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584 General History oj Europe 1064. Conquest of the Sudan. Soon after the British conquest of Egypt, trouble arose in the Sudan, where a revolt against the Khedive's government was organized under the leadership of Mohammed Ahmed, who claimed to be the Messiah and found great numbers of fanatical followers who called him El Mahdi, "the leader." General Gordon was in charge of the British garrison at Khartum. Here he was besieged by the followers of the Mahdi in 1885 and after a memorable defense fell a victim to their fury, thus adding a tragic page to the military history of the British Empire. This disaster was avenged twelve years later, when in 1897-1898 the Sudan was reconquered and the city of Khartum was taken by the British under General Kitchener. 1065. Prosperity of Egypt. During the occupation of Egypt by the English the progress of the country was unquestioned ; industry and commerce developed steadily, public works were constnicted, and financial order reestablished under the supervi- sion of the English agent, whose word was law. A large dam was built across the Nile at Aswan to control the floods. There was strict honesty in the government, and Egypt had never, in all its long history, been so prosperous. Nevertheless there was a party strongly opposed to the British control which claimed Egypt should be for the Egyptians. Since the World War Parliament has shown an inclination to withdraw somewhat from her responsi- bility assumed in Egypt. IV. DECLINE OF THE SPANISH EMPIRE AND RISE OF THE UNITED STATES AS A WORLD POWER 1066. American Expansion. In striking contrast to the colo- nial expansion of the other powers of Europe stand the two countries which in the era of discovery led them all in enter- prise and achievement Spain and Portugal. 1 Spain, who once 1 Portugal, which lost its greatest possession, Brazil, about the same time that Spain lost its South American colonies, still retains considerable stretches of Africa, as a glance at the map will show, but its holdings in Asia are reduced to the posts of Macao in China and Goa in India. In foreign affairs it has been closely allied with England. In 1910 the monarchy was overthrown and Portugal became a republic.