The Last Days of the Dahomey Warriors

What Happened After the Fall of the Kingdom?

When the Kingdom of Dahomey finally fell under French control, silence spread across the land like smoke after battle.

The drums stopped first.

Then the marching.

Then the war cries that had once shaken enemy soldiers across West Africa.

For years, the Dahomey warriors had fought to protect their kingdom. But after the defeat of King Béhanzin and the arrival of French colonial rule, the powerful military system that once made Dahomey feared began to disappear slowly.

Some warriors died on the battlefield.

Others returned home carrying scars