ABSTRACT: In 1889, the Russian Empire embarked on an ambitious yet brief colonial venture in East Africa, attempting to establish a presence in Sagallo, a small strategic port located in the Horn of Africa1. Despite its rapid failure and limited direct consequences, the Sagallo incident represents a significant example of the difficulties Russia faced in its attempt to extend its influence beyond its traditional Eurasian borders. This study examines the political, economic, and diplomatic motivations behind the Russian attempt, the involvement of rival European powers, particularly Italy, and the geopolitical dynamics that led to the withdrawal of Russian imperial forces. Although the episode had little lasting impact, it offers important reflections on the global colonization process and the competition between imperial powers at the close of the 19th century.
SUMMARY: 1. Introduction – 2. The Historical and Geopolitical Context of the Russian Initiative – 3. Reactions from the Colonial Powers: France and Italy – 4. Diplomatic Dynamics and the Resolution of the Conflict – 5. Conclusions.
1. Introduction
By the end of the 19th century, the world was immersed in a phase of intensified colonial expansion. The great European powers were engaged in a frenzied race for dominance over territories beyond Europe, particularly in Africa, where colonialism was reshaping geopolitical balances. In this context, Russia, while consolidating its power in Central Asia and Siberia, began to entertain growing aspirations of projecting itself beyond its traditional borders, specifically targeting maritime routes in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Although its brief foray into Sagallo proved marginal compared to other more significant colonial events, it provides an important lesson on the difficulty of entering a world dominated by European imperialism.
The occupation of Sagallo by Russian imperial forces, though short-lived, highlights the diplomatic and military challenges Russia faced in its attempt to expand its influence in Africa. While the area of Sagallo was not of primary economic or strategic importance compared to other European colonies, its geographic location along the maritime routes of the Horn of Africa gave it considerable strategic value. However, the response from European powers, particularly France and Italy, along with internal challenges within Russia, contributed to the swift conclusion of the venture.
2. The Historical and Geopolitical Context of the Russian Initiative
The Sagallo incident occurred during a period when the Russian Empire sought to project its power beyond its traditional borders. Although Russia had consolidated control over vast areas in Asia and Eastern Europe, the late 19th century marked a time of reflection on the possibility of expanding beyond Central Asia. European powers had already defined extensive spheres of influence in Africa, and Russia sought to carve out a space in this new competition. The choice of Sagallo as a colonial objective was not arbitrary: its strategic location along the commercial routes of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean made it an ideal target for a power looking to strengthen its position in the vital maritime trade between Europe and Asia.
In 1889, Captain Nikolai Ivanovich of the Imperial Russian Navy was tasked with leading an exploratory mission with the aim of establishing a Russian presence in the region.2
Despite insufficient preparation and the lack of a concrete plan for stable control, the Russian mission succeeded in temporarily occupying Sagallo. The stated objective was to secure a strategic naval base capable of reinforcing Russia’s position in maritime trade between Europe and Asia, countering the growing influence of European imperial powers, particularly France, Great Britain, and Italy.3
3. Reactions from the Colonial Powers: France and Italy
The Russian colonization attempt quickly provoked reactions from European powers that had already established their presence in East Africa. France, which had established a sphere of influence in the region, considered the position of Sagallo to be an integral part of its strategic interests. By the late 19th century, France had signed agreements with the Ottoman Empire to control large areas of the Horn of Africa, including the Sagallo port. The Russian initiative directly threatened French interests, and Paris quickly responded with a series of diplomatic protests, demanding the withdrawal of Russian forces.4
Italy, which in 1882 had initiated the process of colonizing Eritrea, also reacted firmly. While not yet a colonial power of the stature of Great Britain or France, Italy was striving to consolidate its dominance in the region. The Russian occupation of Sagallo interfered with Italy’s imperial ambitions, as its presence threatened to disrupt the delicate balance of power already precariously established in East Africa. Italian diplomacy, still in the early stages of development, proved decisive in repelling Russian ambitions, exerting pressure that, combined with France’s reaction, rapidly brought the Russian venture to an end.
