Samori Ture
~1830–1900 · Mandinka (West Africa) · Scramble for Africa
Known for: Founded the Wassoulou Empire and resisted French colonization for nearly 20 years through guerrilla warfare
Samori Ture was a West African military genius who built the Wassoulou Empire and fought the French colonial army for nearly two decades—the longest and most effective African resistance to European colonization during the Scramble for Africa. He organized an army of 30,000 soldiers along modern lines and established workshops to repair and manufacture firearms.
He adopted a scorched-earth strategy against the French, continuously moving his empire eastward when outgunned. He was finally captured in 1898 and exiled to Gabon, where he died. He was a devout Muslim and skilled diplomat who sought British alliances against France.
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