Mau Mau Movement

Definition

The Mau Mau movement was an armed rebellion against British colonial rule in Kenya during the 1950s. The movement was primarily led by members of the Kikuyu ethnic group.

Analogy

Imagine you're playing a game where one player has been making all the rules unfairly to their advantage. Eventually, other players decide they've had enough - they band together to change the game rules so everyone has an equal chance of winning. That's what happened with the Mau Mau movement; they stood up against unfair colonial rule.

Related terms

Rebellion/Revolt: A rebellion or revolt is an act of violent or open resistance to an established government or ruler.

Decolonization: Decolonization is the process whereby colonies become independent of colonial powers.

Guerrilla Warfare: This refers to small-scale combat operations typically carried out by non-standard military forces often against larger more organized armies. It was a tactic often used by the Mau Mau.