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The causes, course and consequences of the Anglo Boer War
Essay on the anglo boer war
Consequencies of the Anglo Boer War of 1899 to 1902
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The Boer War was a conflict that lasted from 1899 to 1902 in southern Africa between Great Britain and their allies, Transvaal (South African Republic) and Orange Free State, in what is now South Africa. Throughout the 19th century, after Great Britain conquered the Cape of Good Hope in 1814 and expanded its territory in Southern Africa, there was tension between the British settlers and the Dutch-descended population which were called Afrikaners or Boers. This resulted in the Afrikaner migration called the Great Trek, which was from 1835 to 1843, and the establishment of the Afrikaner republics. These republics were called Natal, Orange Free State, and the South African Republic. Natal became a British colony in 1843, but the Transvaal territories were granted independence from Great Britain in 1852. In 1854, Orange Free State also got their independence. In the late 1850s, the Transvaal territories formed the South African Republic. In 1884, gold was discovered in the Witwatersrand, which lured thousands of British miners and prospectors to settle in the area. The Afrikaners, who were mainly farmers, didn’t like the newcomers (Uitlanders), so they taxed them and denied them voting rights. The dislike of one another grew, which lead to a revolt by the Uitlanders in Johannesburg against the Afrikaner government. This revolt was instigated by the British colonial statesman and financier Cecil Rhodes, the premier of the Cape Colony, who wanted to bring all of Southern Africa into the British Empire. In December of 1895, Leander Starr Jameson, who was a friend of Rhodes, led a group of 600 armed British men in an attempt to support the Uitlanders in the South African Republic. This was called the Jameson Raid. It resulted in Jameson’s capture and imprisonment, and in Rhodes’s resignation. Jameson later became the premier of the Cape Colony from 1904 to 1908. Direct negotiations to solve the South African problem were unsuccessful, and hostility between the Afrikaners and the Uitlanders continued. The president of the South African Republic, Paul Kruger, would not back down from the Uitlanders. In 1899 the British governor of Cape Colony, Alfred Milner, who strongly disliked the Afrikaners’ treatment of British subjects, issued orders to build up the 12,000 man British army in Southern Africa. The British army eventually grew to 500,000 men. On October 9, 1899,... ... middle of paper ... ...ion to the Afrikaner soldiers who promised their loyalty to the British monarch. The Treaty of Vereeniging brought peace and political unification to South Africa but did not erase the causes that had triggered the conflict. Even after the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the Afrikaners kept themselves culturally and socially separate. This event involves imperialism, nationalism, militarism, economics, mercantilism, and geography. Imperialism is shown when the British and the Afrikaners were trying to conquer each other. Nationalism played a part in the Boer War because the people of both sides were willing to fight and stand up for their land. Militarism and mercantilism were involved because both Britain and the Afrikaners had to trade with other countries in order to build up their military and gain technology. Geography played a role in the war because Britain was fighting for land in order to expand their territories, while the Afrikaners were fighting to keep their land. Economics were involved because as a result of the Boer War Britain had to pay the Afrikaner soldiers a 3 million dollar indemnity, which was worth a lot more at that time then it is now.
In the first place, interference in the war was absolutely unnecessary as the war had nothing significant to do with Canadians, “Although Laurier, too, was reluctant to commit Canadian troops and resources to a war that would not benefit Canadian interests; he found it more difficult to resist the pressure in English Canada for Canadian involvement.” [4] The war was completely an issue of the Britain. This south African War had its origins in more than sixty years conflicts between the British in South Africa, Boers were mainly concentrated in the... ... middle of paper ... ...
Sister Claire Evelyn Trestrail was the eldest of five being born on the 10th of December, 1877 in Clare, South Australia. Trestrail served in the First World War as a nurse following in her mother’s footsteps who was a trained nurse, Acting Matron of King Edward Hospital in Perth and also had involvement within the Red Cross and the Saint John’s Ambulance Services. Trestrail’s younger siblings also had involvement within the First World War with her two younger brothers; John Henry and Amarald Glen, serving in the royal Flying Corps and respectively, 1 Machine Battalion. Amarald was also presented with a Military Medal for Gallantry at Villaret. Sister Ella also served as a nurse, got married, but tragically returned as an amputee. It was only her youngest sister Amy who did not serve during the war.
Australia has involved itself in four wars where it has suffered substantial life loss and casualty. Those wars included World War 1, World War 2, the Korean War and Vietnam. Did Australia have to involve itself in these wars? Did the lives of these young Australians have to be taken?
This period is also characterised with further strengthening of heavy industries, factories and more global presence of industries in France, Japan, USA thereby, giving them a reason for territorial expansion. The rapid industrialisation resulted in increased production and hitherto, known luxuries became products of mass consumption however, it required a robust supply chain. So, there was a need to identify places which could provide raw material and those which will procure them for consumption, which could be easily satisfied by the colonies. The colonial powers competed for share in the market driven by the need of cheaper raw materials, labor and higher profits . The industrialisation had also, enabled development of a war military industry which gave them and advantage over their opponents such as in a battle between British and Sudanese in 1898, where British lost 368 men to 11,000 of Sudan or Japan’s defeat of China (1894) and Russia (1905).
