JCH 2011 Volume 36 Issue 2

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Open Access
The A to Z of the Anglo-Boer War, Fransjohan Pretorius: book review
(Faculty of the Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Wessels, Andre
Abstract not available
Open Access
André Wessels, A century of postgraduate Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) studies: Masters’ and doctoral studies completed at universities in South Africa, in English-speaking countries and on the European Continent, 1908-2008: book review
(Faculty of the Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011-09) Ferreira, O. J. O.
Abstract not available
Open Access
Die Britse militêre strategie vir oorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899
(Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Wessels, André
On the eve of the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War on 11 October 1899, the British Army had no comprehensive strategy for the war in South Africa. In this article the reasons why no detailed strategic planning was done, are discussed. The limited strategic planning that was done is analysed, and it is pointed out that in the run-up to the war, British planning was influenced by geographic factors in the potential war zone, by the position of the Orange Free State (would that Boer republic side with the Transvaal or stay neutral?), and by matters pertaining to the defence of Natal and of the Cape Colony. Finally, it is indicated what line of advance was eventually decided upon; albeit that after Gen. Sir Redvers Buller had arrived in South Africa, he decided to deviate from the original plan.
Open Access
Die Britse militêre strategie vir oorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899
(Faculty of the Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Wessels, Andre
On the eve of the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War on 11 October 1899, the British Army had no comprehensive strategy for the war in South Africa. In this article the reasons why no detailed strategic planning was done, are discussed. The limited strategic planning that was done is analysed, and it is pointed out that in the run-up to the war, British planning was influenced by geographic factors in the potential war zone, by the position of the Orange Free State (would that Boer republic side with the Transvaal or stay neutral?), and by matters pertaining to the defence of Natal and of the Cape Colony. Finally, it is indicated what line of advance was eventually decided upon; albeit that after Gen. Sir Redvers Buller had arrived in South Africa, he decided to deviate from the original plan.
Open Access
Die Britse veroweringsaanspraak op die Oranje-Vrystaat, 1900
(Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) De Bruin, Jaco; Wessels, André; Henning, Johan
On 28 May 1900, Lord Roberts issued a proclamation (back-dated to 24 May 1900) stating that the Orange Free State (OFS) Boer republic was annexed as the Orange River Colony (ORC). This article deals with the British allegations that they had conquered the OFS, as early as the end of May 1900. It deals especially with the legality of these averments in the context of the law of nations. The opinions of a number of legal authorities are evaluated and applied to the situation prevailing in the OFS. Several other proclamations and opinions are also taken into consideration, as well as the events in the Brandwater Basin in July and August 1900, when a very significant number of the OFS forces in the field surrendered. The positions of and comments by General CR de Wet and President MT Steyn are evaluated, and the decisions handed down in a number of post-war court cases are considered. New light is shed on the legal status of the Boer representatives taking part in the negotiations leading up to the signing of the Peace of Vereeniging on 31 May 1902.
Open Access
Die Britse veroweringsaanspraak op die Oranje-Vrystaat, 1900
(Faculty of the Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011-09) De Bruin, Jaco; Wessels, Andre; Henning, Johan
On 28 May 1900, Lord Roberts issued a proclamation (back-dated to 24 May 1900) stating that the Orange Free State (OFS) Boer republic was annexed as the Orange River Colony (ORC). This article deals with the British allegations that they had conquered the OFS, as early as the end of May 1900. It deals especially with the legality of these averments in the context of the law of nations. The opinions of a number of legal authorities are evaluated and applied to the situation prevailing in the OFS. Several other proclamations and opinions are also taken into consideration, as well as the events in the Brandwater Basin in July and August 1900, when a very significant number of the OFS forces in the field surrendered. The positions of and comments by General CR de Wet and President MT Steyn are evaluated, and the decisions handed down in a number of post-war court cases are considered. New light is shed on the legal status of the Boer representatives taking part in the negotiations leading up to the signing of the Peace of Vereeniging on 31 May 1902.
