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Summary Second Boer War Notes
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Second Boer War Notes
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The Second Boer War 1899-1902 Boers – originally Dutch but settled in the Orange Free State and the Transvaal –
mostly farmers and skilled hunters, all were armed, had modern German and French
artillery, mobile commandos (bands of horsemen using guerrilla tactics) – also had
support from Afrikaans speakers in Natal and Cape Colony – led by Christian de Wet
and Louis Botha
Gold was found in the Transvaal and caused outlanders (foreigners) to settle – war
began in 1899 after Britain refused to remove its troops
First Boer War – a war about empire-building, the protection of identity and language
Strength of the British Army
o Cardwell reforms had improved organisation and recruitment - breech-loading
field artillery and Maxim machine guns had been tested in Afghanistan and
Sudan
o 250,000 regular soldiers, but 70,000 were in India, 78,000 reserves, local
militias would provide another 65,000
o Introduction of khaki rather than red
o Sir Redvers Buller and Lord Kitchener were experienced, and both had the
Victoria Cross for bravery
o They do not know the terrain; commanders were ill-prepared and assumed the
Boers would surrender at the sight of the British as Mahdi did in Sudan
o Lee Enfield Rifles – fastest firing rifles
Importance of railways
o Boers used ox-wagons to transport
o Department of Military Railways had a specialist unit of engineers sent – but
the Boers found ways to block or cut the track – it is a vast amount of land to
travel (Germany and France combined)
o Kitchener had the aim of stopping this in the later stages of the war through
armoured trains
The British view to the Boers were threat they were hostile to democracy and a barrier
to British colonial aims – but there was mutual respect between the two sides, with
human treatment of white wounded and prisoners
Sieges on Mafeking, Kimberley, and Ladysmith – October/November 1899
o Kimberley – Roberts used 40,000 men to relieve it and Sir John French
cavalry fought through
o Mafeking – General Robert Baden-Powell used fake landmines, dummy guns
and moving his real guns around to pretend he had more – Colonel Mahon
Ladysmith (Natal)
o Surrounded by 35,000 Boers under General Joubert
o Sir George White set up a defensive perimeter – left it mostly to junior officers
and only the northern section was heavily fortified
o Boers used French siege guns and the British used naval guns
o Lord Roberts joins the war in January 1900 – used pontoons to cross the
Tugela river, Buller’s troops marched and relieved Ladysmith
Black Week – 10th-17th December 1899
o British response to the sieges was Sir Buller – the plan had been to advance
along the railway and attack Boer stronghold, like Bloemfontein, but split his
groups to relieve the stricken towns
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