After the successful colonial subjugation of the Sudan, Kenya and Uganda, the British started to apply pressure against Ethiopia, which subsided somewhat during The Second Boer War 1899–1902. The Ethiopian military gained valuable experience by dealing with British colonial forces (both military and not) in the course of trying to establish a well defined border. The fact that the Ethiopian military (and state) was organized enough to resist and the fact that it had diplomatic relations with a number of European states from which it could draw on for diplomatic support and arms sales gave pause to the surrounding European powers.