ANGLO BOER WAR

1. ANGLO BOER WAR

2. REVIEW • 1896 CHAMBERLAIN PUSHES FOR IMPERIAL TIES (NOT PRESSED, PEACE) • 1897 EVENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA CAUSE HIM TO TRY AGAIN • LORD MINTO APPOINTED GG OF CANADA AND GENERAL HUTTON AS HEAD OF MILITIA • BOTH TO WORK TO INTEGRATE CLOSER IMPERIAL TIES • LAURIER WAS RELUCTANT TO ALLOW, BUT COULDN’T OPENLY REFUSE

3. COLONIAL SECRETARY JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN • COLONIAL SECRETARY WHO TRIED TO GET CANADA TO SIGN ON TO CLOSER COLONIAL TIES • HE TODAY WOULD BE BLAMED FOR THE BOER WAR

4. MAJOR GENERAL EDWARD HUTTON • BRITISH GENERAL WHO WAS PLACED IN CHARGE OF CANADIAN MILITIA • HIS INTERFERENCE LED TO HIS EVENTUAL DISMISSAL. HE WOULD LATER COMMAND THE AUSTRALIANS IN SOUTH AFRICA

5. 4TH EARL OF MINTO GG • GG LORD MINTO WHO ALSO LOBBIED HARD TO GET CDNS TO PARTICIPATE IN BOER WAR • HE TOO WOULD ACCELERATE LAURIER’S PLAN TO CURB BRITISH INVOLVEMENT IN CDN POLITICS

6. HUTTON CHANGING MILITIA ACT TO ALLOW FOR OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT OF MILITIA • IN SOUTH AFRICA EVENTS COMING TO A HEAD • TO UNDERSTAND THE WAR NEED TO GO BACK IN TIME

7. HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA • CAPE COLONY IS THE SOUTHERN MOST PART OF AFRICA • DUTCH WERE THE EARLIEST EUROPEANS TO SETTLE HERE • CONGRESS OF VIENNA GIVES TO BRITISH TO PROTECT HER SEA LANES TO EAST • THE BRITISH MOVE IN BUT ONLY INTERESTED IN EXTREME SOUTH, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE • THE DUTCH DO NOT LIKE LIVING UNDER BR SO MOVE

8. THE DESCENDANTS OF THE DUTCH KNOWN AS AFRIKANERS OR BOERS • MOVED BEYOND ORANGE RIVER INTO TWO AREAS; ORANGE FREE STATE AND THE TRANSVAAL • BRITISH NOT INTERESTED SO PEACE REIGNED • 1886 GOLD AND DIAMONDS DISCOVERED, SO NOW BR INTERESTED • BRITISH CITIZENS FROM CAPE COLONY RUSH TO TRANSVAAL AND OFS • DEMAND RIGHTS, BUT BOERS WORRIED ABOUT BR INTENTIONS SO REFUSE

9. CHAMBERLAIN LOOKING FOR CAUSUM BELLUM • DEMANDS ENFRANCHISEMENT IN OFS/TRANSVAAL (WILL VOTE TO JOIN CAPE COLONY) • PRES OF TRANSVAAL KRUGER REFUSES • BR SENDS NAVY OFF COAST AND MASSES MEN NEAR BORDER (GUN BOAT DIPLOMACY) • KRUGER GIVES 48 HRS TO BACK DOWN

10. AS WAR BREWING, CHAMBERLAIN GETS MINTO TO PRESSURE LAURIER TO OFFER SPONTANEOUS HELP TO EMPIRE • IN FACT MINTO AND HUTTON HAD DEVISED A CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR CANADIAN PARTICIPATION AND THEN LEAKED IT TO THE CANADIAN MILITARY GAZETTE • AS A RESULT THE BRITISH COLONIAL OFFICE TELEGRAMMED LAURIER THANKING HIM FOR THE OFFER OF TROOPS THAT HE DID NOT MAKE, NOR INTEND TO MAKE • THE BRITISH DID NOT REALLY WANT COLONIAL TROOPS FOR THE FIGHTING ABILITY, THEY WANTED THE TROOPS AS A TOKEN FORCE TO SHOW THAT THE EMPIRE WAS UNITED • THIS WOULD SCARE THE BOERS INTO SUBMITTING AND ALSO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE GERMAN EMPIRE AT THE SAME TIME

