Short Term Significance of the Boer War in Expansion of British Empire in the period 1899-1914

Short Term Significance of the Boer War in Expansion of British Empire in the period 1899-1914

Introduction

The Boers, descendants of Dutch settlers who had come to South Africa in the 17th century, moved inland to escape British rule in the Cape area. They founded the Transvaal and the Orange Free State in the mid 19th century. By 1877, the Transvaal was in trouble. Wars with indigenous groups and the reluctance of Transvaal citizens to pay taxes had left the country on the verge of bankruptcy. The republic's president, T. F. Burgers, was ineffective in coping with state problems and made only a token protest when Britain annexed the republic. The Transvaal Republic became a British colony. Passive resistance was the Boer policy at first, but when even the Liberal Party's victory and a new prime minister failed to alter Britain's policy toward the Transvaal, that policy changed (Martin, 2007). On the other side, British imperialism was gaining greater momentum, as were its concerns about rival nations and the security of its far-flung empire. The British Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Earl of Carnarvon, believed that the Cape and its naval facilities were vital to retaining British possessions from India to Australia. Carnarvon was determined to form a confederation that would bring all the British colonies, independent Boer republics, and independent African groups in South Africa under British control (Laband, 2005). If he could not accomplish his goal peacefully, he was prepared to use force, as the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879 made clear.

The First Boer War

On December 8th, 1880, several thousand Boers met and chose three leaders. Five days later, these leaders proclaimed that the Transvaal Republic had been restored. On December 16, 1880, the first shots were fired in Potchefstroom. The British had only around 1,800 troops stationed in towns across the Transvaal, and the Boers outnumbered them more than four to one. The Boers were also fighting on home territory, and thus knew the land and the vulnerabilities of the British posts. They were literally an army of citizens.

Between December 20th and February 27th, the Boers decisively defeated the British Army in four battles. In the final battle, the British occupied Mujaba Hill. The Boers, using dead land as fortification, stormed the mountain, leaving 92 British dead, 131 wounded, and 57 taken prisoners. The Boers had two mortalities and five wounded. The British were forced to sign a treaty with the Boers, ending the First Boer War. The first Anglo-Boer War (1880-01) was the only war lost by the British Empire during the 19th century. Britain's determination to protect its empire proved no match for the Boers' desire to gain independence. Even though the Boers won the war, they were forced to settle for less than total independence, and tensions continued to simmer (Booner, 1983). The London Convention of 1884 purported to grant full independence to the Transvaal, which was given a new western ...