The End of General Gordon explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Imperialism and Adventure

  Gordon is portrayed as a 'fighter, an enthusiast, a bold adventurer' whose character is at odds with the inglorious retreat he is sent to conduct. The chapter critiques the imperial mindset that values heroic action over strategic withdrawal.

• Ambition and Worldly Success

  Gordon's personal ambition and sense of honour drive him to hold out against the Mahdi, forcing the government's hand. His final letters reveal a concern for his pecuniary affairs and his duty, reflecting the tension between personal glory and official policy.

• The Nature of Biography and History

  The chapter reflects on the difficulty of discerning the precise motives of historical actors, such as the government's decision to send Gordon. It presents a narrative shaped by character flaws (Hartington's slowness) and contingent events (the Nile's low water), illustrating how history is a web of complex circumstances.

Characters to notice

• General Gordon

  The central figure of the chapter, whose appointment to evacuate the Sudan is questioned. His final journal entries and letters show his defiance, his belief that the expedition was for the garrisons not his relief, and his acceptance of his fate.

• Sir Evelyn Baring

  The Consul-General in Egypt, whose hesitations about Gordon's appointment were overridden by the government. Gordon satirically imagines Baring 'bumping his way up' to Khartoum on a camel.

• Lord Hartington

  The slow-moving statesman whose conscience drives him to pressure Mr. Gladstone for a relief expedition. The chapter details his seven-stage process, culminating in a threat to resign, but his delays contribute to the expedition's fatal lateness.

• Mr. Gladstone

  The Prime Minister, described as having 'mysterious passions' and being a 'slippery old man' who eludes Hartington's pressure to send a relief expedition.

• Lord Wolseley

  The commander of the relief expedition, who made elaborate preparations but miscalculated the Nile's water levels, leading to critical delays.

• Sir Herbert Stewart

  The leader of the desert march to relieve Khartoum, who is killed in a fiercely contested fight on January 19th.

• Sir Samuel Baker

  Mentioned as the type of strong man Gordon believed should be sent to Khartoum to overpower the Mahdi.

• Mr. Stead

  The journalist to whom Gordon expressed his views on the Sudan situation, advocating for military action rather than evacuation.

Key passages

• “up and evacuate now.' They said: 'Yes,' and it was over.”

  The government quickly agreed to Gordon's appointment and evacuation plan.

  Describes the swift decision to send Gordon to the Sudan.

• “He was before all things a fighter, an enthusiast, a bold adventurer; and he was now to be entrusted with the conduct of an inglorious retreat.”

  Gordon's nature as a warrior and adventurer made him completely unsuited for the task of leading a withdrawal.

  Highlights the fundamental mismatch between Gordon's character and his mission.

• “The fate of General Gordon, so intricately interwoven with such a mass of complicated circumstance ... was finally determined by the fact that Lord Hartington was slow.”

  Gordon's death was ultimately caused by Lord Hartington's slowness in forcing the Cabinet to act.

  Identifies Hartington's indecisiveness as the decisive factor in the tragedy.

• “I decline to agree that the expedition comes for my relief; it comes for the relief of the garrisons, which I failed to accomplish.”

  Gordon insisted the expedition was not for him personally but to rescue the garrisons he had been unable to save.

  Shows Gordon's defiant reinterpretation of the relief mission.

• “I am quite happy, thank God, and, like Lawrence, I have tried to do my duty.”

  Gordon expressed contentment and a sense of having fulfilled his duty, comparing himself to Lawrence.

  Gordon's final, stoic farewell to his sister.