11. BR FELT BOERS WOULD BE CRUSHED • LAURIER DOES NOT WANT TO SEND TROOPS (WILL DIVIDE NATION FR VS ENGLISH) • CALLS WAR PETTY TRIBAL CONFLICT BRITISH ARE ALWAYS GETTING INTO • SAYS NO TO SENDING TROOPS • ENGLISH CANADA FUMES DEMANDS ACTION

12. POPULAR CDN CULTURE CALLS FOR ACTION TO HELP THE MOTHER COUNTRY • QUE RELATES TO BOERS, WHY FIGHT FOR BR? • NELLIE MCCLUNG CALLS FOR WAR, CHARLES G D ROBERTS, MOST OF ENGLISH CANADA • FRENCH (BOURASSA) DEMANDING NOT TO GO! HECKLER STORY • LAURIER LOOKS FOR COMPROMISE • ANYONE WHO WANTS TO GO CAN, (ALL VOLUNTEERS) CANADA WOULD EQUIP, PAY FOR MISSION, ONCE THERE BR WOULD COMMAND • CDNS WOULD FIGHT AS A UNIT WITH CANADA FLASHES (GROWING AUTONOMY) UNLIKE OTHERS

13. BR OFFERED TO PAY THE WHOLE COST, LAURIER REFUSED AND CANADA PAID THE 3 MILLION (AUTONOMY) • LAURIER USED ORDER IN COUNCIL TO AVOID DEBATE • LAURIER SAID ONE TIME SHOT, NOT A PRECEDENT • LAURIER HOPED ENGLISH CANADA WOULD BE OKAY AS HELPING, BUT ALSO FRENCH CANADA WOULD ACCEPT AS ONLY VOLUNTEERS • LAURIER HOPED TO GET 1000 MEN, BY END OF CONFLICT OVER 8000 GO AND FIGHT

14. TASK CHARGED TO NOVA SCOTIA MINISTER OF MILITIA FREDERICK BORDEN (ROBERT’S COUSIN) • FIRST TIME CANADIAN SOLDIERS FIGHT AS UNIT IN CDN UNIFORMS • MAJOR STEP FOR AUTONOMY • HEROES PROVIDE NATIONALISM

15. FREDERICK BORDEN • LESS FAMOUS THAN HIS CONSERVATIVE COUSIN, FREDERICK BORDEN WAS ALSO A VERY IMPORTANT CDN POLITICIAN • HIS OWN SON DIED IN SOUTH AFRICAN WAR

16. THE WAR ITSELF • BR THOUGHT THEY’D CRUSH THE DUTCH FARMERS • BOERS NEVER PUT MORE THAN 70,000 IN THE FIELD COMPARED TO BR 500,000 • BOERS FOUGHT IN COMMANDO FAMILY UNITS • DURING WAR 32,000 BOER POWS RANGING FROM 6-89 • THEY DIDN’T USE TRADITIONAL TACTICS • GUERRILLA STYLE WARFARE

17. BOERS HAD MODERN WEAPONS (FROM GERMANY WITH GOLD MONEY) • MAUSER RIFLE WAS SMOKELESS (CORDITE) FASTER, MORE ACCURATE (SNIPERS WHO BR COULDN’T FIND) • HEAVY ARTILLERY PURCHASED FROM FRANCE USED TO LAY SIEGE TO BR CITIES • BOERS ALL HUNTERS, SHARPSHOOTERS, USED TRENCHES, BARBED WIRE, PONIES, REVERSE SLOPE, SHOT OFFICERS ALL AGAINST WHAT BR EXPECTED • BR THOUGHT WAR WOULD BE OVER IN MONTHS, INSTEAD LASTED THREE YEARS

