Comparison Of British And Boer Armies In 1899

Question 1

Size of the British Army in 1899

Answer 1

Fewer than 135,000 excluding men serving in India

Question 2

Weaknesses of the British Army

Answer 2

• The army was small
• The government did not want to spend money on reforms. The army did well in colonial wars, so reform seemed pointless. The Duke of Cambridge was similar to Wellington during the Crimean war – defender of traditional practices
• There was a shortage of ammunition
• Uniforms were unsuitable
• There was understaffed auxiliary units, like the medical corps

Question 3

British uniforms

Answer 3

They were unsuitable for open grass country – the Veldt – as the uniform was standard red and white. They had a shortage of the more suitable dull, brown uniforms (khaki)

Question 4

Strengths of the British army

Answer 4

• The men had experience in successful colonial endeavours
• The military leaders had accepted scientific and technological innovation
• Wolseley emphasised the importance of supply and transportation and this aspect of the Second Boer War went well for Britain

Question 5

Strengths of the Boer Army

Answer 5

• Had excellent horsemen and hunter, as seen in the First Boer War
• Armed with modern rifles, like the smokeless Mauser rifle and the French Creusot siege guns
• More familiar with the landscape and the Veldt terrain
• Strong morale – this was a matter of life or death for them
• Many boers in the Cape Colony and Natal sympathised with the Boer Republics

Question 6

Negatives of the Boer Army

Answer 6

• Fewer than 60,000 men, outnumbered
• Total white population of the two republics was only 300,000
• Was essentially a civilian militia, not a formal army
  • In time of danger all men ages 16-60 formed a commando. The commando elected officers. Each man brought his own weapons and a horse. If someone could not afford a rifle, one was provided