Boer war

• what people were in South Africa?

  • Boers (white dutch settlers) felt anger toward Britain, they did nothing to help when farmlands were attacked by local tribes and didn't like the ban on slavery. Also had Bantu that were Zulu and Xhosa tribes
  • also wanted to be self governing and independent
• what was discovered in 1867?

  diamonds were discovered near the Boer zone/Orange free State that UK want access to and expand to the North by taking West Grinqueland in 1871 and Basutoland in 1868.
• when did Boers sought for protection?


  1877, outcome was being annexed. Zulus tried to attack Boers due to weakness so Zulus could take control but outcome was that the Transvaal was annexed to keep the Zulus out, managing to get control of them in 1879.

  • Boers seeked independence again and defeated British in war 1881 due to better organisation of army
  • Gold discovered in transvaal in 1886 by Cecil Rhodes (Rand produced 1/4 of worlds gold supply which UK found important due to Gold standard)
• what did Kaiser Willhelm do?

  congratulated Boers on independence but this didn't help anglo-german relations, Britain feared German-Boer relations.

  • troops bordered up by Transvaal, Boers sent ultimatum that UK denied
• early stages of Boer war?

  yet again UK was unprepared
• what political stances were there in Boer war?

  British took liberal approach, boers took Calvinist approach (strong nationalist sentiment)

  • Rhodes was hostile toward a Boer politician Kruger as he tried to instigate Uitlander uprising, Kruger doubled down on Uitlander repression and UK invaded Africa due to Uitlanders needing freedom
  • even Milner (UK representative in South Africa) stated there’s no room for 2 conflicting social and political systems
• how did the Boer was weaken Britain?

  • costed £230 million when Britain only expected £10 million
  • 22,000 British soldiers died compared to 6,000 Boers
  • wider public criticism (Emily Hobhouse reports from concentration camps drew sharp criticism of Government from press)
  • control of Orange Free State and Transvaal wasn't long term, by 1914 all land under British control in South Africa had some sort of self-governance
  • Treaty of Vereeniging (1902) Britain agreed to pay £3 million compensation to Boers
• how did the Boer war strengthen Britain?

  • brung out reforms (free school meals 1906, unemployment insurance 1911) also national efficiency increased meaning creation of first Old age Pension, giving more eco security.
  • Royal Navy modernised (encouraged Britain to be more realistic about strength of copetitors)
  • Indian troops helped, potentially stronger ally?
  • short term had direct control of Transvaal and Orange free state.