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125 Years Ago in South Africa

Diamonds are discovered in the Boer settled regions of South Africa in 1867. This, along with other reasons, result in more British pressure to expand north from the Cape colony. The British in South Africa provoke a war against the Zulu empire. The Zulus under king Cetshwayo defeat the British at the battle of Islandhlwana, in 1878, but are in turn defeated in a series of battles in 1879, resulting in the burning of the royal capital Ulundi. With the elimination of the Zulu threat, the British led by Cecil Rhodes (1853- 1902), who became rich from the South African gold and diamond fields, occupy Bechuanaland in 1885, followed by Rhodesia in 1888. Britain also took Kenya in 1886 and Uganda in 1896. The 1896-97 Matabele revolt is defeated with difficulty.

The two independent Boer Republics (the Transvaal established in 1842, and the Orange Free State, free from British rule in 1853), come under British pressure again.

Rhodes, who wants control of the gold fields here, in particular leads the drive for their annexation. The first Anglo-Boer war is fought in 1880 but is indecisive. Rhodes sponsors the Jameson Raid in 1895-96 in an attempt to overthrow the Transvaal government, but the raid is defeated.

Finally, the second Anglo-Boer war breaks out in 1899. This is a major war fought to the finish. The Boer armies, outnumbered by at least 250,000 to 40,000, cannot win fighting a regular war, and are forced to fight guerrilla style. The Boer armies are divided into small, but fast moving units called commandos, making hit-and-run raids.

The word in use today, "commandos", for highly trained military forces using sneak attacks and sabotage, comes from the Boer war. The British regular army, in turn, cannot catch and destroy the Boer commandos, and they introduce the concentration camp. Boer farms were burnt down so the commandos would have no more food, and the women and children were moved to ("concentrated" in) central camps--hence, the term concentration camps. Sanitary conditions were poor and the camps were crowded resulting in epidemics which killed thousands. The Boers were finally worn down through these tactics and forced to make peace in 1902. In 1910, the colonies of the Cape and Natal, plus the two former Boer republics are joined together into the Union of South Africa, which, like Canada, is given dominion status.

In 1896, the French establish a "protectorate" on Madagascar. A protectorate usually meant the nation or region in question remained independent under the protection of a major power. Outside of Europe, the only major colonial powers were the United States and Japan. In reality, a protectorate was just another kind of colony.

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