The Second Boer War
Gabriel Gullion
The Anglo-Boer War remains one of the most devastating wars in South Africa’s History. It began October 11th, 1899 and was fought between British Empire and two Boer states, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State. There was a collection of related causes which contributed to the Second Boer War. The first being the conflict of the imperial and republican ideologies and tension between political leaders. The others included the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, Uitlander franchise, and the Jameson Raid.
Following the First Boer War, the British continued with their ideal to bring South Africa under British rule. The Boer republics of the Orange State and Transvaal desired independence which became a barrier for the British. In 1886, gold was identified on the Witwatersrand, in the Transvaal which made it the richest nation in southern Africa. However, The Transvaal did not posses the required manpower or industry to develop the gold on their own and were forced to accept help from immigrants. The majority of uitlanders (foreigners) spoke English and were from Britain who searched employment and riches. Tensions rose as the population of uitlanders had the potential of overcoming that of the Boers. Paul Kruger was the president of the Transvaal. In 1890, Cecil Rhodes became the Prime Minister of the Cape Colony. Rhodes was originally from Britain and had gained his fortune through mining diamonds in South Africa. He was in favor of the plan to unite southern Africa under British rule, while Kruger backed Boer independence. Rodes and Kruger were in direct conflict and this conflict built on the war.
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The Jameson Raid occurred when the British were becoming more confident with taking control of South Africa. In 1896, Joseph Chamberlain was appointed Colonial Secretary. He joined Rhodes in promoting the British Empire in South Africa. In a confrontation between the Transvaal and the Cape, Kruger blocked key railroad routes going through the Transvaal from Cape. The British government demanded that the routes be opened and Rhodes responded by organizing an uprising of uitlanders in Johannesburg. He worked with Chamberlain to plan to take over the Transvaal and convert it to British rule. They worked with Dr. Leander Starr Jameson to attempt this. It ended in a total failure, as the uitlanders argued about the government type they would select and Rhodes decided to cancel the raid, Jameson and his team crossed the border into the Transvaal. It ended in a surrender by Jameson and a failure for the Cape.
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The South African Republic (Transvaal) declared war on Britain on October 11th, 1899 and there were two Boer republics involved in this, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. The War can be broken into three distinct phases. The first phase was one of preemptive besieges carried out by Boers upon British garrisons of Ladysmith, Mafeking, and Kimberley. In Ladysmith, Boers surrounded and captured 1,000 men and killed 140 in the process. This was classified as the Boer offensive and they used guerrilla warfare to win most conflicts at this stage. On January 10th, 1900 reinforcements were sent from Britain. As the masses of soldiers moved inland, they defeated all Boers in their path. In March, British forces overtook Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free Orange State, and in June they took Johannesburg. After Britain took Bloemfontein and Pretoria, more than 13,000 Boers surrendered of demoralization while the rest slowly died off. The Commander of the British forces, Lord Kitchener, decided to cut off all food supplies to the Boers and enacted the “scorched earth” policy. Around 30,000 Boer farmhouses were destroyed, animals killed, and children, women and black people were sent to concentration camps.
In the end, there were 40 concentration camps which housed 116,000 women and children, and 60 camps holding 115,00 black people. The camps were overcrowded underfed, and the conditions were inhumane. It is estimated that a total of 41,370 people died in these camps.
In the end, there were 40 concentration camps which housed 116,000 women and children, and 60 camps holding 115,00 black people. The camps were overcrowded underfed, and the conditions were inhumane. It is estimated that a total of 41,370 people died in these camps.
Change of Territory
Timeline of Events
- Gold is discovered in the Transvaal. (1886)
- The Jameson Raid fails to incite the uitlanders. (1895)
- The Transvaal and the Orange Free State form a military alliance. (1896)
- The British send in troops to protect their “commercial rights” and war is declared. (12 October 1899)
- British forces invade the Transvaal and capture Johannesburg and Pretoria. (May/June 1900)
- The Boers adopt guerrilla tactics, disrupting British communications. (September 1900)
- British forces begin taking Boer prisoners, including women and children. (29 November 1900)
- The Treaty of Vereeniging officially ends the war. (31 May 1902)
Sources
Burgh House Software for John Turner. “In Advance ∧.” Saint Helena Island Info: All about St Helena, in the South Atlantic Ocean • Boer Prisoners (1900-1902), sainthelenaisland.info/boerprisoners.htm.
Anonymous. “Second Anglo-Boer War 1899 - 1902.” South African History Online, 19 Sept. 2017, www.sahistory.org.za/article/second-anglo-boer-war-1899-1902.
Anonymous. “The War.” South African History Online, 27 June 2016, www.sahistory.org.za/article/war.
Anonymous. “Second Anglo-Boer War 1899 - 1902.” South African History Online, 19 Sept. 2017, www.sahistory.org.za/article/second-anglo-boer-war-1899-1902.
Anonymous. “The War.” South African History Online, 27 June 2016, www.sahistory.org.za/article/war.