18. BOER COMMANDO FORCE ABOVE. TOP RIGHT SHOWS FRENCH 105 MM ARTILLERY GUN TO RIGHT MOUNTED BOER SOLDIER ON PONY

19. ITALIAN COMMANDO UNIT PICTURED ABOVE. MANY NATIONS SAW CITIZENS GO TO HELP THE BOERS. GER, FR, USA ALL HAD SOLDIERS FIGHTING ON THE VELDT MOST FAMOUS PHOTO OF BOER SOLDIERS. THREE GENERATION SHOT.

20. BOERS ACTUALLY TAKE THE WAR TO BR FORCES • SURROUND TOWNS, LAY SIEGE • DESTROY RWY TO PREVENT SUPPLIES • BOERS USED THEIR HOMES FOR RESUPPLY • BR NOT READY TO FIGHT MODERN WAR • CITIES WERE BESIEGED FOR MONTHS

21. MAFEKING • THE SIEGE OF MAFEKING WAS TO LAST 217 DAYS • THE BRITISH FORCES WERE COMMANDED BY THIS MAN • MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT BADEN-POWELL

22. CANADIANS ARRIVE • IN 1899 BR ACTUALLY LOSING WAR • FIRST CDN CONTINGENT ARRIVE DEC 1899 • ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT (RCR) TRAVEL ON A SINGLE VESSEL • 29 EXTRA STOWED AWAY TO GO • 4 WALKED FROM YUKON TO BC TO GET TO GO • RCR COMMANDER COLONEL OTTER (LOSER OF FROG LAKE BATTLE IN SECOND RIEL REBELLION)

23. REMEMBER OTTER FROM SASK? HAVING FAILED ONCE, HE WAS DETERMINED TO SUCCEED THIS TIME! HE WAS OFTEN MORE BRITISH THAN THE BRITISH AND A STICKLER FOR ALL MILITARY PROTOCOL

25. TO GET MEN USED TO SUN, ORDERED TO WEAR SHORTS AND SHORT SLEEVES AND SHOELESS ON BOAT. MANY SUNBURNED HORRIBLY • HAD TO SALUTE EVERY TIME SAW SUPERIOR OFFICER • CHARGED ONE SOLDIER FOR ASSAULTING SUPERIOR OFFICER • RCR BACKPAY WHEN LAND THEN GIVEN R AND R • THE SOLDIERS AFTER THE HARDSHIPS OF THE SAIL OVER IMMEDIATELY LET OFF SOME STEAM. • BRITISH AND SOUTH AFRICANS THOUGH CDNS RICH (AND DRUNKS)

26. OTTER OFFERED ACTION WITHIN A WEEK. 2IC CONVINCED NOT READY • LUCKILY MISS MAGERSFONTEIN WHERE BRITISH DESTROYED BY BOERS (DEC 11) • BOERS IN FRONT OF HILL WITH TRENCHES (UNLIKE USUAL REVERSE SLOPE) • BRITISH SHELLED TOP, DID LITTLE DAMAGE AND WHEN CHARGED SUFFERED HUGE CASUALTIES • FIRST USE OF BARBED WIRE CHANNELLED KILLING ZONES • BR DID NOT DO PROPER RECON (NO RESPECT FOR ENEMY) • 1000 BRITISH CASUALTIES. WORST DAY SINCE NAPOLEON. RECORD LASTED ONE WEEK

27. MAGERSFONTEIN HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY ON THE MARCH! BOTTOM LEFT IS THE BOER TRENCH LINE THAT DECIMATED THE HIGHLAND REGIMENT. THE CO OF THE REGIMENT WAS KILLED IN THE BATTLE Major General Andrew Wauchope

