How the English Won the Boer War in South Africa

How the English Won the Boer War in South Africa

On October 11, 1899, the forces of the Boer republics, Orange Free State and South African Republic, responded to Great Britain's dismissal of an ultimatum against the placement and reinforcing of British troops in South Africa by laying siege to cities in northern Cape Colony occupied by the then outnumbered British troops. The British were able to gain superiority and eventually win the Boer War by brute force, vastly superior numbers and the cessation of rights for those deemed the enemy and its collaborators. It would take three years and drastic changes in "the gentlemanly art of war" for Great Britain to achieve victory. Leading up to the end of the nineteenth century there were massive efforts by European countries to expand the boundaries and influences of each individual nation. Great Britain, with it's blossoming industrial capabilities and the unsurpassed size and strength of its naval force, was at the zenith of her power, wealth and prestige which allowed distinct advantages in the colonization efforts that were being carried out at the time. Much of the useful land on the continent of Africa was under British control and the imperialistic need to gain even more would be the driving force in England's foreign policy. This would bring them into direct conflict with the Boers, who were predominantly farmers and herders and had previously left Cape Colony en-masse to escape British control and establish a country under their own rule. As the Boers moved further north across the Vaal River into the Transvaal, they stumbled onto the richest gold deposits known to exist. This new found source of wealth, and the imperialistic fervor that was prevalent at the time...

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...discovered that the human quest for freedom is a powerful motivator, one that can only be broken by persistent removal of the freedoms themselves. The British were able to gain superiority and eventually win the Boer War by utilizing the combination of brute force, vastly superior numbers and the cessation of rights for those deemed the enemy and its collaborators.

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Works Cited01) A.W. Ward, Litt. D., G.W. Prothero Litt. D., Stanley Leathes M.A., eds., "The Latest Age". The Cambridge Modern History. Vol. 12, New York: Cambridge University Press, 196902) Magill, Frank N. ed. "Modern European Series, Vol. II, 1800-1899"Great Events from History.Englewood Cliffs: Salem Press, 197303) South African War Virtual Libraryhttp://www.uq.net.au/~zwotto/04) Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resourceshttp://www-sui.stanford.edu/