Boer War Flashcards
Siege of Kimberley 14-15 February 1900-Lasted 124
Leader: John French (British commander)
Challenges faced during the siege: Civilians/army trapped without supply as Boers surrounding them
Outcome of siege: Siege lifted 15th Feb 1900 and Battle of Paardeberg began, Kinberley never any danger of being captured, John French arrived with cavalry to lift siege
Bombarded by ‘Long Tom’
Siege of Mafeking- 16 October- 17th May 1900
Leader: Robert Baden Powell
Challenges faced during the siege: British army facing 4x size of their army- 8000 Boer, Starve enemy into submission (attritition) Longest siege 217 days
Outcome of siege: Baden Powell masterminded scouts movement, most celebrated of sieges (Mafiking) 2000 Boers casualties, 812 British casualties, Led to outburst of patriotic celebration
Siege of Ladysmith- 2 November 1899- 28 February 1900
Leader: George White (British commander) Christian/Louis (Boer)
Challenges faced during the siege: Full of Boer spies, War balloons to spy in enemy (British tactics), 118 days from 2 Nov- 28 Feb, 3 leading Boer officers fighting, cavalry used as reconnaissance
Outcome of siege: 850 British killed, 800 prisoners, 21,000 Boers killed, Victory for Brits, most difficult siege,
BLACK WEEK
Battle of Stormberg 10 December 1899
Commander of the British Army: General Gattacre, 12 guns,1800 infantry, 250 cavalry,Preparations rushed and ill prepared
Commander of the Boer Army: Olivier, 2300 men, 3 guns, guerilla tactics
Reason for Battle: Try to lift siege of Kimberley/Ladysmith,Mafekin too far away, Stop insurge of Boers
Outcome of Battle: Defeat-surrender, 8 Boers killed, 26 wounded, 650 captured after surrendered
BLACK WEEK
Battle of Magersfontein 11 December 1899
Commander of the British Army: 14,969 men, 27 guns outnumbered Boers 2:1
Commander of the Boer Army: 3 machine guns hidden, 8500 arm, 5 guns
Reason for Battle: Lift siege of Kimberley, Modder river
Outcome of Battle: 948 Brit casualties, 235 Boer casualties, Brit defeat, Lord Roberts saw turn of tide here
BLACK WEEK
Battle of Colenso 15 December 1899
Commander of the British Army: General Buller,outnumbered Boers 3:1, 14,000 infantry, 2700 mounted troops,44 guns
Commander of the Boer Army: Botta,4500 army
Reason for Battle: Lift siege of Ladysmith, by tbe Tugela river
Outcome of Battle: Heavy British defeat Brit: 143 killed, 755 wounded, 240 missing, 10 guns captured Boer: 5 killed, 30 wounded
Battle of Spion Kop 24 January 1900
Commander of the British Army: General Bullet, 36 field guns, 20000 men
Commander of the Boer Army: General Bottha, 8000 men (hidden), 2 machine guns, 4 field guns
Reason for the Battle: Second attempt to relive siege of Ladysmith, Buller restoring name/legacy= Fail
Outcome of Battle: Heavy defeat 1350 British casualties, 300 Boer casualties
Phase 2 Robert’s offensive
Tactics:
- Met Boers in open conflict, adaptability- scorched earth, blockhouses,concentration camps,mounted infantry
- Son died at Colenso so wanted to aid them
- Intellegence/numbers
Battle of Paardeberg 18-27 February 1900
Commander of the British army: Roberts/Kitchener, 15000 British, outnumbered 2:1 Boers, open conflict
Commander of the Boer army: Cronje/De Wet, 7000 men
Reason for Battle: Meet Boers in open conflict, Lifting siege of Kimberley before this battle
Outcome of Battle: 348 British killed, 350 Boers killed, 4019 captured Boers, British success
Phase 3 Commando Warfare:
Robert’s went home after glory of Paardeberg and left Kitchener in charge
Guerilla Warfare took over
Boer commandos tactics:
- Cut railways lines
-Anbushed British garrisons, raided supply lin ends, sniped British soldiers
Sabotage: Ammo,Food, Water, Telephone lines
Assassinate:
Ambush: War of Attrition
Spying:
Raid:
Total War for Boers
Tried to hold out for as long as possible till Labour government came in- more liberal demands and choices for Boers in their favour
Kitcheners strategy of blockhouses and barbed wire:
Systematic enclosing of Boer territory- extensive use of barbed wire
All blockgouses connected- efficient control mechanisms
Connected-farm burning began in Transvaal and Orange Free states- policy of attrition, put into concentration camps and dehoused, controversial- making refugee crisis- caused negative press on international stage, cost British lots of reparations after war- 3 million 1902
Concentration Camps:
Established Summer 1900
Initially for families of prisoner of war- not malevolent
Overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, poor diet, bad planning, illness- makeshift camps to house refugees, British trained to kill not look after- 160,000
Milner commissioned a number of Concentration Camps in the Boer states,commissioner of Cape colony- pragmatic response
Condemned as an act of barbarism
