The Second Boer War

"It was on the morning of October 12th, amid cold and Mist, that the Boer camps at Sandspruit and Volksrust broke up, and the burghers rode to the war. Some twelve thousand of them, all mounted, with two batteries of eight Krupp guns each, were the invading force from the north, which hoped later to be joined by the Freestaters and by a contingent of Germans and Transvaalers who were to cross the Free State border. It was an hour before dawn that the guns started, and the riflemen followed close behind the last limber, so that the first light of day fell upon the black sinuous line winding down between the hills. A spectator upon the occasion says of them: "Their faces were a study. For the most part the expression worn was one of determination and bulldog pertinacity. No sign of fear there, nor of wavering...."

Arthur Conan Doyle, The Great Boer War, London, 1901

In 1899 war erupted again, this time in South Africa. Known as the South African War or the Second Boer War, it claimed the lives of over sixty-five thousand people, forty-six thousand of whom were civilians, making it one of South Africa’s deadliest conflicts. Lasting from 1899 to 1902 the Second Boer War was a war between the British Empire and the two Boer republics of Africa, the South African Republic (the Transvaal) and the Orange Free State.

The region of South Africa had contained over a hundred years worth of conflict between the Dutch, the British, and the native population. It began as a conflict between Dutch and British settlers over resources and political control in the region. The Dutch Boers wanted an autonomous region, independent of the newly-arrived British. As the British influence grew in the Cape Colony, many Boers settled in the adjacent areas, then known as the Transvaal territory and the Orange Free State. Tension mounted between the two groups, as the Boers desire for autonomy worked against the British desire for a lucrative, strategically-located colony. The discovery of gold, silver and diamonds in southern Africa only added to the tension between the regions. The discovery of precious metals and gems encouraged British citizens to escape to the riches of South Africa to make their fortunes as settlers. The British encroached more and more upon the territory of the Boers and as a result the Boers declared war on the British.

The South African War had three phases to it. The first phase consisted of a pre-emptive Boer offensive, the second phase involved a British offensive, and the third and final phase consisted of a guerrilla war. At the war’s start the Boers had all of the advantages; they had superior numbers, they knew the land, and they were very adaptable. The Boers used modern tactics and strategies learned from the American Civil War and also learned from their mistakes in the First Boer War. Along with using modern strategy and tactics the Boers also used modern guns, such as rifles. The Boers, a versatile enemy, excelled at shooting and horseback riding because their entire lives consisted of riding horses and hunting game. All of these enabling them to successfully wage war against the British Empire.

The first phase of the war began on October 11, 1899, when the Boers declared war on the British Empire. During the first few months of the Second Boer War, the British were on the defensive, as they were during the 1880 Boer rebellion. The Boers attacked a wide variety of targets, including the CapeColony, and the British suffered a number of military defeats. The Boers fought strategically and were able to outmaneuver the British, who suffered thousands of casualties and lost a great deal of equipment. British military outposts and garrisons were easy targets for the Boers, and the British found themselves literally surrounded in several locations. The Boers used their overwhelming advantages to practically destroy the British forces.

The second phase of the war began in 1900 and started when the British forces went on their own offensive against the Boer forces. After one year the total British military strength in South Africa reached nearly 500,000 men, whereas the Boers could muster no more than about 88,000. This gave the British an overwhelming numerical advantage over the Boer forces, allowing them to go on the offensive to retake the areas that they had lost in the war and then turn to invade the actual Boer republics.

The third phase of the war began when the British forces demolished the opposing Boer forces and the Boer forces began utilizing guerilla tactics to hurt the British military, however the British responded with brutal force, burning towns, farms, and forcing thousands of Boer civilians into concentration camps. The guerilla forces of the Boer republics soon gave in to the British and offered peace.

The South African War officially ended with the signing of the Peace Treaty of Vereeniging on May 31, 1902. The treaty laid down many requirements upon the Boer people and the republics of Transvaal and Orange Free State. According to the requirements of the Peace of Vereeniging, the Boer forces had to desist from any further resistance to the British, recognize King Edward VII as their lawful sovereign, and lay down their arms, handing over all guns, rifles, and munitions to the British. It also declared some rights for the surrendering Boers, giving them passage back to their homes, promising that they would not be deprived of their personal liberty or property, and promising that no civil or criminal proceedings would be taken against them. In the making of the peace treaty the British also took in consideration the beliefs of the Boers, mainly to keep them in line and to keep them from rebelling again. The treaty allowed the public schools to still teach the Dutch language, allowed the creation of courts of law, promised that after the British take away their military governments of Transvaal and the Orange Free States, they would install a civil government which will then lead up to a self-government for those areas. The treaty finally stated that it the British Empire would give a sum three million pounds sterling for reconstruction purposes. The treaty also forced the Boer republics of Transvaal and Orange Free State to come under the sovereignty of the British Empire.

No single country holds all the blame for causing the South African War. The Boers felt threatened by the British, who wanted control of their land and resources, and as a result declared war on them. The British had no choice but to fight back. When the Boers first declared war on the British Empire, it seemed a foolish action, farmers against the most powerful empire in the world. But the Boers successfully utilized their advantages and proved themselves to be capable foes, able to put up an excellent fight. South Africa has never experienced another war of its like.