Course of the Second Anglo-Boer war

Course of the Second Anglo-Boer war


The war started on 12th October 1899, after several threats for Paul Kruger by Sir Alfred Milner.
Leading Boer Commanders led commando bands who occupied the different parts of Natal, the Cape Colony areas, cut off links with Rhodesia.
Between 18th-25th December 1899, the British suffered several defeats at Lady Smith, Kimberley and MafeKing, among other areas.
By early 1900, the arrival of Field Marshall from Sudan changed from Afghanistan and Lord Kitchener from Sudan changed the situation to favour the British. The former as Commander in Chief and the latter as Chief of Staff.
By February 1900 Lady Smith was secured and in March Bloemfontein was also secured, Orange Free State in May and well as Johannesburg by battle hardened British troops.
By September 1900, President Paul Kruger using the Transvaal railway escaped to Maputo and later to Europe in order to obtain arms, foreign aid and sympathy.
Although Paul Kruger got the moral support from Germany and Holland by September 1900. Transvaal was annexed by the British. At Pretoria, a function was performed to commemorate the Seizure.
With this success at the hands of the British, Marshal Lord Roberts had even to return to Europe and left Lord Kitchener to command the British Imperial troops.
Boer nationalism determined and jingoism had imbued the Commando bands on horses. They now resorted to guerilla warfare.
The Boers also regrouped in small bands of mobile military unit to fight British troops. They were also able to constantly prevent capture by the British forces. Boer war generals like F. H. Dela Rey, Jan Christian Smuts, Christian De Wets', Barry Hertzog, Louis Bortha and other self styled leaders of Boer combatants harassed the well equipped British forces.
Cases of casualty on the Imperial British forces were common towards the end of 1900 the Boer commandos continued to capture British supplies, disorganize the military communicating systems and other cases of harm.
Boer success against the British from 1900 made Lord Herbert Kitchener to use the 'scorched earth policy' as farms were burnt; crops and buildings were destroyed to deny the Boer Commandos shelter and survival.
By January 1901 concentration camps were setup to isolate civilians (women and children) of the two Boer Republics from the commando appalling, although the Boer fighters were not discouraged.
On 28th February 1901 in the Transvaal town of Middleburg, peace talks for peace between Schalk Burger and Lord
Kitchener ensured. By March 1901, there were disagreements between the two parties over different issues.
Negotiations for peace started again on 15th May after a long conflict and debates by 54 against 6 votes at Vereeniging on May 31st, 1902. The Vereeniging peace treaty formally brought peace to South Africa and an end to the South African war, although the interior had been devastated.
In the course of the war, the British managed to annex the two Boer Republics. At the end of the war, the Boers agreed to lose their independence at Vereeniging with concessions promised by the British.
The war formally endorsed white supremacy and dominancy of South Africa. Africans were excluded in the political life of South Africa, which was reached at the final steps to end the hostilities between the whites.
Results of the war
The results were positive and negative.
The Boers suffered a defeat at Bloemfontein, the capital city of the Orange Free State, Mafeking, Ladysmith in Natal, Pretoria the capital of Transvaal as the area was annexed. 10 battles at Kimberley, Stormberg, Magersfontein, Colenso, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bergendal, Lourenco Marques and Vereeniging- the Boers suffered defeat.
Paul Kruger, President of Transvaal was now disappointed, totally desperate, old and weak. He was forced to migrate to Europe in August 1900 where he died shortly 14thJuly 1904.
By September 1902, ,the main fighting war was over and the Boers continued with guerilla warfare.
Lord Herbert Kitchener the Chief-of-Staff on the British side was extremely worried and feared the disaster, which might come out from renewed Boer effort between 1900-1901.
He adopted a ruthless and destructive measure where farms, houses and crops were destroyed and livestock captured and with this, the British saw victory in 1902.
The Boer faced extreme hardships, starvation, as diseases spread. The defeated Boers ones were put into shattered, reserved squatter fenced places where they died in numbers.
The British learnt that war was not the best way to solve conflicts and therefore opted to sign a permanent peace agreement in 1902 at Vereeniging.
The war created a long period of peace in South Africa as conditions led to negotiation, reconciliation of the whites, which resurrected plans for the future of South African Union.
The Boers expressed their military competence to Britain, as it was very difficult for the British to defeat the Boer commandos who were determined to defend their independence.
The British were successful in revenging on the battle of Majuba and the Jameson raid.
The war strengthened Boer unity in face of renewed British aggression and dominance.
The British exploited the immediate impact after the war to exert their power over the Transvaal Boers and introduce new legal measures that favored their existence.
The British lost lives and property in this war due to the support they got from India and Britain they won the war. To end the war was the signing of the Treaty ofVereeniging on 31st May 1902. The terms were:
a. Transvaal and Orange Free State became British colonies. They had to accept King Edward vn of England as their ruler,
b. A responsible Government was to be set up in both the colonies in the near future, c. Vast sums of money and assistance where given to restore the broken areas,
d. English and Dutch languages became the official languages (were to have equal status),
e. It was agreed that Africans should participate in the politics of South Africa but they could have no franchise and enfranchisement (right to vote and to be voted for),
f. The Boers were to keep guns in order to defend themselves against the Africans. They were also given 3 million pounds as compensation to farmers and a-more 35 million pounds. Loans were also available for development,
g. The British agreed to release Boer prisoners of war and pardon those still under arms.
The Boers lost the war but emerged from the conflict strong and united as a nationality against the British.
The effects of the Vereeniging Peace Treaty were the road to apartheid and racial segregation in South Africa. Africans in this treaty were ignored.
The Peace Treaty of Vereeniging

In London, crowds went wild on the news of the relief of Mafeking, which had been controlled by the Boers at the start of war. This added a new word to the English language- to Maffick- meaning to exult riotously hence Mafficking.
Africans who had stolen guns illegally were to be killed and others disanned. The disanning force was to be earned out led by Lord Baden Powell. The Boers were to remain armed for security purposes.