Boer War, First (1880-1). The war arose from rivalry between Britain's claim to be the paramount power in southern Africa and the desire of the Boers (descendants of Dutch settlers) for autonomy. Britain recognized the independence of the two Boer republics, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal Republic, in 1852 and 1854 respectively, expecting to annex both peacefully in due course.
In June 1877, the bankrupt Transvaal was indeed peacefully annexed by Britain. In 1880 Wolseley was succeeded as governor of Natal (also responsible for the Transvaal) by Maj Gen Sir George Colley. The Transvaal Boers under Paul Kruger petitioned London for the restoration of their independence, and when this was refused they declared a republic once more on 16 December. The Orange Free State remained neutral throughout the war. Under the ‘commando’ military system the Transvaal fielded about 7, 000 irregular mounted riflemen with no artillery, against about half that number of British regulars plus local volunteers.
The fighting began with the wiping out of a British column on 20 December at Bronkhorstspruit, south of Pretoria, in an ambush led by Gen ‘Piet’ Joubert. Most of the 1, 800 British troops in the Transvaal were scattered in small forts, all of which were attacked or besieged but none captured. The government in London sent reinforcements while simultaneously negotiating for a settlement, and failed to provide Colley with clear orders. He in turn, although particularly lacking regular cavalry and artillery, advanced with about 1, 000 regulars and local volunteers into the pass at Laing's Nek, the frontier between Natal and the Transvaal. Colley failed to open this route with a frontal attack on twice his number of Boers on 28 January, followed by the failure of a further attack with 300 men at the battle of Ingogo river on 8 February.
On 26 February, Colley led 350 men in a night march to capture Majuba Hill, which dominated the pass below. Under heavy Boer covering fire, Joubert sent 180 men in small parties up onto the hill, where their superior marksmanship caused a British rout. Colley was killed, and almost his entire force was wiped out. Now London sent significant reinforcements under Roberts, while authorizing Colley's replacement, Maj Gen Evelyn Wood, to negotiate an armistice. This was agreed on 21 March, before Roberts's force reached Cape Town. Peace was concluded by the Pretoria Convention in August, restoring independence to the Transvaal with a nod to British sovereignty. Even that was removed in the further London Convention of 1884, at which the Transvaal changed its name to the South African Republic.
Bibliography
- Bond, Brian, ‘The South African War 1880-1881’, in Bond (ed.), Victorian Military Campaigns (London, 1967; repr. 1994).
- Lehmann, Joseph, The First Boer War (London, 1972)
— Stephen Badsey