28. MAGERSFONTEIN WAS FOUGHT TO RELIEVE SIEGE OF LADYSMITH • FROM DEC 11-19 BR LOSE OVER 2000 MEN TO THE BOERS 25 (BLACK WEEK) • EFFORTS TO RELIEVE TOWN FUTILE AND CALLED OFF • BY TURN OF 1900 BR ON VERGE OF DEFEAT…WORLD KNOWS IT (KODAK) • BOER WAR FIRST FILMED WAR, IMAGES OF DEAD TOMMIES MAKING WAR UNPOPULAR

29. BR INF COULD NOT DEFEAT THE MOUNTED BOERS • BR SEND HEAVY CAVALRY (HORSES DIE OF THIRST) ENTIRE REGIMENT POW • NOW BR ASKED DOMINIONS FOR HELP • ASKED FOR DISMOUNTED INFANTRY • BASICALLY ROUGH MEN WHO KNEW HOW TO FIGHT, SHOOT, AND RIDE A HORSE • CDN WEST WAS GREAT PLACE TO FIND SUCH MEN

30. WHILE RCRs IN SOUTH AFRICA GUARD RWYS, SECOND CONTINGENT OF MOUNTED RIFLES LEAVE HFX JAN 1900 • THIS TIME BR NEED THE HELP, NOT SYMBOLIC • JAN 1900 BR ALSO FIRE GENERAL IN CHARGE, REPLACE WITH MAJOR GENERAL ROBERTS

31. GENERAL ROBERTS • NEW PLAN: DON’T FIGHT THE BOER BATTLE, MAKE THEM FIGHT YOURS • DON’T RELIEVE BESIEGED TOWNS, MARCH ACROSS VELDT TOWARD CAPITALS OF OFS AND TRANSVAAL AND FORCE THEM TO STOP YOU.

32. ROBERTS’ MARCH ACROSS VELDT LARGEST ARMED INVASION SINCE NAPOLEON’S INVASION OF RUSSIA • HE HANDPICKED RCRs TO GO WITH HIM • MEN CARRIED FORTY POUND KIT IN 114 DEGREE HEAT (SUFFERED HORRIBLY) • WORKED, BOERS FORCED TO WITHDRAW FROM SOME TOWNS TO PROTECT THEIR OWN CAPITALS • STILL BOERS USED HIT AND RUN TACTICS ATTACKING THE SUPPLY TRAINS • BR LOSE ONE THIRD OF WATER RATION TRAIN

33. BY END OF MARCH BR DRINKING FROM STAGNANT POOLS WITH FLOATING CORPSES IN THEM • ONE OF BEST BOER GENERALS WAS DE WET (ALL BOER GENERALS ELECTED) • GENERAL CRONJE RETREATS TO DEFEND APPROACHES TO BLOEMFONTEIN (CAPITAL OF OFS) • ROBERTS ENCIRCLES LAYS SIEGE • THIS WAS THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBURG AND RCRs WERE THERE • WHEN ROBERTS SICK LORD KITCHENER TAKES OVER AND ORDER DIRECT FRONTAL ASSAULT

34. CASUALTIES WERE HEAVY AND 21 CDNS DIE. FIRST TO DIE IN CDN UNIFORM • ROBERTS GETS BETTER, ORDERS ATTACK TO STOP, CONTINUES BARRAGE • BOERS TRAVELLED WITH FAMILIES, SO SURRENDER WAS DISCUSSED • DE WET TRIES TO PERSUADE CRONJE TO BREAK OUT, BUT MEN WORRIED THEIR FAMILIES WOULD BE HURT SO AT PAADERBURG 4,000 BOERS SURRENDER • THIS WAS THE FIRST MAJOR VICTORY FOR THE BRITISH, PRAISE WAS GIVEN TO RCRs BY ROBERTS, QUEEN VICTORIA, AND LAURIER (THEY LED FINAL CHARGE) COSTLY VICTORY THOUGH 1,270 BR CAS

