How long boer war




















Boer War. Between and , the British Army fought a bitter colonial war against the Boers in South Africa. Although outnumbered, the Boers were a skilled and determined enemy. After initial setbacks and a long period of guerrilla warfare, the British eventually prevailed, but not without adopting controversial tactics. The Boers, Afrikaans-speaking farmers, wanted to maintain their independence. This worried the Boers, who saw them as a threat to their way of life.

It led to a further deterioration of the relationship between the British and Boer governments. Anxious to overcome this set-back and to give the British policy fresh impetus, Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain appointed an outspoken imperialist, Sir Alfred Milner, as High Commissioner for South Africa in Kruger was even more reluctant to permit the Uitlanders to enjoy political power. In , the SAR offered an extension of the franchise to the Uitlanders.

This was in return for British agreement not to interfere in the SAR's internal affairs. Kruger also demanded that Britain drop its claim to rule the SAR and allow external arbitration of other unresolved disputes between the two governments. Confident that the Boers would be quickly defeated, Chamberlain rejected Kruger's proposals. On 9 October, the SAR issued an ultimatum demanding the withdrawal not only of British troops from their borders, but of all reinforcements sent to South Africa since 1 June This ultimatum was rejected and on 12 October the allied republics invaded Cape Colony and Natal.

The Boers soon laid siege to the towns of Kimberley, Mafeking and Ladysmith and, in December , defeated British attempts to relieve them in the battles of Stormberg, Magersfontein and Colenso. British tactics, which had generally proved successful against poorly armed opponents, turned out to be disastrous when used against the Boers.

The British launched frontal attacks on concealed Boer positions. These were ineffective and led to several defeats in December Using modern rifles and smokeless powder, the Boers were able to snipe at British infantry from long distances before withdrawing to avoid any set-piece confrontation.

They were highly mobile, adept in fieldcraft and used to life on the high veldt. Although the Boers only had 88, soldiers and relatively few artillery pieces, they were led by outstanding generals such as Louis Botha, Jan Smuts and Christiaan de Wet. After several reverses, the British mobilised their superior resources and sent more men to South Africa. These included troops from across the Empire, especially from Canada and Australia.

Eventually, over , soldiers were involved. At home, the population volunteered in great numbers to serve in South Africa. The war was the first campaign in which British people from all sectors of society took up arms, with many joining newly raised formations like the Imperial Yeomanry. It was a forerunner of the patriotic fervour that inspired volunteers during the First World War On the outbreak of war, the British made a tacit agreement with their Boer enemies that both sides would not arm the black population.

As the war progressed, however, this stance proved difficult to maintain and they began employing armed blacks as scouts. It is estimated that between 15, and 30, black Africans eventually served under arms with the British Army as scouts and sentries.

Another , worked as labourers, transport drivers, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, farriers and builders. Although the Indian Army was not deployed to South Africa, a small number of Indian stretcher bearers and servants took part in the campaign. The Indian Ambulance Corps consisted of free Indians and indentured workers from sugar estates, who were sent to the front by their employers. They wished to gain control of the diamond mines, the railway and the supplies in the town.

The Boers were further motivated by a hatred of Cecil Rhodes, a leading proponent of confederation, who was among those besieged. Kimberley had a garrison of 4, men, of whom were regulars. They were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Kekewich. Kekewich had to defend a civilian population of 50,, as well as a perimeter 20 miles 32km long. His task was hindered by a shortage of firearms. On 15 October, Kimberley was cut off by the Boers. But their bombardment of the town did not begin until 6 November, after Kekewich had rejected Chief Commandant CJ Wessels' summons to surrender.

Although stocks of foodstuffs were initially high, rations had to be reduced early in This coincided with a marked increase in sickness and mortality. A shortage of fresh vegetables also caused scurvy among the black population. British troops under Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen marched to relieve the town. They fought battles at Graspan, Belmont and Modder River before their advance was halted for two months after defeat at Magersfontein.

Lord Roberts then assumed command of a reinforced column that renewed the offensive. About 13, troops - the majority British regulars - and 7, civilians - 2, of them Indians - were trapped. As the siege proceeded, the number of Boers in the trenches rarely exceeded 5, They opened their bombardment on 2 November with 17 field-guns.

