 In March 1896, with the Italians visibly failing and the "Mahdiyah" state threatening to conquer Eritrea, Salisbury ordered Kitchener to invade northern Sudan, ostensibly for the purpose of distracting the "Ansar" (whom the British called "Dervishes") from attacking the Italians.Kitchener won victories at the Battle of Ferkeh in June 1896 and the Battle of Hafir in September 1896, earning him national fame in the United Kingdom and promotion to major-general on 25 September 1896.Kitchener's cold personality and his tendency to drive his men hard made him widely disliked by his fellow officers.