The Second Anglo-Boer War/ The South African War 1899 – 1902

The Second Anglo-Boer War/ The South African War 1899 – 1902

This was the last of the gentleman's war in South Africa as some scholars used to call it.
Like the first one, it was basically an imperialist war whereby each of the whites communities- Boer and British wanted monopoly to exploit South African resources.
The war was a testt for the Boers to see whether they could retain their culture, language, positions, racial supremacy and their existence as independent people.
From the start, the war was a white man's affair. In fact no African was used by either side largely because of the fear of harming the black man whose loyalty might be unpredictable.
The Boers appeared with success in the early times of the war because they were armed with Germany superior artillery, which they had imported. Thus in the early days of the war, Boer success was surprising.
Causes of the 1899-1902 war between the Boers and the British
It was a war between the Boers and the British. The Boers wanted to promote their nationalism and independence. The British forces were led by General Roberts and later Lord Herbert Kitchener. The Boer forces were led by Generals; Jan Smuts, Bortha, Hertzog, De 'WeI, De-La-Rey, Fischer, etc.
The origin of the war are traced back to the times of the great trek, which led to the Boers to move to the interior of South Africa dissatisfied because of the British policies.
The war was caused because of the failure of the Jameson's raid between the British and the Transvaal Republic. The Jameson's raid continued hostilities and conflicts between the whites, in protecting independence and control of South Africa.
The war was caused because of the British desire to re-occupy Transvaal. This was a violation of the Pretoria Convention of 1881.
The Boers were determined to preserve their independence, which they had won after the first Anglo-Boer war. They hated foreign rule and the British in particular.
The British wanted to eliminate the Boers in the political affairs of South Africa, which they refused. Cecil Rhodes also wanted to bring the South Africa states under British rule and crown. The Boers refused this and it caused war.
The British High Commissioner in South Africa Sir. Alfred Milner and the British Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain believed that the Boers wanted to bring the whole of South Africa under their control.
The Boers despised the British local military record especiaJly after their defeat in 1880 - 1881 and 1895.
They were also confident of getting military aid from Natal, Cape Colony, Orange Free State; and Germany to defeat the British especially Germany's Kaiser William II.
The war was also because of the many misunderstandings, suspicions, rivalry between Boers and the British, which created distrusts.
Boer nationalism and the need to safeguard their independence and culture.
Results of the first Anglo-Boer war and the Jameson's Raid.
The terms of the Pretoria Convention were unfair to Boers and there was need to overthrow it.
In 1890's, the British government showed increased and renewed imperialism during this era of the scramble for the area.
After the first Anglo-Boer war, Transvaal was deliberately involved in many projects without consulting the British like constructing a railroad from Johannesburg to Laurenco Macques -Maputo which sabotaged the Cape Durban railway.
Both the Boers and the British wanted to be supreme in South Africa.
Since the British had suffered a bloody nose at Isandhlwana in 1879 and Majuba hill battle in 1881, the Boers had hopes of defeating the British militarily.
The Boers bad been encircled in Transvaal by the British in all directions. This affected their trade and could have an economic and political suffocation.
British support from their home government with resources in order to fight against the Boers. The British government at all costs supported British interests in South Africa.
The discovery and exploitation of precious minerals in South Africa.
The British wanted the Boers to be knocked out of the way before Union or Federation and mineral exploitation could be realized. Thus the British fought against the Boers in 1899-1902 as a strategy of defeating them and dictate terms of the South African Union for them.
In 1890's, the British government showed increased interest in colonies than before, especiaJly in face of imperial rivalry and the scramble for Namibia, Mozambique, and the Belgian Congo.