Open Access
Die dagboek van 'n Boeremeisie in diens van die vyand – siekte en sorg in die Bethulie-kamp
(Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Pretorius, Engela; Krige, Daleen
The many published diaries kept by women in the concentration camps constitute an extraordinary aspect of the Anglo-Boer War. Undoubtedly, some diaries have only survived within families – like the one kept by Susara Johanna (Sarie) Roos. Armed conflict can be considered to be the antithesis of public health and, as such, it constitutes a health issue. Central to every war one finds the health care staff, and specifically the nurse, who has to deal with the physical, emotional and social consequences of the conflict. Sarie Roos, a young Boer woman, was employed by the British as a nurse in the Bethulie camp. In the main, her narrative deals with this role. This article aims to describe and analyse her experiences in this camp – one of the most devastating of its kind. During the course of her narrative, documented history comes to light, which serves to verify the reliability and authenticity of her diary. It does, however, also provide a somewhat different view of the events – from the perspective of a Boer woman employed by the enemy to serve her own people.
Open Access
Die dagboek van'n Boeremeisie in diens van die vyand-siekte en sorg in die Bethulie-kamp
(Faculty of the Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011-09) Pretorius, Engela; Krige, Daleen
The many published diaries kept by women in the concentration camps constitute an extraordinary aspect of the Anglo-Boer War. Undoubtedly, some diaries have only survived within families – like the one kept by Susara Johanna (Sarie) Roos. Armed conflict can be considered to be the antithesis of public health and, as such, it constitutes a health issue. Central to every war one finds the health care staff, and specifically the nurse, who has to deal with the physical, emotional and social consequences of the conflict. Sarie Roos, a young Boer woman, was employed by the British as a nurse in the Bethulie camp. In the main, her narrative deals with this role. This article aims to describe and analyse her experiences in this camp – one of the most devastating of its kind. During the course of her narrative, documented history comes to light, which serves to verify the reliability and authenticity of her diary. It does, however, also provide a somewhat different view of the events – from the perspective of a Boer woman employed by the enemy to serve her own people.
Open Access
Deneys Reitz se deelname aan die Anglo-Boereoorlog
(Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Calitz, Gerhard; Pretorius, Fransjohan
One of the most remarkable books on the Anglo-Boer War is Deneys Reitz’s Commando: A Boer journal of the Boer War (London, 1929). It is based on his memoirs written in 1903 in Dutch. This paper takes these two sources into consideration and tells the story of how Deneys Reitz joined the Pretoria Commando at the age of 17 and how he participated in all the phases of the war. It is not the story of an officer or a professional soldier, and it focuses on Reitz’s view of the war. It says very little of military strategy and tactics. The war is seen from his unique perspective. It provides reasons for the war, the way the Boers fought, their weaknesses, the horrors of battles, the Boers’ lack of discipline and the quality of some of their commanders. Reitz provides a description of the war that starts with the mobilisation of the Boer forces in September 1899, and continues with the siege of Ladysmith and all the battles that he participated in. It provides perspectives on what it was to be a guerrilla fighter, and on the shortage of ammunition, food, clothes, horses, etc. – in short, life on commando. The book is written in simple language, but it is extremely realistic and has become a classic in the literature of the Anglo-Boer War. The purpose of this article is therefore to provide a short overview of Reitz’s involvement in the Anglo-Boer War.
Open Access
Deneys Reitz se deelname aan die Anglo-Boereoorlog
(Faculty of the Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011-09) Calitz, Gerhard; Pretorius, Fransjohan
One of the most remarkable books on the Anglo-Boer War is Deneys Reitz’s Commando: A Boer journal of the Boer War (London, 1929). It is based on his memoirs written in 1903 in Dutch. This paper takes these two sources into consideration and tells the story of how Deneys Reitz joined the Pretoria Commando at the age of 17 and how he participated in all the phases of the war. It is not the story of an officer or a professional soldier, and it focuses on Reitz’s view of the war. It says very little of military strategy and tactics. The war is seen from his unique perspective. It provides reasons for the war, the way the Boers fought, their weaknesses, the horrors of battles, the Boers’ lack of discipline and the quality of some of their commanders. Reitz provides a description of the war that starts with the mobilisation of the Boer forces in September 1899, and continues with the siege of Ladysmith and all the battles that he participated in. It provides perspectives on what it was to be a guerrilla fighter, and on the shortage of ammunition, food, clothes, horses, etc. – in short, life on commando. The book is written in simple language, but it is extremely realistic and has become a classic in the literature of the Anglo-Boer War. The purpose of this article is therefore to provide a short overview of Reitz’s involvement in the Anglo-Boer War.
