Key Questions to revise for Boer War

IF YOU DON'T DEDICATE KEY TIME TO THESE YOU ARE MADDER THAN A MAD HATTER AT A MAD HATTERS TEA PARTY. MARRRRRRRRRRRRR!

1. How did the war create reform back in Britain? Why were changes/reforms made? What were the changes/reforms after the war? How important were these changes?

2. Conduct of the war - especially Kitcheners actions, concentration camps, role of Hobhouse, Fawcett and impact in Britain.

3. Level of support for the war - critics and why / public's attitude / press reporting and its influence.

4. Impact on Party politics - 1900 Khaki Election and 1906 Election. Split in liberal party

5. Reasons for Britain initial failure in the war - strengths of Boers / failings of British

Why was the Boer War fought and how did it start in 1899?

MAP SHOWING THE REGION OF THE SECOND BOER WAR - CLICK TO ENLARGE



CARTOON FROM THE PUNCH MAGAZINE SHOWING CECIL RHODES EXTENDING OVER AFRICA - THE MESSAGE BEING THAT HE WISHED TO EXPAND AND COLONISE ACROSS AFRICA. THE MID TO LATE 19TH CENTURY SAW THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA WITH EUROPEAN NATIONS TRYING TO INCREASE THERE CONTROL/TERRITORY.

KEY REASONS

LONG TERM
Napoleonic Wars - Britain gained Cape Colony
Clashes over slavery with Boers
Boers forced to migrate north forming new states
First Boer War
Discovery of Gold

SHORT TERM
British ambitions on Transvaal and Orange Free State
Resources in region
Boers purchased arms from Germany
Jameson Raid
Uitlander Problem
British sent reinforcements to Cape
Ultimatum to Britain from Boer Republics to withdraw troops which British ignored

Road to war – Final Stages

As tensions escalated .
Issue of "uitlander rights" and control of the gold mining industry .
British wanted control -Transvaal and the Orange Free .
British demanded rights for Uitlanders – including civil and franchise(vote).
Boers realised eventually they would be overrun by Uitlanders and would lose control especially if gave them the vote.
Negotiations held and failed.
September 1899 Joseph Chamberlain (the British Colonial Secretary) sent an ultimatum - full equality for uitlanders
Kruger – issued own ultimatum - British 48 hours to withdraw all their troops from the border of the Transvaal
If not would declare war against the British along with allies OFS.
British rejected ultimatum.
Boers declared war.
1899
Boers initially seiged key towns.



MAP SHOWING THE MAJOR CITIES PUT UNDER SIEGE BY THE BOERS MAFEKING, LADYSMITH AND KIMBERLEY

Who was better prepared for war in 1899? Boers or British

BOERS

Officers were elected
Used modern mauser rifles purchased from Germany
Skilled marksmen
Local knowledge
Excellent horsemen

Relied on reservists who could be called up
Citizen army of 50,000
Soldiers could have a say in strategy and decisions.
As war progressed used guerrilla tactics – using environment to their advantage
Used natural colours
Understanding of field craft

BRITISH
Complacent after earlier successes e.g. Zulu Wars
Believed in use of sheer numbers
Difficult climate and terrain
Used line formations
Small army compared to territory controlled
Khaki uniforms but with white cross belts
Initially only 14,000 troops in the region
Officers could not survive on pay alone
Officers more interested in sport or busy form filling than soldiering
Relied on railways for supplies
Many soldiers from poorest backgrounds
Clear focus on discipline rather than soldiering
Initially lack enough cavalry
Sir Redvers Buller initially in command

How successful was the British army?

