Battle of Cotonou

On 4 March 1890, a Dahomean army attacked the fortified French position at Cotonou, held by a small force of naval infantry and tirailleurs. Despite extreme numerical disproportion, French discipline and firepower repulsed all frontal attacks, inflicting heavy losses on Béhanzin's troops. This victory halted Dahomey's ambitions on the coast and began conquest of the interior.

Since the 1880s, France sought to control the Gulf of Guinea coast and subdue the hostile Kingdom of Dahomey. Cotonou was the main French trading post, fortified in anticipation of assaults. King Béhanzin, refusing French hegemony, attempted to retake the site by force with a numerous and motivated army.

French defenders used trenches, obstacles, and light artillery to channel assault waves. Dahomeans attacked en masse, multiplying outflanking attempts but suffering heavy losses under crossfire and bayonet charges. Naval guns intervened to break enemy concentrations.

The victory at Cotonou consolidated French implantation on the coast and demoralized Dahomey, which lost the initiative. The campaign would continue until the capture of Abomey in 1892, marking the end of the kingdom's independence. This battle also confirmed the formidable reputation of Dahomean 'Amazons' facing Western military modernity.