Encouraged to believe that relief was coming by General Sir Redvers Buller's advance, the Ladysmith garrison made a number of sorties to distract the Boers. But the initiative passed back to the Boers after Buller's reverse at Colenso on 15 December, when he suggested to White that he should consider surrendering. In January, the Boers attempted to take Ladysmith by storm. Their unsuccessful assaults on Caesar's Camp and Wagon Hill ended this policy.

But after Buller was again defeated at Spion Kop on 24 January, the full rigours of the siege began to be felt in Ladysmith.

An alarming increase in sickness rates, coupled with serious shortages of food, led to the introduction of horseflesh into the rations. But on 28 February , Buller finally broke through after close co-operation between his infantry and artillery.

This success freed up the men of the former Natal Field Force to play an active role in the prosecution of the war elsewhere. Mafeking was the most northerly town in Cape Colony and had been claimed by the SAR prior to the outbreak of war. The town contained stocks of food, forage and railway material, which would have proved useful to the Boers. In the wider context of the war, the Siege of Mafeking was of greater strategic importance to the British, since it prevented the besiegers from participating in the campaign against them further south.

At the outset of the siege, he had at his disposal locally raised troops and a force of irregulars formed from the townspeople. In addition, more than black Africans were employed as cattle guards. The civilian population of the town numbered Europeans and 7, Africans. Baden-Powell decided to defend a perimeter around 7. As the siege progressed, the military role of the armed black population became increasingly important.

Baden-Powell had an ambivalent attitude towards the black Africans in Mafeking, without whose assistance the town would quickly have fallen. He reduced their rations during the siege and by playing down their contribution ensured that they received little reward after it.

The Boer bombardment of Mafeking began on 16 October. It is located on a floodplain that has Felt's admission, made in an article in Vanity Fair magazine, took legendary reporters Bob I want to do it tonight. I think I can get away with it! The two squadrons opened fire on each other Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. Black History. Art, Literature, and Film History. Middle East. Great Britain. Sign Up. World War II. Then were then the draft contingents, which were raised by the state governments after Federation on behalf of the new Commonwealth Government, which was as yet unable to do so.

Finally, after Federation, and close to the end of the war, the Australian Commonwealth Horse contingents were raised by the new federal government. These contingents fought in both the British counter-offensive of , which resulted in the capture of the Boer capitals, and in the long, weary guerrilla phases of the war which lasted until Colonial troops were valued for their ability to shoot and ride, and in many ways performed well in the open war on the veldt.

There were significant problems, however, with the relatively poor training of Australian officers, with contingents generally arriving without having undergone much training and being sent on campaign immediately. These and other problems faced many of the hastily raised contingents sent from around the empire, however, and were by no means restricted to those from Australia. The Australians at home initially supported the war, but became disenchanted as the conflict dragged on, especially as the effects on Boer civilians became known.

South Africa, c. The outbreak of war had long been expected in both Britain and Australia. Believing that conflict was imminent, Queensland had offered troops in July, and the same month Britain had requested the participation of New South Wales and Victoria. Each of the colonies ultimately sent between four and six contingents.

The first groups arrived in South Africa between November and March ; the second between December and February ; the third between April and May ; and the fourth between May and June A further three contingents were raised by the new Commonwealth in , but as they did not embark until , most arrived too late for any action.

Indeed, some were still at sea when the war ended on 31 May After a series of defeats in the Boer armies became fragmented, forming groups of highly mobile commandos which harassed British troop movements and lines of supply. Faced with this type of warfare, the British commanders became increasingly reliant on mounted troops from Britain and the colonies. Conditions for both soldiers and horses were harsh. Without time to acclimatise to the severe environment and in an army with a greatly over-strained logistic system, the horses fared badly.

Many died, not just in battle but of disease, while others succumbed to exhaustion and starvation on the long treks across the veld. Quarantine regulations in Australia ensured that even those which did survive could not return home.

In the early stages of the war Australian soldier losses were so high through illness that components of the first and second contingents ceased to exist as viable units after a few months of service.



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