BOER COMMANDOS


1899 British army very similar to army of 1854
Numbers increased slightly
Cardwell's reforms introduced
Smaller than conscript armies of Russia,Germay, France
Expensive per man
Very small compared to vast empire
Many soldiers from poorest backgrounds
Soldiers social standing was low
Working class families in many cases ashamed of family volunteering
Nicknamed 'Tommy's' or ' Tommy Atkins'
Food allowance generous - 3/4 lb of meat and 1lb bread per day plus a gill of rum!
Regular rations attractive for many
Discipline harsh - flogging in wartime only abandoned 1881
Drill, cleaning, mundate tasks
Initiative not encouraged
Still using old fashioned tactics
Officers still could not survive on salary alone therefore still from wealthy families
Little interest in soldiering tactics - move bravery and loyalty which could have huge consequences
Too much focus/interest from officers in sport

SOME IMPROVEMENTS
Khaki uniforms
New Lee Enfield magazine rifle
Supplies improved with creation of army service corp
Medical services with Royal Army Medical Corps
Commissions abolished after Cardwell reforms

OVERALL IN 1899 IT WAS NOT AN EFFECTIVE FIGHT FORCE


HOW DID THE WAR GO FOR THE BRITISH INITIALLY?

INITIALLY BADLY UNDER COMMAND OF BULLER



BULLER

Due to the Boers superior numbers they famously sieged 3 key towns -
Mafeking - British Colonel Baden-Powell held out
Kimberley - British and mine owner/politican Cecil Rhodes - cut off by Boer leader Cronje
Ladysmith - British Sir George White

However tactically this was defensive as the Boers did not push onto the British ports in the south and basically dug in to British territory. Only a matter of time before additional British troops arrived.

Boers believed the sieges would force British into a negotiated peace and full independence for Boer states.

British underestimated skills of Boers and impact of new technology in weapons e.g quick firing guns and smokeless powder. They still used front attacks in broad daylight.

BLACK WEEK - DECEMBER 1899

Buller on arrive split his forces in three - mistake
All three forces faced defeat
Lord Methuen defeated at Magersfontain by Boer leader Cronje
Gatacre was defeated at Stormberg
Buller defeated at Colenso 15th December

Further defeat at Spion Kop 23/24th Jan 1900

TIDE TURNS - ROBERTS IN COMMAND


ROBERTS

Massive reinforcements plus 30,000 from across the empire e.g. Australia. Many mounted infantry. 448,000 reinforcements shipped to Cape Colony
Appointment of Field Marshall Lord 'Bobs' Roberts in command. Supported by Kitchener. Arrived Feb 1900
Kimberley and Ladysmith relieved Feb 1900
Boers led by Cronje forced to surrender at Paardeberg
Series of British victories followed e.g. Bloemfontein capital of Orange Free State captured
However British suffered from supply issues, reliance on the railway and typhoid - which killed more men than the Boers.
Autumn 1900 Kitchener took over from Roberts

POST 1901 - LONGEST PHASE OF THE WAR - KITCHENER


KITCHENER

Boers had lost major cities but continued guerilla warfare
Hit and run tactics
Kitchener response
Divided land by barbed wire
Used scorched earth policy removing food/livestock/farms
Set up blockhouses across the region - i.e. guard houses
Boer women and children placed in concentration camps

1902

Boers worn down
Negotiations began
Peace finally agreed at Vereeniging May 1902
Treaty of Vereeniging signed

How did the press report the Boer war? and with what impact?

Press had expanded between 1850-1900
Penny Daily e.g Daily Telegraph launched 1855 and Morning Post
Plus regional press e.g. Manchester Guardian

CASE STUDY - DAILY MAIL
Alfred Harmsworth transformed press
1896 he launched Daily Mail - selling at half one penny
It was populist (wanting change for the people)
Criticised for its accuracy - stories rewritten to add spice/interest
Harmsworth served the news 'cooked'
1899 circulation 534,000
Boer war used to increase sales

CASE STUDY - Winston Spencer Churchill
Importance of war correspondence
In war zone and paid
Churchill employed by Morning Post as well as being a serving officer
Salary £250 per month equivalent to £170,000 per year today!
Being an officer helped and hindered Churchill
When captured by the Boers he was sent to a POW camp, after helping to defend a train, but he argued he was a reporter not a combatant.
Often very honest in his reports
Army censorship lax
There was an army censor however as an officer and gentlemen Churchill was trusted
Buller supported Churchill's work, Roberts less so.