35. PAARDEBURG BR FIELD HOSPITAL ABOVE. SURRENDER OF CRONJE BELOW TO ROBERTS PHOTO OF BOERS AND BRITISH AFTER BATTLE POW CAMP FOR BOERS ON ST HELENA ABOVE IS GENERAL CRONJE IN FRONT OF HIS COTTAGE PRISON ON ST HELENA

36. THE CONTINUING STRUGGLE • AFTER PAARDEBURG CDN TROOPS SEEN AS SHOCK TROOPS. REQUESTED BY MANY BR GENERALS • 2ND CONTINGENT ARRIVES. ROYAL CANADIAN ARTILLERY (RCA) AND ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED RIFLES • MEANWHILE IN CANADA 3RD CONTINGENT BEING RAISED • DONALD SMITH RAISING AT OWN EXPENSE • LORD STRATHCONA HORSE

37. LORD STRATHCONA (SMITH) PICKED NWMP OFFICER SAM STEELE TO LEAD THEM • HE HAND PICKED MEN OF NWMP TO GO • LORD MINTO THOUGHT LITTLE OF THEM ON PARADE, BUT THEY WERE GREAT ON THE FIELD • WHEN ARRIVED BR OFFICER ASKED WHY SUCH BIG MEN WERE CHOSEN…STEELE SAID THESE WERE SMALLEST CDNS HE COULD FIND

38. SAM STEELE TO THE LEFT. A BRITISH SOLDIER TO THE RIGHT IS ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE. IT IS BELIEVED THAT SOME OF THE LATER SHERLOCK HOLMES WORKS ARE BASED IN PART ON THE EXPLOITS OF SAM STEELE MEN OF THE LORD STRATHCONA HORSE RELAX DURING A BREAK IN THE FIGHTING NEAR CAPE TOWN

39. BOERS CONTINUE TO USE GUERRILLA WAR, BUT WITH SMALLER GROUPS • LEAD RAIDS, GET SUPPLIED FROM FARMS • BR NEED NEW TACTIC, TOTAL WAR • AFTER BLOEMFONTEIN BOERS CAPTURE WATER SUPPLY (ENTERIC FEVER KILLS MANY) • NATIVE BLACK POPULATION SUFFER HORRIBLY • BRITISH KICK THEM OUT OF CITY (RATIONS) BOERS FORCE THEM BACK IN

40. ROBERTS SIMPLY MARCHES TOWARD PRETORIA CAPITAL OF TRANSVAAL • BOERS FORCED TO ABANDON SIEGE TO RETAKE BLOEMFONTEIN AND OTHER CITIES • ON NEW MARCH RCRs AND MOUNTED RIFLES THERE • RCA HELPS RELIEVE SIEGE OF MAFEKING (TO HONOUR CDNS, PASSWORD ON DAY ONE OF FREEDOM IS CANADA) • CDNS BECOME EXPERT “FORAGERS” AND TRADERS • MOUNTED RIFLES ALSO USED AS LIVE BAIT TO FORCE BOERS INTO GIVING AWAY POSITIONS

41. BY OCT 1900 BR CONTROL ALL CITIES AND TOWNS, BUT VELDT STILL TEEMING WITH BOER COMMANDOS • PRETORIA FALLS, TRANSVAAL A COLONY (KRUGER IN EXILE IN SWITZERLAND WHERE HE DIES IN 1904) OF THE BRITISH, BUT THE BOERS FIGHT ON • TO END THE WAR THE BRITISH DECIDE TO DESTROY THE LIFELINE OF THE BOERS, THEIR HOMES • BY END OF 1900 NEW COMMANDER IN SOUTH AFRICA, AND THIS WAS HIS PLAN

42. LORD KITCHENER IN COMMAND • AS WAR DRAGGING ON ROBERTS RESIGNS, REPLACED BY KITCHENER • HE DECIDES ON TOTAL WAR • CONCENTRATION CAMPS FOR FAMILIES OF BOERS (DEPRIVES BOERS OF SUPPLIES, SHELTER, FOOD, AND FAMILIES) HOPE THAT BOERS WOULD SURRENDER • OVER 50,000 FARMS DESTROYED DURING WAR • 3.5 MILLION SHEEP SLAUGHTERED OVER A MILLION CATTLE, A MILLION AND A HALF HORSES DIED

