1. 2nd
South
African
War
Anglo-Boer War or The South African War or Vryheidsoorlog (Freedom War): Each name shows a
different way of viewing the war. What would the Boers or the British call it? Why?
- was fought from December 1880 to March 1881 (3 months). In 1877 Britain annexed the Transvaal republic. Boers
resented this and in 1880 declared independence from Britain and attacked British. Britain unwilling to get bogged
down in a distant war with minimal returns (gold hadn’t been discovered yet!) so a peace treaty signed with President
Paul Kruger in 1881. The British agreed to Boer self-government - the Boers accepted British control over African affairs
and native districts. British troops withdrew. Then in 1886, gold discovered south of the Boer capital at Pretoria, and
British interest renewed. By 1899, tensions erupted into the Second Boer War. This time the lure of gold persuaded
Britain to commit herself to the war.
Britain thought they would win
easily - better weapons, more
troops -
Boers beseiged
Ladysmith, Mafekeng and
Kimberley plus defeated British
troops at Colenso and Spioen-
kop - devastating for British.
From 1900, the Boers fought a
very efficient guerrilla war that
kept nearly 500 000 British
troops occupied until 1902 but
were conquered in the end.
After Bloemfontein and
Pretoria had fallen to Britain,
almost 14,000 Boers laid down
their arms because they were so
demoralized. Some other Boers
refused to surrender choosing
to pursue guerilla war.
In March 1901 Lord Kitchener
cut off the supply of food to
the Boers - they were being
supported by the people on the
farms. He initiated the
“scorched earth” policy. About
30 000 Boer farmhouses and
more than 40 towns were
destroyed. All crops burnt and
stock killed.
underestimated the
Boers (backward, incompetent
and rural enemy) only had 27
000 men.
British sent for reinforcements
from Britain - arrived Jan 1900
Major-General Lord Kitchener -
commander of the British army.
The war cost more than 200 million pounds. Britian lost more than 22 000 men,
the Boers lost over 34 000 people, and over 15 000 black people were killed.
Children, women and black people were put
in concentration camps - more than 40 camps
housing 116 000 white women and children,
60 camps housing 115 000 black people.
These camps were overcrowded, the captives
underfed and the conditions poor. Limited
medical supplies and staff - diseases like
measles, typhoid fever, whooping cough,
diphtheria and dysentery - 1 in every 5
children dying. Over 26,000 white women
and children died, 81% were children, plus
more than 15 000 black people also died in
the separate black concentration camps.
2nd South African War
1st South African War
Boer Commando in the veld
Part of the ‘Vrouemonument’ in Bloemfontein -
Why do you think it was built?
soutie, rooinek,
dutchman, rock or
rockspider:
Who was called
these names?
What do they
mean or imply?
What emotions
are attached to
these words?
1899
to
1902
Results of the war
Peace signed in 1902 - Britain controlled the
whole of the Union of South Africa.
Many Afrikaners could not forgive the British for what
was done to their women and children. This bitterness
lead to the rise of Afrikaner Nationalism: fierce pride in
their customs, language, traditions etc.
Blacks hoped their lives
would change for the
better after the war - but
nothing changed - they
remained poor, landless
and powerless!