32 Facts About Boer War

1.

Boer War politicians, including President of the South African Republic Paul Kruger either fled the region or went into hiding; the British Empire officially annexed the two republics in 1900.

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2.

However, numerous Boer War fighters took to the hills and launched a guerrilla campaign against the British occupational forces, becoming known as bittereinders.

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3.

Many consider the Boer War as marking the beginning of the questioning of the British Empire's veneer of impenetrable global dominance; this is due to the war's surprisingly long duration and the unforeseen, discouraging losses suffered by the British fighting the "cobbled-together army" of Boers.

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4.

Conflict is commonly referred to simply as “the Boer War” because the First Boer War was a much smaller conflict.

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5.

Boer War is the common name for Afrikaans-speaking white South Africans descended from the Dutch East India Company's original settlers at the Cape of Good Hope.

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6.

Boer War had a lasting effect on the region and on British domestic politics.

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7.

For Britain, the Second Boer War was the longest, the most expensive, and the bloodiest conflict between 1815 and 1914, lasting three months longer and resulting in more British combat casualties than the Crimean War.

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8.

Boer War government handed their prisoners over to the British for trial.

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9.

Boer War was uncertain of the abilities of the British Army.

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10.

When war with the Boer republics was imminent in September 1899, a Field Force, referred to as the Army Corps was mobilised and sent to Cape Town.

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11.

The quick Boer War mobilisation resulted in early military successes against scattered British forces.

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12.

However, instead of being the aggressor, Baden-Powell was forced to defend Mafeking when 6,000 Boer War, commanded by Piet Cronje, attempted a determined assault on the town.

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13.

British commanders had been trained on the lessons of the Crimean Boer War and were adept at battalion and regimental set pieces, with columns manoeuvring in jungles, deserts and mountainous regions.

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14.

The Boer War attacks prompted Lord Methuen, the British second-in-command after Lord Kitchener, to move his column from Vryburg to Klerksdorp to deal with De La Rey.

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15.

Two Boer War forces fought in this area, one under Botha in the south east and a second under Ben Viljoen in the north east around Lydenburg.

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16.

Boer War's forces mounted comparatively few attacks and as a result, the Boer enclave around Lydenburg was largely unmolested.

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17.

Second Boer War cast long shadows over the history of the South African region.

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18.

The predominantly agrarian society of the former Boer War republics was profoundly and fundamentally affected by the scorched earth policy of Roberts and Kitchener.

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19.

Counterinsurgency techniques and lessons learned during the Boer War were used by the British in future guerrilla campaigns including to counter Malayan communist rebels during the Malayan Emergency.

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20.

In Britain, the "Pro-Boer War" campaign expanded, with writers often idealising the Boer War society.

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21.

Boer War highlighted the dangers of Britain's policy of non-alignment and deepened her isolation.

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22.

The Boer War was thus the first war in which the Commonwealth of Australia fought.

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23.

Boer War has claimed that at the end of the war in 1902 when the Australian contingents returned the trackers may not have been allowed back to Australia due to the White Australia Policy.

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24.

Boer War stressed the "crimson tie" of Empire that bound New Zealand to the mother-country and the importance of a strong British Empire for the colony's security.

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25.

The Boer War was greeted with extraordinary enthusiasm when the war was over, and peace was greeted with patriotism and national pride.

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26.

When he became a Member of Parliament, Hughes would be in the position to become the Canadian Minister of Defence and Militia in 1911, just prior the outbreak of World War I This was a position that Hughes would be dismissed from in 1916, due to his impatience, among other reasons.

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27.

Winston Churchill – Best known as the prime minister of Britain during the main part of the Second World Boer War, Churchill worked as a war correspondent for The Morning Post.

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28.

Boer War received a commission in the South African Light Horse and witnessed the capture of Ladysmith and Pretoria.

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29.

Boer War volunteered in 1900 to help the British by forming teams of ambulance drivers and raising 1100 Indian volunteer medics.

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30.

Boer War was captured in 1900 but released due to a perforated colon and served as a deputy assistant director of the Imperial Military Railways until being evacuated to the UK due to ill-health.

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31.

Four Canadian soldiers in the Second Boer War received a Victoria Cross, which is the highest military medal available to soldiers of the Commonwealth and former British Territories.

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32.

Second Boer War was the harbinger of a new type of combat which would persevere throughout the twentieth century, guerrilla warfare.

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