The Second Boer War, 1899-1902 Flashcards
What were the names of the two Boer Republics?
The Transvaal and the Orange Free State
When did Britain go to war against the Boers (for the 2nd time)?
1899
Where had men and officers gained experience before the 2nd Boer War?
In Colonial Wars
What were 3 problems in the army’s preparation for the 2nd Boer War?
Ammunition shortage
Understaffed departments
Intelligence work was inadequate
How many men were in the Boer Army in 1899?
<60,000
What was any adult male Boer citizen expected to join?
A Commando unit (with their own weapon and horse)
When was the first Boer War?
1880-81
What rifle did the Boers use?
the Mauser rifle
Who established a base at Ladysmith in October 1899?
Sir White
who was besieged in Mafeking with 1200 men?
Colonel Baden-Powell
How many Boers besieged Mafeking?
7000 Boers besieged Mafeking
When was the diamond-mining town of Kimberley besieged?
November 1899
(by 7500 Boers)
How many Boers besieged Kimberley?
7500
Who arrived in Cape Town at the end of October 1899?
General Sir Redvers Buller
Who led each of the 3 detachments of Buller’s army?
General Lord Methuen
General Gatacre
General Sir Redvers Buller
How many men did Lord Methuen take to attempt to relieve Mafeking and Kimberly?
20,000 men
How many men did Buller’s main force have - heading to relieve Ladysmith?
30,000 men
When did Methuen win two small but costly battles at Belmont and Graspan? On his way to relieve Kimberley and Mafeking
Belmont - 23rd November 1899
Graspan - 25th November 1899
When was Methuen defeated and where?
Methuen was defeated at Modder River on the 28th November 1899
When was Black Week?
10-15th December 1899
What happened on December 10th 1899?
General Gatacre lost more than 700 men trying to take Stormberg railway junction
What happened on December 11th 1899?
Lord Methuen suffered 900 casualties at Magersfontein. He also failed to relieve Kimberley as this was postponed
What happened on December 15th 1899?
Buller tried to cross the Tugela river at Colenso - he faced 8000 Boers and had 21,000 men yet his force suffered 1400 casualties to only 8 Boer casualties
How many men were in the British Army in South Africa in December 1899?
84,000
Who replaced Buller as commander in 1900?
Lord Roberts
Who was appointed as Lord Roberts Chief of Staff in 1900?
Lord Kitchener
How many troops were in the British Army in South Africa in January 1900?
180,000
What are two parts of Lord Roberts’ tactical guidelines?
- That careful reconnaissance would occur before any attacks
- that frontal attacks would be avoided, with the use of cover encouraged instead
When did Roberts relieve Kimberley?
15th February 1900
Who was captured at Paardeberg on the 27th February?
Boer General Cronje
When did Buller relieve Ladysmith?
28th February 1900
When did Roberts capture Bloemfontain?
13th March 1900
When did Roberts capture Pretoria?
5th June 1900
When was Mafeking relieved?
18th May 1900
How long had Mafeking been sieged in total?
217
When was the Orange Free State annexed?
May 28th 1900
When did Roberts capture Johannesburg?
31st May 1900
When was Kitchener appointed as Roberts’ successor?
November 1900
Who was president of the Transvaal Republic? What did he do once the British advanced on the Transvaal in August 1900?
President Kruger was president.
He fled to Europe.
How long did Boers keep fighting as guerrillas for?
2 years
How did the British respond to the Boers’ guerrilla warfare?
Building blockhouses
Destroying farms, confiscating food
Concentration camps
When did the last of the Boers surrender?
May 1902
What is the name of the treaty which ended the Boer war?
The Treaty of Vereeniging
How many British troops died in the war?
22,000
How many Boer civilians died in the war?
20,000
What were the terms of the treaty of Vereeniging?(3)
Ended the existence of the Transvaal and Orange Free State (absorbed into the British Empire)
Boers were given £3 million compensation
The Boers were promised self-government.
When did the promise of self-government come true for the Boers?
1910, when the Union of South Africa was established.
How many concentration camps were there?
45 camps
How many women and children died in the concentration camps?
over 20,000 (1 in 4)
How many fortified blockhouses were built?
8000
How many Boer soldiers died during the war?
7000
How many of the British soldiers that died were caused by conflict?
7/22,000 died in conflict, the rest died of disease
How much did the Boer war cost the British?
£217 million
What was ‘khaki fever’?
in 1899-1900 khaki fever was popular support for the war including celebrations, men volunteering and voting in the ‘khaki election’
Did the press support the war?
yes
Why was Winston Churchill in South Africa?
He was war correspondent for the ‘morning post’
Did the press like Buller or Roberts more?
Roberts as he made an effort to butter them up
Who were the main 3 opposition to the Boer War?
Individuals who opposed imperialism such as critics and socialist journals
Radical Liberal opposition (Lloyd George)
Irish Nationalists
When did Emily Hobhouse start a fund to provide aid and supplies to Boer families?
in 1900
When did Hobhouse arrive in South Africa?
December 1900
When did Hobhouse submit a report to the government?
June 1901
What did Emily Hobhouse reveal about the conditions of the concentration camps? (4)
They lived in overcrowded tents
Food rations were scarce and malnourishment was common
Water supply was scarce
Insanitary conditions caused frequent typhoid outbreaks
When did Kitchener say Boer families should no longer be moved to camps?
December 1901 (this was tactical as well as a response to the Fawcett commission)
What was the Fawcett commission introduced as a response to?
The Hobhouse Report
