First Boer War
Date 20 December 1880 - 23 March 1881 Location South Africa Result Boer victory
Combatants
United Kingdom	Transvaal
Commanders
Major-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley	Commandant-General Piet Joubert
Strength
1,200	3,000
Casualties
408 killed, 315 wounded	41 killed, 47 wounded

The First Boer War (Dutch: Eerste Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: Eerste Vryheidsoorlog, literally First Freedom War) also known as the First Anglo-Boer War or the Transvaal War, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881. is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Transvaal. ... Flag of Transvaal For the Russian theme park, see Transvaal Park. ... George Pomeroy Colley (November 1, 1835 - February 27, 1881), British general, third son of George Pomeroy Colley, of Rathangan, County Kildare, Ireland, and grandson of the fourth Viscount Harberton. ... Petrus Jacobus Joubert Petrus Jacobus Joubert (January 20, 1834 - March 28, 1900), better known as Piet Joubert was Commandant-General of the South African Republic from 1880 to 1900. ... Combatants Great Britain Transvaal Boers Strength 268 250 Casualties 156 dead and wounded Remainder captured 2 dead 5 wounded The Action at Bronkhorstspruit was one of the first serious clashes of the First Boer War. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Battle of Schuinshoogte Also known as Ingogo, was a battle fought on February 8th 1881 during the First Boer War. ... The skirmish at Majuba Hill (near Volksrust, South Africa) on 27 February 1881 was a convincing victory for the Boers. ... Look up Wiktionary:Swadesh lists for Afrikaans and Dutch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Flag of Transvaal For the Russian theme park, see Transvaal Park. ... is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

1877 annexation

The southern part of the African continent was dominated in the 19th century by a set of epic struggles to create within it a single unified state. The British attempt to annex Transvaal in 1880, and the Transvaal and the Orange Free State in 1899 (leading to the Second Boer War), was their biggest incursion into southern Africa, but there were others. In 1868, the British annexed Basutoland in the Drakensberg Mountains (modern Lesotho, surrounded by Transvaal, the Orange Free State and Natal) following an appeal from Moshesh, the leader of a mixed group of African refugees from the Zulu wars, who sought British protection against both the Boers and the Zulus. In the 1880s, Bechuanaland (modern Botswana, located north of the Orange River) became the object of dispute between the Germans to the west, the Boers to the east, and the British in the Cape Colony to the south. Although Bechuanaland had no economic value, the "Missionaries Road" passed through it towards territory farther north. After the Germans annexed Damaraland and Namaqualand (modern Namibia) in 1884, the British annexed Bechuanaland in 1885.

After 1806, following the British annexation of the Cape, the British had gradually extended their control along the coast to the east. Certain Boers resented British rule, even though British control brought some economic benefits. There were successive waves of migrations of Boer farmers (known as Trekboer), first towards Natal, which the British annexed in 1845, then towards the interior establishing Orange Free State and eventually the region that came to be known as Transvaal - literally "beyond the Vaal River," a tributary of the Orange River.

The British did not try to stop Boers from moving away from the Cape and into the interior, since it reduced friction in their own territory. Subsequently, the British ratified the outcome in a pair of treaties: the Sand River Convention of 1852 which recognized the independence of Transvaal, and the Bloemfontein Convention of 1854 which recognized the independence of the Orange Free State. Tensions remained, however, between the Boers who remained behind in Cape Colony and the British administration. Some British living in Cape Colony even joined the Boers in their resentment of the "imperial factor"- i.e. perceived meddling by London in local affairs.

The discovery of diamonds in 1867 near the Vaal River, some 550 miles northeast of Capetown, ended the isolation of the Boers in the interior and changed South African history. The discovery triggered a "diamond rush" that attracted people from all over the world turning Kimberley into a town of 50,000 within five years and drawing the attention of British imperial interests. In the 1870s the British annexed West Griqualand, site of the Kimberley diamond discoveries.

Disraeli's Colonial Secretary Lord Carnarvon in an attempt to extend British influence in 1875 approached the Orange Free State and the Transvaal Republic and tried to organize a federation of the British and Boer territories (modeled after the 1867 federation of French and English provinces of Canada), but the Boer leaders turned him down. The annexation of West Griqualand and British imperialism however created a climate of simmering unease for the Boer republics.