Open Access
Konsentrasiekampe vir swart vlugtelinge in die Heidelbergdistrik gedurende die Anglo-Boereoorlog
(Faculty of the Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Pretorius, Willem; Pretorius, Fransjohan
In the 1970s the phenomenon of black concentration camps in the Anglo-Boer War began receiving attention by historians. Despite the limited information available about the four black concentration camps in the Heidelberg district it is possible to form a picture of the experiences of the camp inhabitants, albeit with the assistance from official British documents – sources “from above”. Initially, the British authorities paid little attention to the black concentration camps. After the Native Refugee Department had taken over the control of the black concentration camps in June 1901, conditions improved. The establishment of black concentration camps was based on two principles, namely to ensure that sufficient labour was made available to the British army and to prevent black people from giving logistic or intelligence support to the Boer commandos. In the process the camps had to be self-sufficient. Large numbers of black men found employment in the army. On some of the deserted Boer farms blacks were agriculturally active, producing sufficient staple food for their own use. The poor health services in the black concentration camp at Heidelberg, where a high death rate occurred, improved to such an extent after June 1901 that there was a decrease in the number of deaths, making the death rate lower than that of the white concentration camp in the town.
Open Access
Konsentrasiekampe vir swart vlugtelinge in die Heidelbergdistrik gedurende die Anglo-Boereoorlog
(Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Pretorius, Willem; Pretorius, Fransjohan
In the 1970s the phenomenon of black concentration camps in the Anglo-Boer War began receiving attention by historians. Despite the limited information available about the four black concentration camps in the Heidelberg district it is possible to form a picture of the experiences of the camp inhabitants, albeit with the assistance from official British documents – sources “from above”. Initially, the British authorities paid little attention to the black concentration camps. After the Native Refugee Department had taken over the control of the black concentration camps in June 1901, conditions improved. The establishment of black concentration camps was based on two principles, namely to ensure that sufficient labour was made available to the British army and to prevent black people from giving logistic or intelligence support to the Boer commandos. In the process the camps had to be self-sufficient. Large numbers of black men found employment in the army. On some of the deserted Boer farms blacks were agriculturally active, producing sufficient staple food for their own use. The poor health services in the black concentration camp at Heidelberg, where a high death rate occurred, improved to such an extent after June 1901 that there was a decrease in the number of deaths, making the death rate lower than that of the white concentration camp in the town.
Open Access
'n Krygsteoretiese evaluering van die militêre optrede van generaal J.H. (Koos) de la Rey ter voorbereiding van en tydens die slag te Tweebosch-De Klipdrift, 7 Maart 1902
(Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Raath, Andries
In this article an assessment is made of the military operations of General JH de la Rey during his preparations for the conflict and the military tactics employed during the battle of Tweebosch-De Klipdrift. The application of the criteria for determining the relative success of war operations enables us to conclude that the outcome of the battle was due to a number of principles operating in De la Rey’s favour. De la Rey’s successful application of these principles enabled him to score a significant success at Tweebosch-De Klipdrift the speed with which he massed his men at the crucial points of the conflict; his ability to stick to the objective identified; his seizing of the initiative and maintaining it; the unity of command he maintained throughout; his ability to keep his plans clear and simple; the element of surprise operating in his favour, and the fact that he allocated and applied his forces economically.
Open Access
'n Krygsteoretiese evaluering van die militêre optrede van generaal JH (Koos) de la Rey ter voorbereiding van en tydens die slag te Tweebosch-De Klipdrift, 7 Maart 1902
(Faculty of the Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Raath, Andries
In this article an assessment is made of the military operations of General JH de la Rey during his preparations for the conflict and the military tactics employed during the battle of Tweebosch-De Klipdrift. The application of the criteria for determining the relative success of war operations enables us to conclude that the outcome of the battle was due to a number of principles operating in De la Rey’s favour. De la Rey’s successful application of these principles enabled him to score a significant success at Tweebosch-De Klipdrift the speed with which he massed his men at the crucial points of the conflict; his ability to stick to the objective identified; his seizing of the initiative and maintaining it; the unity of command he maintained throughout; his ability to keep his plans clear and simple; the element of surprise operating in his favour, and the fact that he allocated and applied his forces economically.