44. CDNS DID PARTICIPATE IN THIS CAMPAIGN • JAN 1901 VICTORIA DIES, CDNS GOING HOME • NEW KING PRAISES THEM ON RETURN JOURNEY • NO CDNS FOR MOST OF 1901 • 1902 FOURTH CONTINGENT (RETURNEES MOSTLY) ARRIVE FOR FINAL YEAR • MAY 1902 FINAL 12,000 BOERS SURRENDER • DID SO TO END SUFFERING OF THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE CAMPS • BY END OF WAR 22,000 BR DIE (MOSTLY OF DISEASE)

45. ONLY 4,000 BOER SOLDIERS DIED • HOWEVER IN THE 44 CAMPS 28,000 BOER WOMEN AND CHILDREN STARVED OR DIED OF DISEASE • A FURTHER 30,000 BLACKS DIED IN THE CAMPS • THE WORLD CONDEMNED, GERMANY, UNITED STATES, POPE • AFTER WAR BRITISH TRY TO FIX THEIR REPUTATION BY SENDING NURSES, TEACHERS, DOCTORS ETC • MANY OF THESE CAME FROM CANADA

46. BRITISH HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST EMILY HOBHOUSE IS THE ONE WHO BROKE NEWS OF THE CAMPS • KITCHENER REFERRED TO HER AS THAT BLOODY WOMAN! AND ORDERED HER PREVENTED FROM COMING TO SOUTH AFRICA • STILL HER EFFORTS SAVED THOUSANDS AND TO THE SOUTH AFRICANS SHE WAS THE ANGEL OF MERCY • WHEN SHE DIED IN 1926 HER ASHES WERE PLACED IN THE BASE OF THE MONUMENT TO THE CIVILIANS WHO DIED IN THE WAR CAMPS

47. EMILY HOBHOUSE AND THE MONUMENT IN BLOEMFONTEIN

48. AFTER THE WAR • BRITISH STUDY WHAT WENT WRONG • PRAISE COLONIAL TROOPS ESPECIALLY THE CDNS • SAY BR ARMY MUST ADAPT TO MODERN WARFARE (THE DON’T) • WAR FOSTERED CDN NATIONALISM • WAR HEROES, UNITS ETC • SPLITS LIBERAL PARTY, HENRI BOURASSA LEAVES LIBERALS SPOKE AGAINST THE WAR THE WHOLE TIME • HECKLER STORY

49. QUEBEC SAYS CANADA FOUGHT BRITAIN’S WAR • BOURASSA WILL BECOME A HUGE SPUR IN THE SIDE OF LAURIER • IN THE END THE BR FINALLY DO WIN THE BOER WAR. TAKES 3 YEARS OF STRUGGLE • THE WAR WAS A STEPPING STONE FOR CANADIAN INDEPENDENCE IN MANY WAYS. • WE FOUGHT BUT AS CANADIANS, WE EARNED REPUTATION WITHOUT LONG TERM COMMITMENTS, AND AS A RESULT OF THE INTERFERENCE OF HUTTON, LAURIER HAD HIM RECALLED BY BRITAIN DESPITE THE EFFORTS OF MINTO AND CHAMBERLAIN TO KEEP HIM IN CANADA.

50. FOR THE BOERS IT WAS IRONIC THEY LOST THEIR WAR OF INDEPENDENCE YET IN END WON • 1907 TRANSVAAL AND ORANGE FREE STATE GIVEN AUTONOMOUS STATUS BY BRITAIN • 1910 UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA ESTABLISHED WITH BOTHA AS LEADER • HE WAS ONE OF THE LEADING GENERALS OF THE BOERS DURING THE WAR