the Second Boer War

Question 1

when did the first British troops land in SA?

Answer 1

7 October 1899

Question 2

how many men did White bring from India?

Answer 2

10,000 men

Question 3

when did the First Army Corps leave Britain?

Answer 3

12 October

Question 4

where did the First Army Corps leave from?

Answer 4

Southampton

Question 5

when was the Battle of Modderspruit?

Answer 5

24 October 1899

Question 6

what happened during the Battle of Modderspruit?

Answer 6

the Boers bombarded the city of Ladysmith which trapped White and his forces

Question 7

when did the Boers besiege Mafeking?

Answer 7

14 October 1899

Question 8

how many Boers besieged Mafeking?

Answer 8

7000
led by Cronje

Question 9

when did the Boers besiege Kimberley?

Answer 9

November 1899

Question 10

what had the Boers achieved by besieging Kimberley, Mafeking and Ladysmith?

Answer 10

nothing
they did not try to capture the towns

Question 11

when did Buller arrive in SA?

Answer 11

31 October 1899

Question 12

when did the First Army Corps arrive in SA?

Answer 12

18 November 1899

Question 13

what was Bullers plan to relieve the 3 towns?

Answer 13

split into 3 forces

Question 14

what did Buller order Methuen to do?

Answer 14

relieve Kimberley and Mafeking
w/ 20,000 men

Question 15

what was Bullers role in his plan?

Answer 15

he would relieve Ladysmith

Question 16

when did the Boers attack Methuen?

Answer 16

28 November 1899
led by de la Rey

Question 17

when was Black Week?

Answer 17

10-15 December 1899

Question 18

11 December 1899

Answer 18

Methuen was defeated at Magersfontein
lost 900 men
failed to relieve Kimberley

Question 19

15 December 1899

Answer 19

Buller was defeated by Botha’s 8,000 men at the Tugela River
Buller lost 1,400 men

Question 20

what advantage did the Boers have over the British?

Answer 20

• fighting on the defensive
• prepared positions
• smokeless magazine rifles
• better marksmen

Question 21

who replaced Buller in December 1899?

Answer 21

Lord Roberts
hero of the Afghan War 1880

Question 22

why was Buller replaced?

Answer 22

he ordered White at Ladysmith to surrender

Question 23

who was Roberts’ chief of staff?

Answer 23

Kitchener
hero of the 1898 Sudan campaign

Question 24

how many British men in SA by January 1900?

Answer 24

180,000

Question 25

what changes did Roberts make upon arrival in 1900?

Answer 25

- new tactics - insistance in recon - avoidal of mass formations and frontal attacks - use of cover by infantry and artillery

Question 26

what was Roberts’ plan to relieve the 3 towns?

Answer 26

he would outflank the Boers to relieve Kimberley and then would take Bloemfontein

Question 27

what was Kitchener’s role in Roberts’ plan?

Answer 27

used a transport system of wagons which removed the BA’s reliance on the railway

Question 28

when was Spion Kop?

Answer 28

24 January 1900

Question 29

what happened at Spion Kop?

Answer 29

the British led by Buller took the hill of Spion Kop but Boers bombarded the British position massive British disaster w/ 1350 dead Buller = poor leader + communicator

Question 30

when did Roberts lauched an offensive on Kimberley?

Answer 30

10 February 1900

Question 31

what tactics did Roberts use to relieve Kimberley?

Answer 31

he doubled the number of mounted infantry use of cavalry dash

Question 32

when was Kimberley relieved?

Answer 32

15 February 1900

Question 33

how long was the siege of Kimberley?

Answer 33

124 days

Question 34

who led the relief of Kimberley?

Answer 34

John French

Question 35

when did Buller attempt to relieve Ladysmith?

Answer 35

14 February 1900

Question 36

when was Ladysmith relieved?

Answer 36

26 February 1900

Question 37

how long was the siege of Ladysmith

Answer 37

118 days

Question 38

how was Ladysmith relieved?

Answer 38

Buller committed to an all-out-attack and defeated Botha

Question 39

when did Roberts capture Bloemfontein?

Answer 39

13 March 1900

Question 40

why did Roberts delay his offensive on Mafeking for 6 weeks?

Answer 40

- his army was short on supplies - outbreak of typhoid left 1000 troops dead

Question 41

what had caused the pollution of the Modder River?

Answer 41

corpses of dead men and horses

Question 42

when did Roberts relieve Mafeking?

Answer 42

17 May 1900

Question 43

why was Baden-Powell a war hero?

Answer 43

he had defended against 7000 Boers for 217 days

Question 44

how long was the siege of Mafeking?

Answer 44

217 days

Question 45

when did Britain annex the Orange Free State?

Answer 45

28 May 1900

Question 46

when did Roberts capture Johannesburg?

Answer 46

31 May 1900

Question 47

when did Roberts capture Pretoria?

Answer 47

5 June 1900

Question 48

where did the Boers flee to?

Answer 48

Drakensburg mountains led by Botha

Question 49

when did Britain annex Transvaal?

Answer 49

3 September 1900

Question 50

when was Kitchener promoted to commander-in-chief of British forces in SA?

Answer 50

November 1900

Question 51

why was Roberts sent back to Britain in November 1900?

Answer 51

he took over Wolesely’s position as commander-in-chief