therelative regularity of Africa’s coastline and the infrequency of naturalharbours – with the notable exception of the Mediterranean coast –meant the absence, in general, of the armed ocean-going fleets so prominent inwestern European and east Asian military history; only on stretches of navigablerivers, on inland lakes, and along the West African coastal lagoon system waswar waged on water. Secondly, the key distinction within the continentallandmass itself is between the tropical zone infested with the tsetse fly– very approximately, a band contained between the 15th degree latitudeson either side of the equator – and the tsetse-free land north and southof it. The tsetse attacks livestock – including cattle, sheep, goats,camels and horses – and spreads trypanosomiasis, which is usually fatal;there is a human variant, known as sleeping sickness.