The Second Boer War 1899-1902

• In 1815, Britain formally acquired Cape Colony from the Netherlands
• Most of the Dutch colonists – Boers – were independent farmers
• In the 1830s, 5000 Boers who hated some aspects of British rules, as well as the abolition of slavery, migrated north
• Great Trek


  1. Initially towards Nata

  2. After Britain annexed Natal in 1843, headed into the interior where they founded the Orange Free State and the Transvaal
• Boer's desire for land created antagonism with black Africans, especially the Zulus
• In 1877, Britain, with the hopes to unite its southern African colonies with the Boer republics, took control of the Transvaal and proceeded to defeat the Zulus in 1879
• After the Zulu defeat

  The Transvaal asked Britain to restore independence
• When Britain refused


  The Boers rebelled
• First Boer War, British were defeated at Majuba Hill
• Gladstone's government agreed to recognise the Transvaal and the Orange Free State as self-governing nations under power of the British Crown
• It was not clear on what powers Britain still had over the republics
• Discovery of gold in 1886 made the Transvaal a very rich nation
• Situation threatened to tilt the economic balance of power in the Boer's favour
• Transvaal tried to take over the whole of Southern Africa, which was feasible given that thousands of Boers still lived in Cape Colony and Natal
• Uitlanders


  Waves of immigrants from Britain who poured into the Transvaal to make a fortune
• By the mid-1890s, most of the Transvaal new wealth was in the hands of British and German mine-owners
• Uitlanders outnumbered the Boer population
• Transvaal government led by President Kruger


  Insisted that the uitlanders how to live in the Transvaal for 14 years before they could naturalise and become citizens
• This stopped British citizens for having any voting power in the state
• Lord Salisbury


  Tory Prime Minister, also foreign secretary, aims were to protect Britain's essential interests which was security, India and the empire, the sea lanes
• Joseph Chamberlain


  Colonial secretary, had long advocated forging a more cohesive Empire which was bound together by economic interest and a viable imperial Parliament
• Aggressive defence of British interest collided with Salisbury's quieter conduct of policy
• Cecil Rhodes


  Arrived in Cape Colony in 1870 aged 17, made a fortune from diamond mining, in 1887 established a gold-mining company in the Transvaal and in 1890 became the prime minister of Cape Colony, convinced that the British were 'the first race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race', dreamed of expanding Britain's African empire
• The Jameson raid


  In 1895, Rhodes hatched a scheme to seize control of the Transvaal, men from his Chartered Company would seize control of Johannesburg and trigger an uprising to overthrow Kruger, December 1895, Dr Jameson led 600 armed men into the Transvaal, after a brief skirmish with Boer militia, Jameson surrendered
• As a result, Rhodes resigned as PM of Cape Colony, Transvaal led by Kruger and Orange Free state, led by President Steyn, drew closer together against the British and signed a military pact in 1897
• Convinced that war with britain was highly likely, Kruger purchased the best European weapons for Transvaal armed forces
• Alfred Milner


  British government sent out as high commissioner of southern Africa in 1897, a passionate imperialist, believed that there was 'a greater issue than the grievances of the uitlanders at stake', took an uncompromising stance with Kruger, Uitlanders must be granted full citizenship
• The coming of war

  In an effort to resolve Anglo-Transvaal issues, Milner and Kruger attended a conference in Bloemfontein on the 31st May 1899, Milner demanded the Transvaal enact a law that would give uitlanders the right to vote, Kruger rejected the demand and so Milner walked out of the meeting on the 5th June, Salisbury had misgivings about Milner's "forward policy", as tensions grew, Salisbury's government did not send substantial reinforcements to southern Africa, in September, Chamberlain sent an ultimatum demanding full equality for British citizens who live in the Transvaal, October 9th, Kruger issued his own ultimatum, Boers declared war on 11th October
• Krugers actions, as Salisbury said, 'Liberated us from the necessity of explaining to the people of England why we are at war'
• One of the reasons for war is the aggressive tactics of Chamberlain, the colonial secretary
• British Army in 1899

  • Most British people expected an easy win whereas Salisbury was realistic, told Queen Victoria that: "We have no army capable of meeting even a second-class Continental Power"
• Military reform issues


  • Army remained small, less than 135,000 men, in the last two decades of the 19th century, the main aim of military reformers was to bring the army to a high level of professionalism, formidable obstacles included government not ready to spend money on the army, army generally performed well in colonial wars in the 1880's and 1890's and therefore little pressure to change, Duke of Cambridge, commander in chief, was a defender of traditional practices, 1895, Cambridge was replaced by Lord Wolseley who preferred to reform but was deprived of the money by Salisbury's government
• George Wyndham, as secretary of the War Office, claimed in October 1899 that the army was more efficient than at any time since "Waterloo"
• Once war was declared in 1899, mobilisation went well, Admiralty transporting men and supplies over a distance of 6000 miles without any issue
• Issues with British preparedness


  • Shortage of ammunition, arm had plenty of red, white and blue uniforms which were unsuitable for action on the veldt, but an inadequate supply of khaki which was better camouflaged, several auxiliary departments such as the Royal Army Medical Corps, were understaffed, intelligence and staff work were inadequate, British officers failed to recognise the impact of fire from trench positions and the mobility of cavalry raids, both of which had been demonstrated in the American Civil War
• Boer Army


  • Boers could put fewer than 60,000 men in the field, total population of the two republics, including men and women, was only 300,000, Boer army apart from a few artillery troops, was a civilian militia, when danger loomed, all adult male citizens in a district were expected to from a commando which elected officers, each man brought his own weapon and horse, those who could not afford one were given one by the government, Boers were relatively strong as the First Boer war suggested that the Boers with excellent horsemen and hunters were likely to be tough opponents, Boers armed with Europe's best weapons including smokeless Mauser rifles from Germany and Creusot siege guns from France, had a greater familiarity with the terrain than British officers, Boer Morale was strong, many Boers in Cape Colony sympathised with the two republics
• The war: October 1899-September 1900


  Sir George White with 10,000 men from the Indian Army, arrived on 7th October 1899, in time to prevent the Boers marching unimpeded on Durban, Britain's First Army Corps, earmarked for service in southern Africa, did not sail from Southampton until the 12th October, General Penn-Symons, whilst establishing his main base at Ladysmith, sent a brigade forward to Dundee, Boer guns began shelling the British camp on the 20th October, Penn-Symons counterattacked, men drove the Boers from Talana Hill but at the cost of 446 men, Penn-Symons was fatally wounded, Sir George White retreated to Ladysmith because of a fear that the Boers were going to attack, Ladysmith was surrounded by Boers who bombarded it with siege guns, White ordered a major sortie against the artillery, Battle of Modderspruit was a British disaster, 140 men killed and 1000 captured, White trapped in Ladysmith, Colonel Robert Baden-Powell had raised 1200 local men at Mafeking, hoping to lead raids against the enemy, instead found himself defender when 7000 Boers, commanded by Piet Cronje, attacked Mafeking, early November, 7500 Boers laid siege to the diamond-mining town of Kimberley which was being defended by 5000 men
• Boer's decision to commit themselves to sieges handed the initiative back to the British, who were given the time to recover
• Boers made no attempt to capture the besieged towns
• In November, Boers crossed into Cape Colony, defended by only 7000 British troops