The integration of the English, Dutch, and Africans began with the Colonization of South Africa in the seventeenth century. South Africa housed an abundant supply of natural resources such as fertile farmland and luxury metals and minerals. South Africa is the leading producer of gold, platinum, and diamonds. It's mild climate, resembling that of San Francisco, made it an ideal location for colonization. The Dutch East India Company occupied South Africa until 1797, when the British took over. The British had power over the colonies of Natal and the Cape at the beginning at the nineteenth century. When diamond deposits were found in the Dutch colonies of Orange Free State and Transvaal, the British invaded, sparking the Boer War. The Dutch decedents, known also as Afrikaners or Boers, sought to fight for their colonies as well as take over the British colonies of Natal and the Cape. The Boers lost the war and their two colonies to the British in defeat. The four colonies of Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal and the Cape were brought together under British rule by means of the Act of Union of 1910. After some time, the British grew weary of their involvement in Africa and gave power to all of the whites i...
In 1806, Britain would take possession of the Dutch Cape colony during the Napoleonic wars with Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France. The Boers, descendants of the original Dutch settlers in Africa, would come to resent this British rule and Britain's anti-slavery policies that would be forced upon them. Much of the Boer way of life depended on the work from their slaves. In attempts to free themselves from British rule the Boers would make the “Great Trek” in 1833. They would press into tradition tribal territory and would found the twin republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. Peace between the new republics and the British would hold until gold and diamonds were discovered, in 1867. In the spirit of greed, war was inevitable to break out between the Boer and the British, although peace did hold for several years after the discovery. In 1890 skirmishes would begin and in 1899 an all-out war prec...
Before the Europeans began the New Imperialism in Africa, very little was known about the inner parts of the continent. However, after some explorers delved deeper into the heart of Africa, the Europeans soon realized how economically important this area was, and how much they could profit from it. At the time, Britain had only small occupations of land in Africa, but after they realized that they could make money from the rich resources from the inner regions of Africa, they wanted to invade the African countries and take over. This led to the scramble and ultimately, the partition of Africa. During the Age of Imperialism, from 1870-1914, Britain was a major country, which proved to be true in the “carving up” and division of Africa. Britain was one of the strongest of the European countries, and had the power to take over much of the most valuable lands with the most rich and abundant supplies of raw materials and other resources. There were five main reasons for their imperialism. They were political and military interests, humanitarian and religious goals, ideological, exploratory, and lastly, but most importantly, economic interests.
The Battle of the Somme epitomizes the harsh realities of trench warfare for the Allies and represents the negligent battle planning and technological advancements that are associated with the stalemate of World War One. Trench warfare was common across the Western Front, with similar strategies being employed by both opposing sides. Sir Douglas Haig, one of the British coordinators for the Somme offensive is blamed with an offensive strategy destined for failure. The British offensive, an utter failure, resulted in a stalemate, which was common throughout World War One. The British development of the tank, while it eventually ended the horrendous stalemate, was ineffectively used during the Somme.
During Imperialistic times South Africa was a region of great resources that was greatly disputed over (Ellis). Europe’s main goal during these times was to compete against each other and played a “game” of which country can imperialize more African countries than the other. Imperialism was a curse to South Africa, because many wars, laws, and deaths were not necessary and would not have happened if South Africa were not imperialized.
The Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879 marked a day of defeat for the British in the first major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu War between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Eleven days after the British invaded Zululand (now most commonly known as South Africa) a Zulu force of some 20,000 warriors attacked the British combat formation known as 'the main column' which consisted of about 2,200 British combatants.
African resistance to “The Scramble for Africa” leads to the instability of Africa’s political structure. There was ineffective resistance of the African people against the Europeans. In an attempt to regain their independence, Africans took up arms against their colonial masters as soon as they perceived them to be at a disadvantage. In southern Africa, in The Republic of Namibia, the Herero people rose against German rule in 1904, killing over 100 German settlers and traders. German commander, General von Trotha, retaliated with a war aimed simply at extermination.
Africa has had a long and tumultuous road of colonization and decolonization; the rush to colonize Africa started in the 17th century with the discovery of the vast amounts of gold, diamonds, and rubber, with colonization hitting a fever pitch during World War I. However, the repercussions of colonization have left deep wounds that still remain unhealed in the 21st century. Early on, European nations such as Britain, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and Belgium scrambled for territories. Countries wanted land so they could harvest the resources, increase trade, and gain power.
There were significant political conflicts between the two sides. The Boers treated all blacks very badly and did not give basic human rights even to the blacks working for them. They made them pay taxes but could not vote. It was said to be through religious reasons that the Boers treated blacks so badly. This awful treatment infuriated the British, who had abolished slavery in all its colonies as well as at home in 1834. The Dutch wanted to keep its slaves. Europeans working in the Boer territories were also mistreated. These "Uitlanders" as they were known were key to the Boers' economic success, yet were still denied the vote.
correct way that he was trained to do. Aswell as this the Brits had a
Old South Africa is best described by Mark Uhlig, “The seeds of such violent conflict in South Africa were sown more than 300 years ago, with the first meetings of white settlers and indigenous black tribes in an unequal relationship that was destined one day to become unsustainable” (116).