There were, however, other tensions. During the 1870s there were a series of skirmishes between the Boers fo the Transvaal Republic and local tribes and by the 1870s there were serious tensions between the Transvaal Republic and the Zulus led by King Cetshwayo and occupying a kingdom located on the south eastern border of the Boer Transvaal Republic, and bordering on British Natal. Upon taking the throne Cetshwayo had expanded his army and readopted many para military practices of the famous Shaka, king of the Zulus. He also equipped his impis with muskets. He banished European missionaries from his land. There were suggestions that he might also have become involved in inciting other native African peoples to rebel against Boers in the Transvaal. The Transvaal Boers became more and more concerned, but Cetshwayo cleverly maintained good relations with the British in Natal in an effort to counter Boer encroachment on Zulu land.

In 1877, Sir Theophilus Shepstone, the British Secretary for Native Affairs in Natal,annexed the South African Republic (Transvaal Republic), for Britain using a special warrant. The Boers objected but as long as the Zulu threat remained, found themselves unable to undertake active resistance fearing that this would lead not only to an external war on two fronts with the British and also the Zulu, but a civil war in that native African peoples would seize the opportunity and rebel against Boers within the Transvaal. Sir Theophilus Shepstone (January 8, 1817 - June 23, 1893), British South African statesman, was born at Westbury near Bristol, England. ... Ceremonies during the annexation of Hawaii. ... Anthem Transvaalse Volkslied Location of the Transvaal in pre-1994 South Afica Capital Pretoria Language(s) Dutch, English, Afrikaans Religion Dutch Reformed Church Government Republic President  - 1857-1863 Marthinus Wessel Pretorius  - 1883-1902 Paul Kruger  - 1900-1902 Schalk Willem Burger (acting) History  - Established June 27, 1857  - British annexation 1877-1881...

The Boers led by Paul Kruger (the future President) for the Transvaal therefore elected to concentrate on political negotiations and opposition to the annexation, and made 2 visits to London for talks with the British government. In September 1878, on his return from the second visit, Kruger met in Pietermaritzburg with the British representatives, Sir Bartle Frere and Lt. General Frederic Thesiger (shortly to inherit the title of Lord Chelmsford), in order to update them on the talks.

Sir Theophilus Shepstone had had his own concerns about the potential threat to Natal of the expansion under King Cetshwayo of the Zulu army especially given the adoption of muskets and other modern weapons, and in his new role of Administrator of the Transvaal saw the border dispute from the other side. Persistant Boer resistance to the British annexation and Paul Kruger's diplomatic manouverings added to the pressure. Cetshwayo (who now found no defender in Natal save Bishop Colenso) was perceived by the British to have permitted outrages by Zulu both on the Transvaal and Natal borders, and to be in a "defiant mood". Shepstone therefore convinced the British High Commissioner for Cape Colony, Sir Bartle Frere, that the King Cetshwayo and his Zulu army posed a threat to the peace and in December 1878 Frere ordered Cetshwayo to disband his army. Cetshwayo refused and mobilized his army instead. Over 40,000 strong, well motivated and supremely confident, the Zulu were a formidable force on their own home ground, despite the lack of modern weaponry. Their greatest assets were their morale, unit leadership, mobility and numbers. Sir Theophilus Shepstone (January 8, 1817 - June 23, 1893), British South African statesman, was born at Westbury near Bristol, England. ...

On January 11, 1879, the British invaded Zululand with about 7000 regular troops, a similar number of black African "levees" and a thousand white volunteers. The British anticipated that the Zulu War would proceed in a pattern typical of numerous colonial wars fought in Africa, namely that relatively small bodies of professional European troops armed with modern firearms and artillery, and supplemented by local allies and levies would march out to meet the natives whose armies would put up a brave struggle, but in the end would succumb to massed firepower. Ignoring advice from a number of Boer authorities (including Paul Kruger who from experience emphasised the military threat of the Zulus and the need for caution, and advocated the use of essential defensive tactics such as laagering - setting up fortified strongpoints using wagons drawn into a defensive circle), the British lost more than 1600 soldiers when the Zulu attack caught them in the open at the battle of Isandhlwana on January 22, 1879. However, shortly afterwards a British outpost at Rorke's Drift on the Zululand-Natal border, fighting defensively from within hasty fortifications, withstood a second Zulu attack and after reinforcements arrived, the British managed to conquer the Zulu capital at Ulundi by July 1879. The war signaled the end of the independent Zulu nation. The British consolidated their power over Natal, the Zulu kingdom and the Transvaal in 1879 after the Anglo-Zulu War. Combatants United Kingdom Zulu Nation Commanders Sir Bartle Frere, Frederick Augustus Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford Cetshwayo Strength 14,800 (6,400 Europeans 8,400 Natal Troops) 40,000 Casualties 1,727 killed, 256 wounded 8,250+ killed, 3,000+ wounded The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the...

