The Boer War

The Boer War

The Boer War symbolizes the climax of imperial tensions and excitement

of the late 19th century, and can be viewed as a turning point in the

history of the Empire, precipitating widespread changes. The first of

these is a change in the attitudes towards the ideology of empire; the

second is a change in terms of future administration of the empire;

and the third is a change in the role of Britain as a dominant world

power. The combination of these changes caused the beginnings of a

series of transformations concerning the British Empire.

The first significant turning point was in terms of attitudes to

empire. At the end of the 19th century Britain was experiencing

enormous prosperity, characterised by imperial expansion and

dominance. Owing to her industrialisation and resulting wealth,

Britain became a strong and influential world power, monopolising

trade in Africa, India and Asia. Through her ‘Open Door’ policy in

China, Britain controlled 70% of world trade, reaping enormous

profits. Moreover, she controlled extremely profitable gold and

diamond mining regions in Africa, and capitalised on trade in India

which was a source of cheap materials and labour, as well as a huge

and profitable market for British goods. Therefore, Britain’s imperial

position was strong and dominant, causing the attitudes towards empire

to be positive, as it was seen as a source of international prestige.

Moreover, the acquisition of land was seen as part of Britain’s

mission of ‘civilising’ the lesser nations through being the “world’s

policeman”. In the traditional “Pax Britanica” view the British Empire

was seen as spreading peace and p...

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...he Empire. The war made the empire a

source of criticism, rather than pride and prestige. Moreover, the

Boer War precipitated a turn-around in attitudes concerning foreign

policy and diplomatic relations, resulting in an increased number of

military alliances and a re-organisation of the army and navy. In

addition, the war set off a series of changes concerning the status of

self-governing colonies, eventually resulting in the weakening of

British control over her colonies, which can be seen as a precursor

for decolonisation.

Thus, while it is clear that the Boer War could not have by itself

precipitated decolonisation, it triggered a series of events which

changed attitudes towards, and administration of, empire. In this

respect, it can be seen as a significant turning point in the history

of the British Empire.