4. Diplomatic Dynamics and the Resolution of the Conflict
The Sagallo incident underscores the importance of international diplomacy in resolving imperial conflicts. Although the Russian initiative had a basis in legitimacy derived from its global expansion ambitions, the lack of stable alliances and the swift response from European powers made it difficult to bring it to fruition. Russia found itself isolated in its position, unable to sustain a conflict with European powers that had already defined the rules of the game on the African continent.
European diplomacy, particularly through coordination between France and Italy, led to a swift and definitive resolution of the issue. Russia was forced to retreat, ending what could have become an international point of conflict. This episode highlighted Russia’s difficulty in imposing its will beyond its traditional spheres of influence in a context dominated by established imperial powers.
5. Conclusions
Although brief and of limited impact, the Sagallo incident represents a significant example of the challenges Russia faced in attempting to extend its global influence, particularly in East Africa. While it had no lasting consequences on the African geopolitical stage, the episode illustrates the complex imperial dynamics and the difficulties emerging powers encountered when confronting a colonial order dominated by European powers. In this context, the competition between France, Italy, and Russia for control of Sagallo not only reflects the rivalry between imperial powers but also the centrality of international diplomacy in affirming or repelling imperial ambitions.5
1 MILLER Alexey, The Russian Empire and the World: Imperialism in Russian History, Routledge, London, 2000.
2 Nikolay Ivanovich Ashinov was born in 1856 in a hereditary merchant family of Tsaritsyn (present day Volgograd) in the Saratov Governorate. He studied at the Saratov Real school N.1. He was of a restless disposition and his studies did not work out as expected. When his father went bankrupt, Nikolai sold the remaining property and left his hometown (1880). He rushed to the Caucasus, driven by the project to grow tobacco. However, Ashinov did not possess the knowledge and patience of such an endeavour and abandoned the region trhee years later. In 1883, Ashinov arrived in Saint Petersburg. He was convinced that Cossacks, originally from Russia, moved to the mountains of Anatolia -then part of the Ottoman Empire- and to Persian shores of the Caspian Sea where they have been living for the last three hundred years. He shared this alleged knowledge that these tribes retained not only their way of life and the Russian customs, but also their loyalty to the Orthodox Church and a desire to serve Russian Motherland. Ashinov presented himself as the elected Ataman of these “free Cossacks” and stated that he came to St. Petersburg in order to ask the Russian government to allow them to return to Russia and settle on the Black Sea coast. There, Nicolay offered to set up and lead a new “Black Sea Cossack army”. ROBERT Costantin Jean, L’Archimandrite Paisi et l’Ataman Achinoff: une expedition religieuse en Abyssinie / Preface de Juliette Adam, Librairie de la “Nouvelle Revue”, Paris, 1891.
3 On 10 December 1888, the mission set off for Africa: it comprised about 150 people of various origins, including women with children and around 40 people of the spiritual delegation led by Archimandrite Paisius. The expedition was transported from Alexandria to Port Said by the Russian ship Lazarev. In Port Said, Ashinov hired the Austrian ship Amphitride, which entered the Gulf of Tadjoura -then a French protectorate- on 6 January 1889. There, they were welcomed by four Cossacks who have been securing luggage and supplies since the previous visit. Abyssinian priests were also awaiting the spiritual delegation and its leader Paisius. Once ashore, the pretense of a religious mission to Ethiopia was quickly abandoned as Ashinov revealed his intention to settle permanently in the Gulf of Tadjoura. Ashinov organized a shelter for the mission in the abandoned Egyptian fort of Sagallo, where they settled on 14 January. Concurrently, he announced the place Russian soil and christened it New Moscow. Additionally he proclaimed as Russian land the area “fifty miles along the coast and a hundred miles inland”: on 28 January the Russian flag was raised. While several people from the expedition fled to Obock, a nearby village from the French territory nearby, French authorities became aware of the presence of the Russian colony, at odds with the initial intention to travel to Abyssinia.
4 CZESLAW Jesman, The Russians in Ethiopia, Chatto and Windus, London, 1958. BOLL Verena, Ethiopia and the Missions: Historical and Anthropological Insights, Münster, 2005.
5 ABLAVISKII V., Russkaya imperiya i kolonializm, Izdatel’stvo Moskovskogo Universiteta, Moscow, 1967.