Once the Zulu were defeated and the threat to their South East border had been eliminated, the Transvaal Boers again raised the 1877 British annexation and protested that it had been a violation of the Sand River Convention of 1852, and the Bloemfontein Convention of 1854. Afrikaners are white South Africans of predominantly Calvinist Dutch, German, French Huguenot, Friesian and Walloon descent who speak Afrikaans. ...

Major-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley, after returning briefly to India, finally took over as Governor of Natal, Transvaal, High Commissioner of S.E.Africa and Military Commander in July 1880. Multiple commitments prevented Colley from visiting the Transvaal where he knew many of the senior Boers. Instead he relied on reports from the Administrator, Sir Owen Lanyon, who had no understanding of the Boer mood or capability. Belatedly Lanyon asked for troop reinforcements in December 1880 but was overtaken by events. Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. ... George Pomeroy Colley (November 1, 1835 - February 27, 1881), British general, third son of George Pomeroy Colley, of Rathangan, County Kildare, Ireland, and grandson of the fourth Viscount Harberton. ...

The Boers on 16 December 1880 revolted and took action at Bronkhorstspruit against a British column of the 94th Foot, who were returning to reinforce Pretoria. This article is about revolution in the sense of a drastic change. ...

1880-81 war

The war began on 16 December 1880 with shots fired by Transvaal Boers (farmers) at Potchefstroom after Transvaal formally declared independence from the United Kingdom. It led to the action at Bronkhorstspruit on 20 December 1880, where the Boers ambushed and destroyed a British Army convoy. From 22 December 1880 to 6 January 1881, British army garrisons all over the Transvaal became besieged. is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Potchefstroom is a large academic town with the North-West University, situated on the banks of the Mooi River (literally pretty river), 120 km west-southwest of Johannesburg in the North West Province of South Africa. ... Flag of Transvaal For the Russian theme park, see Transvaal Park. ... Combatants Great Britain Transvaal Boers Strength 268 250 Casualties 156 dead and wounded Remainder captured 2 dead 5 wounded The Action at Bronkhorstspruit was one of the first serious clashes of the First Boer War. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Convoy (disambiguation). ... is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... For people named Garrison, see Garrison (disambiguation) Garrison House, built by William Damm in 1675 at Dover, New Hampshire Garrison (from the French garnison, itself from the verb garnir, to equip) is the collective term for the body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but... Flag of Transvaal For the Russian theme park, see Transvaal Park. ... A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition, often accompanied by an assault. ...

The average Boer burghers who made up their Commandos were farmers who had spent almost all their working life in the saddle, and because they had to depend on both their horse and their rifle they were skilled stalkers and marksmen, and became expert light cavalry. They could make use of every scrap of cover, from which they could pour an accurate and destructive fire. They were dressed in their everyday farming clothes, which were a neutral or earthtone khaki clothing, whereas the British uniforms were still bright scarlet red, a stark contrast to the African landscape. This enabled the Boers, being expert marksmen, to easily snipe at British troops from a distance. Other significant advantages to the Boers included their widespread adoption of the breech loading rifle, which could be aimed, fired, and reloaded from a prone position, and the Boers' unconventional military tactics, which relied more on stealth, speed and initiative as opposed to the British emphasis on discipline and formation. Khaki is a common material in military uniforms Khaki is a type of fabric or the colour of such fabric. ... For other uses, see Uniform (disambiguation). ... A marksman (also designated marksman) is a profession which is mostly to be found in military context. ... For other uses, see Sniper (disambiguation). ... Breech from Russian 122 mm M1910 howitzer, modified and combined with 105mm H37 howitzer barrel An interrupted screw style breech plug in the M109 howitzer An animation showing the loading cycle for a large naval breech-loader. ... Prone refers to the perceived likelihood of being affected by something. ...

The besieging of the British garrisons led to the Battle of Laing's Nek on 28 January 1881 where a British force composed of the Natal Field Force under Major-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley attempted to break through the Boer positions on the Drakensberg mountain range to relieve their garrisons. The Boers, under the command of Piet Joubert, repulsed the British cavalry and infantry attacks. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. ... George Pomeroy Colley (November 1, 1835 - February 27, 1881), British general, third son of George Pomeroy Colley, of Rathangan, County Kildare, Ireland, and grandson of the fourth Viscount Harberton. ... The Drakensberg Drakensberg Range from space, April 1993 Maluti mountains in Lesotho The Drakensberg (Afrikaans for Dragons Mountain) mountains are the highest in Southern Africa, rising up at Thabana Ntlenyana to 3,482 m (11,422 ft) in height. ... Petrus Jacobus Joubert Petrus Jacobus Joubert (January 20, 1834 - March 28, 1900), better known as Piet Joubert was Commandant-General of the South African Republic from 1880 to 1900. ... Not to be confused with Golgotha, which was called Calvary. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I Infantry or footmen are very highly disciplined and trained soldiers who fight primarily with small arms(rifles), but are trained to use everything from their bare hands to missle systems in order to neutralize...

