The Maxim Gun

All Africans opposed the European domination of their homelands from the begining, and when push came to shove, protected their homelands with love and ferocity, most never giving any of their land willingly. But whenever African opposition gained momentum, the superiority of European military power prevented any long term gains.

While the African resistance had the advantage of fighting on home ground, they could not ultimately overcome the firepower of the European's -especially with the newly invented Maxim machine gun.

The English poet Hilaire Belloc summed up this situation aptly when he wrote:
"Whatever happens we have got,
The Maxim gun, and they have not".

_________________________________________________________________________

The Maxim gun was invented in 1884 by an American Hiram Maxim while he was domiciled in England.

It was the first fully automatic, single barrelled machine gun. Novel for the time was the use of the energy of each bullet's recoil to eject the spent cartridge and insert the next bullet. The Maxim could fire until the entire belt of bullets were used up -or until it jammed.
As all gun barrels become inaccurate or unworkable when overheated, the Maxim's barrel was encased in a brass waterfilled jacket that needed to be continually refilled.

The Maxim machine gun was grudingly adopted by the British Army in 1890 -the men signing the cheques preferred the slash and dash of the cavalry, this lead was eagerly followed by most other European nations.
According to often quoted sources, the Maxim was first used to devastating effect in the Anglo-Matabele war of 1893-94, where in one encounter, the murderous Maxim gun cut down 5,000 Matabele warriors armed only with ancient muzzle loading rifles, spears and the belief that this was their homeland that they were protecting.

So went most of the African resistance, unable to withstand the technological superiority of the invading European nations.
By this invention, warfare had changed forever, and the Maxim gun would leave it's indelible mark on the casualties of the upcoming WW I, where all the European combatants had the Maxim machinegun -or better copies.