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The Boer Wars (known in Afrikaans as Vryheidsoorloeë [lit. "freedom wars"]) were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Orange Free State and the South African Republic (Transvaal Republic).

First Anglo-Boer War

The First Anglo-Boer War (1880–1881), also known as the "Transvaal War," was a relatively brief conflict in which Boer (Descendants of Dutch settlers, translates as 'Farmer') successfully rebelled against British rule in the Transvaal, and re-established the independence that they lost in 1877 when the Boers fought the British in order to regain the independence they had given up to obtain British help against the Zulus.

Second Anglo-Boer War

The Second War (1899–1902), by contrast, was a lengthy war—involving large numbers of troops from many British possessions—which ended with the conversion of the Boer republics into British colonies (with a promise of limited self-government). These colonies later formed part of the Union of South Africa. The British fought directly against the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. The bloodshed that was seen during the war was alarming. Two main factors contributed to this. First, many of the British soldiers were physically unprepared for the environment and poorly trained for the tactical conditions they faced. As a result, British losses were high due to both disease and combat. Second, the policies of "scorched earth" and civilian internment (adopted by the British in response to the Boer guerrilla campaign) ravaged the civilian populations in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State.

Controversy and significance

Template:Image stack During the Second Boer War, the British Empire pursued the policy of rounding up and isolating the Boer civilian population into concentration camps,the first use of this horrendous evil by modern powers. The wives and children of Boer guerrillas were sent to these camps with poor hygiene and little food, although this was remedied to some extent as time went on. The death and suffering of the civilians, according to many scholars^[who?], is what broke the guerrillas' will. The "pacification" theory has been repeated many times in warfare since^{[citation needed]}. The inmates would often assassinate the informers and even those who surrendered to the British.

The Second Boer War was fought by the smallholders and others who had spent centuries in isolated farms without contact with close neighbors, much less the cities or the governments. The word 'commando' was first used there to describe the small guerilla squads which harried vastly superior numbers of British, Canadian, Australian and Kiwi troops. By the time the Empire was through decimating the population, there were nearly 500,000 men unsuccessfully seeking the remnants of the fighters. At times less than 100 patriots were harassing the British forces, wrecking trains(often the only transport through much of the territory), and causing havoc anywhere possible. This second Boer War, as Britain reacted to the rise of gold production in the region, from 1.5% to 10% of world production in 5 years, was a major turning point in British history, due to world reaction over the anti-insurgency tactics the British army used in the region. This led to a change in approach to foreign policy from the British Empire who now set about looking for more allies. To this end, the 1902 treaty with Japan in particular was a sign that the British Empire feared attack on its Far Eastern empire and saw this alliance as an opportunity to strengthen its stance in the Far East. This war led to a change from "splendid isolation" policy to a policy that involved looking for allies and improving world relations^{[citation needed]}. Later treaties with France ("Entente cordiale") and Russia, caused partially by the controversy surrounding the Boer War, were major factors in dictating how the battle lines were drawn during World War One.^{[citation needed]}

The Boer War also had other significance. The Army Medical Corps discovered that 40% of men called up for duty were physically unfit to fight. This was the first time in which the government was forced to take notice of how unfit the British Army was and this severe lack of physically-trained armed forces strengthened the call for the Liberal Reforms of the first decade of the twentieth century. Thus this was one of the prime reasons for the subsequent introduction of compulsory games and at least one hot meal in British schools^{[citation needed]}.

References

External links

Sources for the Study of Sheffield (UK) and the Boer Wars Produced by Sheffield City Council's Libraries and Archives.

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 |image3_cap = The burning of a Boer farm.
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-During the Second Boer War, the British Empire pursued the policy of rounding up and isolating the Boer civilian population into [[concentration camps]]. The wives and children of Boer guerrillas were sent to these camps with poor hygiene and little food, although this was remedied to some extent as time went on.  The death and suffering of the civilians, according to many scholars{{Who?|date=January 2011}}, is what broke the guerrillas' will. The "[[pacification]]" theory has been repeated many times in warfare since{{citation needed|date=January 2011}}.
+During the Second Boer War, the British Empire pursued the policy of rounding up and isolating the Boer civilian population into [[concentration camps]],the first use of this horrendous evil by modern powers. The wives and children of Boer guerrillas were sent to these camps with poor hygiene and little food, although this was remedied to some extent as time went on.  The death and suffering of the civilians, according to many scholars{{Who?|date=January 2011}}, is what broke the guerrillas' will. The "[[pacification]]" theory has been repeated many times in warfare since{{citation needed|date=January 2011}}. The inmates would often assassinate the informers and even those who surrendered to the British.
-The Second Boer War was a major turning point in British history, due to world reaction over the anti-insurgency tactics the British army used in the region. This led to a change in approach to foreign policy from the British Empire who now set about looking for more allies.  To this end, the 1902 treaty with [[Japan]] in particular was a sign that the British Empire feared attack on its Far Eastern empire and saw this alliance as an opportunity to strengthen its stance in the Far East. This war led to a change from "splendid isolation" policy to a policy that involved looking for allies and improving world relations{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}. Later treaties with [[France]] ("''[[Entente cordiale]]''") and [[Russia]], caused partially by the controversy surrounding the Boer War, were major factors in dictating how the battle lines were drawn during World War One.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}}
+The Second Boer War was fought by the smallholders and others who had spent centuries in isolated farms without contact with close neighbors, much less the cities or the governments. The word 'commando' was first used there to describe the small guerilla squads which harried vastly superior numbers of British, Canadian, Australian and Kiwi troops. By the time the Empire was through decimating the population, there were nearly 500,000 men unsuccessfully seeking the remnants of the fighters. At times less than 100 patriots were harassing the British forces, wrecking trains(often the only transport through much of the territory), and causing havoc anywhere possible. This second Boer War, as Britain reacted to the rise of gold production in the region, from 1.5% to 10% of world production in 5 years, was a major turning point in British history, due to world reaction over the anti-insurgency tactics the British army used in the region. This led to a change in approach to foreign policy from the British Empire who now set about looking for more allies.  To this end, the 1902 treaty with [[Japan]] in particular was a sign that the British Empire feared attack on its Far Eastern empire and saw this alliance as an opportunity to strengthen its stance in the Far East. This war led to a change from "splendid isolation" policy to a policy that involved looking for allies and improving world relations{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}. Later treaties with [[France]] ("''[[Entente cordiale]]''") and [[Russia]], caused partially by the controversy surrounding the Boer War, were major factors in dictating how the battle lines were drawn during World War One.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}}
-The Boer War also had another significance. The Army Medical Corps discovered that 40% of men called up for duty were physically unfit to fight. This was the first time in which the government was forced to take notice of how unfit the British Army was and this severe lack of  physically-trained armed forces strengthened the call for the Liberal Reforms of the first decade of the twentieth century.
+The Boer War also had other significance. The Army Medical Corps discovered that 40% of men called up for duty were physically unfit to fight. This was the first time in which the government was forced to take notice of how unfit the British Army was and this severe lack of  physically-trained armed forces strengthened the call for the Liberal Reforms of the first decade of the twentieth century.
 Thus this was one of the prime reasons for the subsequent introduction of compulsory games and at least one hot meal in British schools{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}.