Further actions included the Battle of Schuinshoogte (also known as Ingogo) on 8 February 1881, where another British force barely escaped destruction. Battle of Schuinshoogte Also known as Ingogo, was a battle fought on February 8th 1881 during the First Boer War. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

The final humiliation for the British was at the Battle of Majuba Hill on 27 February 1881, where several Boer groups stormed the hill and drove off the British, and the British commander, Major-General Sir Colley, was killed. This made such an impact that during the Second Boer War, one of the British slogans was Remember Majuba. The skirmish at Majuba Hill (near Volksrust, South Africa) on 27 February 1881 was a convincing victory for the Boers. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Combatants British Empire Orange Free State South African Republic Commanders Sir Redvers Buller Lord Kitchener Lord Roberts Paul Kruger Louis Botha Koos de la Rey Martinus Steyn Christiaan de Wet Casualties 6,000 - 7,000 (A further ~14,000 from disease) 6,000 - 8,000 (Unknown number from disease) Civilians...

1881 peace

The British government of William Gladstone weighed up the prospects and unwilling to get further involved in a distant war demanding of substantial troop reinforcement and with minimal returns (the Transvaal at the time had a basic agricultural economy), ordered a truce. William Ewart Gladstone (29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British Liberal Party statesman and Prime Minister (1868–1874, 1880–1885, 1886 and 1892–1894). ... == T.R.U.C.E == Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Childrens Entertainment. ...

Under instructions from the British government, Sir Evelyn Wood (who had replaced Colley upon his death on 27 February 1881) signed an armistice to end the war, and subsequently a peace treaty with Kruger at O'Neil's Cottage on 6 March. In the final peace treaty on 23 March 1881, the British agreed to Boer self-government in the Transvaal under a theoretical British oversight. A three-man Royal Commission drew up the Pretoria Convention, which was ratified on 25 October 1881, by the Volksraad. This led to the withdrawal of the last British troops. is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A peace treaty is an agreement (a peace treaty) between two hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends a war or armed conflict. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

The Convention of Pretoria in 1881 and the Convention of London in 1884 restored Transvaal autonomy but did not specifically recognize Transvaal independence.

Subsequently, however, when a second major mineral find was made at an outcrop on a large ridge some thirty miles south of the Boer capital at Pretoria in 1886, it reignited imperial interests. The ridge, known locally as the "Witwatersrand" (literally "white water ridge" - a watershed) contained the world's largest deposit of gold-bearing ore. Although it was not as rich as gold finds in Canada and Australia, its consistency made it especially well-suited to industrial mining methods.

By 1898 Britain was again at war with the Boer republics in the Second Boer War, and this time the lure of gold was more than enough for Britain to commit the substantial troops required and keep them fighting, and bear all the cost including the loss of lives, over the three long years that it would take. Combatants British Empire Orange Free State South African Republic Commanders Sir Redvers Buller Lord Kitchener Lord Roberts Paul Kruger Louis Botha Koos de la Rey Martinus Steyn Christiaan de Wet Casualties 6,000 - 7,000 (A further ~14,000 from disease) 6,000 - 8,000 (Unknown number from disease) Civilians...

See also

• Anglo-Zulu War
• Military history of South Africa
• History of the British Army#South Africa
• Second Boer War

Combatants United Kingdom Zulu Nation Commanders Sir Bartle Frere, Frederick Augustus Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford Cetshwayo Strength 14,800 (6,400 Europeans 8,400 Natal Troops) 40,000 Casualties 1,727 killed, 256 wounded 8,250+ killed, 3,000+ wounded The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the... The military history of South Africa chronicles a vast time period and complex events from the dawn of history until the present time. ... The history of the British Army spans three centuries and numerous European, colonial and world wars. ... Combatants British Empire Orange Free State South African Republic Commanders Sir Redvers Buller Lord Kitchener Lord Roberts Paul Kruger Louis Botha Koos de la Rey Martinus Steyn Christiaan de Wet Casualties 6,000 - 7,000 (A further ~14,000 from disease) 6,000 - 8,000 (Unknown number from disease) Civilians...

References