Churchill in a POW camp - far right on picture

IMPACT
Papers overwhelming in favour of the war
Reflected public sentiment
Despite being in favour of the war - truth was not a casualty - black week as an example was reported
Widespread support
Popular enthusiasm supported by press

Who opposed the war and why was the war criticised?

Some Pro Boer E.g. Lloyd George
Support for the war war stronger in some areas than others e.g. London (capital) and Birmingham (constituency of Joseph Chamberlain - Sec of State for Colonies)
Difficult to measure support as no polls
Potential class divide with MC supporting more than WC - again difficult to measure
War would split Liberals
Irish Nationalists against the war as they saw the British as oppressors and sympathised with Boers as they also wanted Irish Independence.

UNJUST CAUSE
- War morally wrong
- Imperialism/expansionist
- Repressive
- For profit - capitalism e.g. for Rhodes/Alfred Beit - mine owners
- For profit - to create more markets for goods.

CONDUCT
- Kitcheners methods of ending the war in the final phase against the guerillas - notably the concentration camps.


CONCENTRATION CAMPS




Used to protect those who had surrendered
Stop support to Boers
Not for punishment
Would eventually force remaining Boers to negotiate
Treaty signed May 1902
But at what COST?

Overcrowding
Supply problems
Military incompetence
Rapid increase in numbers
March 1901 27 camps 35,000 people
Sept 1901 34 camps 110,000 people
Typhoid 27,927 deaths many children




- Emily Hobhouse - Secretary of Woman's Branch of the South African Conciliation Committee - close family relations with anti-war politicians.
Jan 1901 visited camps in Bloemfontein. Helped by military authorities.
Completed a report which was circulated Spring 1901
MP and public outrage.
Mrs Millicent Fawcett sent as an enquiry
She reported to Lord Alfred Milner High Commissioner for SA who in turn reported to Joseph Chamberlain (Sec of State for Colonies)
Resulted in civilain authorities taking over and death rate reduced to 20 in every 1000 (less than Glasgow)

How did the Boer War effect Party Politics in Britain?

CONSERVATIVES (Tories)
In government during the war
Led by Lord Salisbury
Secretary of State for Colonies - Joseph Chamberlain played key role
Conservatives had be suffering By-Election defeats (elections of individual MPs when they retire or die - not a General Election when all MPs are voted for).
Couldn't get bills through Parliament as losing MPs
1900 Election called the 'Khaki Election' as held during and often about the Boer war
Used war to their advantage
Called an early election
Many Conservative MPs in 1900 election were actually serving officers
Won 51% of the vote in 1900 election
Gained 402 MP's
Majority by 134
Could pass bills

LIBERALS
Led by Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (in the middle trying to keep the party together)
Damaged by the war
Split between Pro-war Liberals (LIMPS - Liberal Imperialists) led by Lord Rosebery, plus Asquith, Grey and Haldane.
Radicals - against the war - David Lloyd George
Party short of cash
1900 election didn't even put candidates in many Irish constituencies

What were the significant outcomes of the Boer War 1899-1902?

Peace Treaty - gained control of SA / SA supported GB in two world wars fighting bravely / non-white rights ignored in SA
Cost - £200 millions / 22,000 died
Army Reform - Commander-in-chief abolished / War Office and General Staff set up - crucial in WWI and WWII / Khaki became uniform / New weapons introduced e.g. Lee Enfield Rifle / Improvements in officer training and professionalism / army had field force ready for combat and territorial / home force in reserve
Questions over National Efficiency - free school meals and medical inspections set up in schools / national insurance system set up allowing for sick and unemployment benefit
Questions over Empire and Imperialism - committee for national defence set up to look at British / Empire defence / Imperialism criticised
Party Politics
Support of the war
Criticism of the war
Role of and changes to the press