Boer War Flashcards
(6 cards)
Background to boer wars?
In the 1600s European settlers seized lands from native Africans. These settlers became known as boers.
In 1806 the British took control of the cape region beating out other countries in the ‘scramble for Africa’ on the southern African coast which became a vital trading point between Britain and India. However the boers didn’t like being controlled and many moved further inland to escape the control but in doing so they took land from the Africans and created new territories in the Transvaal and orange free state.
An uneasy peace was formed between these three groups but in 1867 when diamonds were discovered in the Transvaal region Britain began to take control and by 1877 they had full control. The Boers rebelled and the first Boer war broke out in 1880. At the time Britain was facing problems Elsewhere in her empire so it reestablished peace in Southern Africa and let the Boers rule the Transvaal and orange free state.
In 1886 more diamonds were discovered in the Transvaal and a flood of migrants called uitlanders by the Boers rushed into the area. The British tried to increase their control and the result was the second Boer war.
Main developments of phase 1 of the Boer war 1899-1900?
Most people in Britain were very confident of success against the Boers as it had a massive empire army and population in comparison to the Boers who had a population of 300,000 and no formal army but they were excellent horsemen and marksmen and more familiar with the terrain than British soldiers.
In the early months of the second Boer war Britain suffered a series of defeats and the Boers laid siege to multiple key cities. Britain sent more troops and better generals including Lord Kitchener and by January 1900 Britain had sent 180,000 troops into Southern Africa the largest force they had ever sent overseas, this turned the tables and by mid 1900 victory seemed assured.
Attitudes and response to phase 1 1899-mid 1990? (Boer war)
When war broke out there was a lot of people opposing it including future prime minister David Lloyd George but the general population were in support of the war, many rushed to fight and there were seems of jubilation when mafeking was retaken after a 217 days.
The newspapers showed the soldiers as protecting the uitlanders from the terrible Boers. Another reason for support was the fact that German ruler kaiser Wilhelm II supported the Boers.
Role of the press in the Boer wars?
Newspapers yet again played a huge role in shaping people’s opinions on the war, they were a key way for politicians to put their views on the people.
Many papers new they could profit greatly from the wars so they sent out correspondents to Southern Africa. The British commander general roberts made sure to be friendly with the reporters and keep them supplied with news and he managed to keep them away from unpleasant scenes like the typhoid epidemic in 1900.
Because of this the press was overwhelmingly patriotic encouraging support for the wars especially the daily mail which was the cheapest paper in circulation so it was read by most common people.
Phase 2 of the Boer wars late 1900-1902?
1: Guerrilla warfare,
Despite a series of British victories the Boers did not surrender, instead they started using Guerilla tactics attacking British weak points and supply convoys. If they faced a large British force they retreated to the veldt where they could ambush any troops that followed.
In response to this Lord Kitchener divided Boer territory into zones sectioning them off with barbed wire. He also adopted scorched earth policy, anybody who supported the Boers was forced off the land and anything of use to the Boers was destroyed. People suspected of assisting the Boers had their farms burnt down and livestock taken away or killed.
2: Concentration camps,
With the young Boers driven away or fighting the war old men women and children were left behind so to prevent them supporting the campaign they were removed and put into ‘concentration camps’ over 20,000 Boer women and children and 12,000 black inmates died because of the inadequate food, shelter and sanitation. The overcrowding also led to mass disease.
The high death rate was not a deliberate tactic of extermination, but the result of the incompetence was too bad too ignore so civil authorities later took over and the death rate massively increased but by that point the damage to Britains reputation was too great and people were horrified at these camps.
Impacts of the Boer wars?
1: Military Reputation,
The Boer war showed the weaknesses of the British army as 450,000 troops from Britain and the empire struggled to defeat a far smaller force of farmers. Many men who volunteered to fight were rejected as medically unfit leading to calls for health and welfare reforms.
2: Feeling about the empire,
The war exposed the costs and negatives of having an empire and the anti empire feeling increased, there was still also a lot of love for the empire as it was celebrated in newspapers and movements like Boy Scouts and girl guides.
3: Casualties and memorials:
22,000 British soldiers died in the war, more from disease than fighting over 100,000 were wounded. This was inevitable in all wars but more and more war memorials were built throughout the country.
4: Financial impact:
The war cost Britain £217 million and only a bit was covered by tax so huge amounts of money were borrowed by the government increasing national debt.
5: Political impact:
Poor leadership, quality of troops and the horrors of the concentration camps erupted into a national scandal and weakened the government.
