Second Boer War

Second Boer War

1. Causes of the war

   • STRATEGIC
     • Interest in expanding the empire
     • Route to India and other parts of the empire
     • Didn't want Boers join territories with German possessions nearby
   • Gold
     • Attractive to British miners
     • Discovery of gold for the Boers worried the British
   • Uitlanders (British foreigners denied the vote)

2. Main events of the war

   • October 1899-January 1900
     • 12th October 1899 - British troop declared war. Britain suffered humiliating defeats
   • February 1900 - June 1900
     • Managed to break areas captured by Boers. Capitals were taken by the British.
   • late 1900 and 1901
     • Boers fought with Guerilla warfare, attacking railways and supplies. Britain established concentration camps. Traansval and Orange Free State become British Empire

3. Propanganda

   • Newspapers were mainly supportive of the war apart from Manchester Guardian
   • War correspondents were mainly supportive of the war. However did report failures.
     • Generally uncritical and sometimes false information. E.g. British heroic and Boers cruel
     • Churchill was pro-war but gave honest accounts
   • Army and the press
     • First war to have official censorships

4. Supporters (green) and opponents (red)

   • Politicians
     • Conservative party that were in power
     • Liberal Imperialists
     • Section of Liberal Party like David Lloyd George and leader of that party
   • Newspapers
     • Majority of paper
     • Manchester Guardian and Daily News after 1901
   • Public
     • 1900 'Khaki election' - Tory government
     • Support for war charities and in London + Birmingham
     • Middle classes
     • Bristol reacted + to David Lloyd Georges speech
     • Irish Nationalists
     • 1906 election gave Liberals power

5. British Empire

   • Support
     • Patriotic + pro-empire songs and poems were created
     • Union Jack sparked patriotism
     • Scouts were established
   • Critiscm
     • Claimed to only benefit the wealthy + not National Interest
   • Debate on national efficiency
     • Some argued Britain struggled
     • Problems with recruitment
     • Poor health and physical conditions
     • High poverty meant that Britain would struggle to defend themselves

6. Nature of the conflict

   • Britain declared they won in 1900, but Boers continued with Guerilla warfare
   • Concentration camps
     • Housed Boer women + black Africans
     • Poor organisation + supplies = inadequate sanitation + medical provision = diseases
     • Overcrowding
     • Black Africans were segregated + received less food and medical care
     • Children also suffered

7. Reforms

   • Army reforms
     • Esher's reforms:
       • Improvement to organisation, better defined roles
         • Improved training and proffessionalism
           • More + improved bases e.g. Salisbury
             • New and improved weapons
     • Haldane's reforms
       • British Expeditionary Force (BEF)
         • (Permanent, battle ready, fighting force
         • Organisation of Territorial Army improved and strengthened
     • Made British Army more effective and efficient
   • Social reforms
     • Liberal Reforms (1906-14)
       • Designed to improve health + well being of poorest
       • Free School Meals Act (1906)
         • National Insurance Act (1911)
           • Restrict exploitation of workers
             • Medical checks for school children