the Second Boer War (bw)

Question 1

when did the first British troops land in SA?

Answer 1

7 October 1899

Question 2

how many men did White bring from India?

Answer 2

10,000 men

Question 3

when did the First Army Corps leave Britain?

Answer 3

12 October

Question 4

where did the First Army Corps leave from?

Answer 4

Southampton

Question 5

when was the Battle of Modderspruit?

Answer 5

24 October 1899

Question 6

what happened during the Battle of Modderspruit?

Answer 6

the Boers bombarded the city of Ladysmith which trapped White and his forces

Question 7

when did the Boers besiege Mafeking and Kimberley?

Answer 7

14 October 1899

Question 8

how many Boers besieged Mafeking?

Answer 8

7000
led by Cronje

Question 9

when did the Boers besiege Ladysmith?

Answer 9

November 1899

Question 10

who was in charge of British troops at Ladysmith?

Answer 10

Sir George White

Question 11

what defensive measures did Sir George White make?

Answer 11

set up a defensive perimeter
BUT
he left this in charge of young officers

Question 12

what had the Boers achieved by besieging Kimberley, Mafeking and Ladysmith?

Answer 12

nothing
they did not try to capture the towns

they simply cut off the town

Question 13

when did Buller arrive in SA?

Answer 13

31 October 1899

Question 14

when did the First Army Corps arrive in SA?

Answer 14

18 November 1899

Question 15

what was Bullers plan to relieve the 3 towns?

Answer 15

split into 3 forces

Question 16

what did Buller order Methuen to do?

Answer 16

relieve Kimberley and Mafeking
w/ 10,000 men

Question 17

what was Bullers role in his plan?

Answer 17

he would relieve Ladysmith
2/ 20,000 men

Question 18

when did the Boers attack Methuen?

Answer 18

28 November 1899
led by de la Rey

Battle of

Question 19

when was Black Week?

Answer 19

10-15 December 1899

Question 20

11 December 1899

Answer 20

Methuen was defeated at Magersfontein
lost 900 men
failed to relieve Kimberley

Question 21

15 December 1899

Answer 21

Buller was defeated by Botha’s 8,000 men at the Tugela River
Buller lost 1,400 men

Question 22

what advantage did the Boers have over the British?

Answer 22

• fighting on the defensive
• prepared positions
• smokeless magazine rifles
• better marksmen

Question 23

who replaced Buller in December 1899?

Answer 23

Lord Roberts
hero of the Afghan War 1880

Question 24

why was Buller replaced?

Answer 24

he ordered White at Ladysmith to surrender

Question 25

who was Roberts’ chief of staff?

Answer 25

Kitchener hero of the 1898 Sudan campaign

Question 26

how many British men in SA by January 1900?

Answer 26

180,000

Question 27

what changes did Roberts make upon arrival in 1900?

Answer 27

- new tactics - insistance in recon - avoidal of mass formations and frontal attacks - use of cover by infantry and artillery

Question 28

what was Roberts’ plan to relieve the 3 towns?

Answer 28

he would outflank the Boers to relieve Kimberley and then would take Bloemfontein

Question 29

what was Kitchener’s role in Roberts’ plan?

Answer 29

used a transport system of wagons which removed the BA’s reliance on the railway

Question 30

when was Spion Kop?

Answer 30

24 January 1900

Question 31

what happened at Spion Kop?

Answer 31

the British led by Buller took the hill of Spion Kop but Boers bombarded the British position massive British disaster w/ 1350 dead Buller = poor leader + communicator

Question 32

when did Roberts lauched an offensive on Kimberley?

Answer 32

10 February 1900

Question 33

what tactics did Roberts use to relieve Kimberley?

Answer 33

he doubled the number of mounted infantry use of cavalry dash

Question 34

when was Kimberley relieved?

Answer 34

15 February 1900

Question 35

how long was the siege of Kimberley?

Answer 35

124 days

Question 36

who led the relief of Kimberley?

Answer 36

John French

Question 37

when did Buller attempt to relieve Ladysmith?

Answer 37

14 February 1900

Question 38

when was Ladysmith relieved?

Answer 38

26 February 1900

Question 39

how long was the siege of Ladysmith

Answer 39

118 days

Question 40

how was Ladysmith relieved?

Answer 40

Buller committed to an all-out-attack and defeated Botha

Question 41

when did Roberts capture Bloemfontein?

Answer 41

13 March 1900

Question 42

why did Roberts delay his offensive on Mafeking for 6 weeks?

Answer 42

- his army was short on supplies - outbreak of typhoid left 1000 troops dead

Question 43

what had caused the pollution of the Modder River?

Answer 43

corpses of dead men and horses

Question 44

when did Roberts relieve Mafeking?

Answer 44

17 May 1900

Question 45

why was Baden-Powell a war hero?

Answer 45

he had defended against 7000 Boers for 217 days

Question 46

how long was the siege of Mafeking?

Answer 46

217 days

Question 47

when did Britain annex the Orange Free State?

Answer 47

28 May 1900

Question 48

when did Roberts capture Johannesburg?

Answer 48

31 May 1900

Question 49

when did Roberts capture Pretoria?

Answer 49

5 June 1900

Question 50

where did the Boers flee to?

Answer 50

Drakensburg mountains led by Botha

Question 51

when did Britain annex Transvaal?

Answer 51

3 September 1900

Question 52

when was Kitchener promoted to commander-in-chief of British forces in SA?

Answer 52

November 1900

Question 53

why was Roberts sent back to Britain in November 1900?

Answer 53

he took over Wolesely’s position as commander-in-chief