Unit 35.2 - The British experience of warfare, c1790-1918
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Summary British War - Second Boer War
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Unit 35.2 - The British experience of warfare, c1790-1918
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PEARSON (PEARSON)
Written by a Cambridge Law student with an A* at history A-level.
Outlines the background of the Second Boer War, the successes and failures of the British forces including battles such as colenso and spion kop, and also discussing the role of Buller, Kitchener, Methuen, Gateacre, Baden Powell....
Unit 35.2 - The British experience of warfare, c1790-1918
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Second Boer War
Background
Cecil Rhodes English Boer businessman (diamond magnate who founded De Beers
diamond company, PM of cape colonies 1890-1896
Paul Kruger – president of Transvaal who played a major role in first + second Boer wars
known for bargaining with British so Boers could maintain independence + became
President shortly after first Boer war ended
British arrive to the cape at 1800 + won Anglo-Zulu war
Boers (descendants of Dutch colonialists) become worried, avoiding + fleeing from
British in the Great Trek (over the orange River to Eastern Southern Africa)
- Meant they were commercially isolated as Orange Free State landlocked, therefore
difficult to import + export goods)
First Anglo-Boer war 1880-81 largely fought over mineral discoveries (esp diamonds) in
Boer territory
- Boers remained independent by giving up control over foreign policy)
Second Boer war begins 1899 after discovery of gold in Boer territory (much more
valuable than diamonds as universal currency)
- Boers angered British by putting heavy tax on gold + dynamite (necessary for mining
materials)
, Failures
- Methuen
On way to relieve besieged British settlement Kimberley, decided on frontal attack of
Boer kopjes blocking his advance, despite reports of strong Boer presence 500
casualties)
Battle of Magersfontein 11th Dec 1899, assault on entrenched Boer position was
repulsed because artillery barrage directed at unoccupied ridges due to insufficient
intelligence of Boer location (only alerted entrenched Boers of impending attack)
AND troops advancing under cover of night were seen in rising sun 1650
casualties v 300 Boer casualties
- Gateacre
Battle of Stormberg 10th Dec 1899, troops on Southern front suffered great losses at
hands of Boer skirmishing force while attempting to drive Boer forces which had
penetrated into Cape colony back across Orange River, due to being lost + exhausted
from poor maps, darkness and unclear orders 700 casualties v 20
- Buller
Battle of Colenso 15th Dec 1899, General Buller’s 21,000 men failed to break through
entrenched defensive lines of 6,500 Boers under general Botha on his way to relieve
besieged Ladysmith due to numerous tactical failures
o Buller failures
opted for frontal attack rather than outflanking enemy (made worse
by fact that changed date from 17th to 15th Dec so White could not
provide distraction in rear)
focused all attention on retrieving guns once lost by Long
(strategically insignificant + 8000 men left uncommitted)
inadequate reconnaissance carried out before battle (enemy position
+ lay of the land) commanders given vague instructions (eg Major-
General Hart instructed to cross river by a ‘bridle drift’ despite two
existing + both being marked incorrectly on map)
o Failures of other commanders
Long advanced his guns ahead of the covering infantry within reach of
Boer rifle fire + ignored messages asking him to wait came under
heavy fire + lost all guns and 40 casualties
Hart ordered his brigade to advance in a compact, dense formation on
completely open ground in broad daylight + refused to loosen
formation, very vulnerable to rifle fire, shells + grapeshot 532
casualties
Battle of Spion Kop Jan 1900, during advance on Ladysmith miscalculated heights in
area, leaving troops on captured summit (Spion Kop) exposed to Boer infantry +
artillery fire directed from heights surrounding summit, while substantial number of
men remained uncommitted to fight (2000 casualties v 200 Boer casualties)
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