Battle of Atchoukpa

Overview

The Battle of Atchoukpa was fought on 20 April 1890 near the town of Atchoukpa during the First Franco-Dahomean War. A French force of 350 troops under Colonel Terrillon, briefly assisted by 500 of King Toffa I's warriors, fought off a force of 7,000 Dahomey warriors and 2,000 Dahomey Amazons under King Béhanzin who were set to march on Porto-Novo.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

At Atchoukpa on 20 April 1890, a French force of 350 troops under Colonel Terrillon, reinforced briefly by 500 warriors loyal to King Toffa I, repulsed a Dahomean force of approximately 9,000, including 2,000 Dahomey Amazons under King Béhanzin. The engagement inflicted an estimated 1,500 Dahomean casualties and halted an advance directed at Porto-Novo, the French-protected kingdom whose security was central to France's position in the region. By turning back a force many times its size, the French column demonstrated a capacity to hold the approaches to Porto-Novo, checking Béhanzin's immediate ambitions and shaping the terms on which the First Franco-Dahomean War would conclude later in 1890.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)