Significance of British commanders in the outcome of the war Flashcards
Of the three commanders in the Second Boer War, which came out with enhanced reputations?
Roberts and Kitchener (although Kitchener was blamed for interning Boer civilians)
How did Bullerâs rep change after the SBW?
Was criticised for poor leadership and his career ended
What was Sir Redvers Bullerâs reputation before the SBW?
He was experienced in previous wars and had won the Victoria Cross in 1897 during the Zulu wars, fought in the first BW and served in Egypt as head of army intelligence
What was Bullerâs intention after reluctantly accepting the command of the British forces in the SBW and why was this changed?
He wanted to attack the Boers in the Transvaal but by the time he arrived in South Africa (Oct 1899) the sieges had begun
How did Buller appear when preparing to relieve the sieges of Ladysmith, Kimberley and Mafeking?
He appeared confident giving the impression that the war would be short (explains why the army conducted its first offensive in a haphazard fashion)
What did Buller fail to do in November 1899 as a former intelligence officer?
He ought to have known the importance of scouting but the main columns he sent north failed to gather info about the enemy
Other than Bullerâs failures to scout the enemy, why did Britain lack good intelligence at the start of the war?
Due to a shortage of horses and cavalry soldiers for scouting
How did Bullerâs indecision to commit to attacks and build up numerical superiority prove crucial at Colenso (and failure to communicate)?
He vacillated, ordering frontal attacks only days after considering them pointless/ Told White in Ladysmith that the town ought to be abandoned (Government found unacceptable). Yet he pushed on to meet disaster at Spion Kop
Who was Buller replaced by and what campaign did he lead after?
Replaced by Roberts but then led the campaign in the Natal
Where did Buller win on the 27th August 1900?
Won at Bergendal against Louis Botha after learning some lessons about intelligence and having better supply organisation
How did critics portray Buller after he returned to Britain in 1900 autumn and spoke out against the Times in October?
Portrayed as the epitome of military incompetence
What did Bullerâs supporters argue?
He did his best to limit casualties and he was an innovator
How was Buller seen as an innovator by his supporters?
He urged his men to make better use of natural cover and co-ordinated infantry rushes with a creeping artillery barrage to counter the Boer tactics of firing from concealed positions
Who did Roberts appoint as chief scout?
American frontiersman Fredrick Burnham who knew Africa from previous colonial wars
How did Roberts approach the SBW after arriving in South Africa in January 1900?
Knew he must raise British morale and set about lifting the sieges but also decided to capture Bloemfontein to show the Boers they could not win.
What new instructions did Roberts issue after arriving in South Africa?
It was better to outflank the Boers, forcing them to retreat or face being surrounded. He wanted cavalry and mounted infantry to scout territory and to chase the Boers
When did Roberts campaign start?
February 1900
What did Roberts order after his campaign started?
Repairs to damaged railways as the army advanced, bringing up supplies quickly so the Boers couldnât regroup
How was Bloemfontein taken?
Kitchener fought a hard battle at Paardeberg before Roberts finally took Bloemfontein on 13th March 1900
Why was Roberts forced to halt at Bloemfontein?
due to a shortage of supplies and an outbreak of typhoid that killed almost 1000 men
What happened after Roberts was forced to halt at Bloemfontein?
Resupplied and reinforced, the British pushed north, relieving Mafeking on 17th May and taking Johannesburg on 31st May and Pretoria on 5th June. War almost seemed over
When did Roberts hand over command to Kitchener?
November 1900
Despite Boer fighters continuing to resist in the Transvaal, who had fled abroad by the end of summer?
Boer presidents Martinus Steyn of the Orange Free State and Paul Kruger of the Transvaal and both territories were formally annexed by Britain
How did Roberts outflank the Boers and force them to retreat?
Used superior numbers and having Burnham meant better intelligence so the British could slip around Boer positions
How did Roberts escape criticism?
Wasnât there for the armyâs early failings, making sure Buller took the blame and played a major role in his dismissal. He was also slow to defend Kitchener against critics of the scorched earth policy
What was Kitchenerâs main role as Robertâs chief of staff?
Primarily in organisation and supply, though he was also involved in fighting
How was Kitchener unimpressed with what he found when he was Robertâs chief of staff?
British artillery was useless as he had expected and complaining about food supplies, especially lack of emergency rations
What did the determination of Boer guerrillas force Britain into?
A war or attrition // Scorched earth policy
Under who, did the scorched Earth policy begin?
Roberts
What was the scorched Earth policy supposed to do?
Deny food and shelter to the guerrillas. The British swept through Boer areas systematically, removing or destroying food, livestock, ammunition and more
What did the scorched Earth policy produce?
Thousands of displaced civillians who, as refugees, were escorted by the British soldiers and âconcentratedâ in internment camps
What were the conditions in the concentration camps?
Overcrowded, few food supplies and medical care causing a high death rate
How did the concentration camps cause people to react?
Anger among Boers and a national outcry in Britain
How many camps were there in March 1901?
27, holding 35000 people
How many camps were there in September 1901?
35 holding 110000
By the end of the war how many people had died from the concentration camps?
28,000 died (22,000 were under 16) and 1/4 camp internees died from disease
How did Kitchener justify the use of camps?
He said they were humanitarian because to leave civilians without food and shelter was tantamount to a death sentence
What debate was there over the use of camps?
Whether they were intended to terrorise the Boers or not
Which high profile case highlights the issue of âWhen soldiers commit war crimes, are they individually responsible or the officers who give the orders?â
Lieutenant Harry âBreakerâ Morant, an Australian cavalry officer, and 6 others were accused of ordering the shooting of Boer prisoners. He was found guilty and shot.
What position were many Boer commandos in by September 1900?
They had surrendered and were prisoners of war, and others had fled to the mountains. Kruger and other leaders had left South Africa
What issues did the British face due to the continued Boer resistance by September 1900?
They didnât have enough troops to control the two large Boer republics. when they were visible authority was established but as soon as they moved on it evaporated
What dilemma did the British face due to the continued Boer resistance by September 1900?
Should they guard the towns, railways and roads or should they spread out to seek and destroy Boer forces
How did Kitchener isolate Boer resistance towards the end of the war?
He ordered the segmenting of the countryside by wire and blockhouses (small forts for up to eight soldiers)
How did the British use Blockhouses to isolate Boer resistance?
The army used them to seal off sections then send in mounted infantry and cavalry to clear out Boers section by section
How many blockhouses did the British have?
8000 block houses and 4000 miles of barbed wire
Who led the Boers in invading Cape colony?
De Wet and Jan Smuts
What did Boer fighters and their leaders hope would happen when invading Cape Colony?
That local Boers would join
After local Boerâs did not join De Wet and Jan Smuts invasion of Cape Colony, what happened?
General uprising did not take place and the invading Boers were chased back into the Orange Free State. Boer guerrilla groups continued to trouble the British in the Transvaal until the last skirmish of the war.
What was the last skirmish of the Boer War?
Rooial in April 1902, after this peace negotiations were concluded
How did peace negotiations of the Second Boer War conclude?
The Boer leaders met Kitchener and the Treaty of Vereeniging was signed on 31 May 1902 in Pretoria.
