Second Boer WarC aim – to analyse why the Second Boer War happened and explain its course of events

B aim – to analyse why the Second Boer War happened, explain its course of events and what impact it had on British public opinion

A aim – to analyse why the Second Boer War happened, explain its course of events and what impact it had on British public and political opinion

Where, when, and why is this

dinner party occurring?

Who are the men in the

photograph?

• At the end of the first Boer war the Pretoria Convention had been signed. This stated that the Boers could have self-government as long as they accepted the Queen’s nominal rule, British control over external relations, African affairs and native districts. It led to the British troops being withdrawn.

• 5 years later Witwatersrand, near Pretoria, was discovered to contain vast gold deposits

• After the Jameson Raid the Orange Free State and the Transvaal drew up a military pact. Kruger equipped the Transvaal army. Kruger was encouraged by his triumph by defeating the Jameson Raid.

• The problem of keeping Uitlanders happy whilst keeping the Transvaal independent rumbled on. This was used as a pretext for war. Salisbury decided to go to war as he believed the British had an obligation to British South Africans and he didn’t want a Dutch South Africa to come into being as he thought it would damage British imperial prestige.

• In 1899 negotitations broke down at the Bloemfontein conference. Chamberlain demanded that British citizens should have full equality or they would invade. Chamberlain hoped it would force them back to the negotiation table, Milner hoped it would start a war. Kruger in return demanded that the British withdraw all their troops or he would declare war. Nobody took the Boer army seriously.

How would you weight your cake for why the

Boer War began?

In your pairs list as many factors for the Second Boer War as you can think of.

• There were 3 main phases to the war – Phase 1 Oct 1899-Jan 1900 – The Boers

invaded the Cape Colony and Natal and beseiged Ladysmith, Kimberely and Mafeking. The British tried to relive these sieges and failed.

– Phase 2 Jan-Sept1900 – The British got reinforcements and relived the sieges and fought the main Boer army. After a mixture of defeats and triumphs the Boers realised that the British were superior and retreated. The defeat of the siege of Mafeking met great celebration in Britain as it seemed that the British had won.

– Phase 3 – Sep 1900-May 1902 – The Boers retreated to their local areas and formed guerrilla groups with the sole instructions of to attack the British to cause great harm and quickly so they couldn’t get reinforcements quickly enough. A guerrilla war began where the Boers virtually took control whenever the main British army left. The Boers attacked railways and other supply routes.

Label your map with each event

Who are these men? Annotate their military strengths and weaknesses.

Who are these men? Annotate their military strengths and weaknesses.

• Scorched Earth Policy – What was it? • Why did it happen? What happened to the

Boers and Africans who lived there?

• Concentration camps1. Why were they established? 2. What were they like? 3. What did people think of them?

Second Boer WarC aim – to analyse why the Second Boer War happened and explain its course of events

B aim – to analyse why the Second Boer War happened, explain its course of events and what impact it had on British public opinion

A aim – to analyse why the Second Boer War happened, explain its course of events and what impact it had on British public and political opinion

1899 1902 C – annotate this timeline with an explanation of events of the Second Boer

War (e.g. Why they happened) B - annotate this timeline with an

explanation of events of the Second Boer War (e.g. Why they happened) and how

they would affect public opinion of colonisation

A -annotate this timeline with an explanation of events of the Second Boer War (e.g. Why they happened) and how

they would affect public and political opinion of colonisation

Homework – Due Monday 2nd December

• How far do you agree that the protection of Uitlander rights in the Boer republics was the trigger rather than the fundamental cause of the Second Boer War in 1899?

• How is this question different to ones you have done before?

• Use your classwork to include detailed evidence