Open Access
Lessons from the Southern African wars: a counterinsurgency analysis
(Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Scholtz, Leopold
With the war in Afganistan still going strong, there is a considerable interest in the military profession for insight into counterinsurgency war. This article argues that the five Southern African counterinsurgency wars – the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902), the Portuguese colonial wars (1960-1974), the Rhodesian War (1965-1980), the Border War in Namibia (1968-1989) and the South African war against the ANC/SACP are valid illustrations of some of the rules being analysed in military literature nowadays. Mainly three lessons come out very strongly. One is the fact that counterinsurgency warfare is not about destroying an enemy army on the battlefield, but a struggle for the hearts and minds of the local population. The other is the role played by space – the smaller the geographical area to which the counterinsurgent can confine the insurgent, the better the chances for success. Last but not least, no counterinsurgency war can be truly won militarily. Politics will always be the deciding factor.
Open Access
Neerslag van die Anglo-Boereoolog (1899-1902) in die Portugese geskiedskrywing
(Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Ferreira, O. J. O.
This article traces how the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) was chronicled in Potuguese historiography. Considering that the Portuguese colony of Mozambique shared a border with the South African Republic (Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek – ZAR), and that Lourenço Marques was a strategic harbour during the war, Portugal was, unwillingly, involved in the conflict, directly and indirectly. King Carlos I and the Portuguese government were pro-British, but many Portuguese newspapers, intellectuals and ordinary citizens were pro-Boer. One could have expected that the war would feature fairly prominently in Portuguese historiography, but this is not the case. From 1899 to 1906, during and directly after the war, a few publications – most of which were pro-Boer – were published. However, three decades passed before studies about the war trickled through from 1936 to 1971 – probably as a result of the stormy political history being played out in Portugal during that period. Only since 1984 have sporadic scientific studies about the Anglo-Boer War been undertaken in Portuguese, but the centenary of the war (1999-2002) itself passed almost unnoticed in Portugal.
Open Access
Neerslag van die Anglo-Boereoolog (1899-1902) in die Portugese geskiedskrywing
(Faculty of the Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Ferreira, O. J. O.
This article traces how the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) was chronicled in Potuguese historiography. Considering that the Portuguese colony of Mozambique shared a border with the South African Republic (Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek – ZAR), and that Lourenço Marques was a strategic harbour during the war, Portugal was, unwillingly, involved in the conflict, directly and indirectly. King Carlos I and the Portuguese government were pro-British, but many Portuguese newspapers, intellectuals and ordinary citizens were pro-Boer. One could have expected that the war would feature fairly prominently in Portuguese historiography, but this is not the case. From 1899 to 1906, during and directly after the war, a few publications – most of which were pro-Boer – were published. However, three decades passed before studies about the war trickled through from 1936 to 1971 – probably as a result of the stormy political history being played out in Portugal during that period. Only since 1984 have sporadic scientific studies about the Anglo-Boer War been undertaken in Portuguese, but the centenary of the war (1999-2002) itself passed almost unnoticed in Portugal.
Open Access
The Orange Free State's strategy to continue the Anglo-Boer War in July 1900: a lost opportunity?
(Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) De Bruin, Jaco; Wessels, André; Henning, Johan
More than 4 000 Orange Free State (OFS) burghers, inclusive of their most senior officers, surrendered in the Brandwater Basin in the Eastern Orange Free State (OFS) during the period 30 July to 9 August 1900. It was a military catastrophe from which the OFS would never recover. This contribution endeavours to provide new perspectives on the events leading up to the surrender by evaluating the various strategic options considered by the OFS military command during July 1900 to continue the war. It appears that two basic strategies were considered. An analysis of these provides new insights into the confusion prevailing in the Brandwater Basin, as well as the lack of effective and decisive leadership, the contradictory decisions and the concomitant conflicting orders.
Open Access
The Orange Free State's strategy to continue the Anglo-Boer War in July 1900: a lost opportunity?
(Faculty of the Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011-09) De Bruin, Jaco; Wessels, Andre; Henning, Johan
More than 4 000 Orange Free State (OFS) burghers, inclusive of their most senior officers, surrendered in the Brandwater Basin in the Eastern Orange Free State (OFS) during the period 30 July to 9 August 1900. It was a military catastrophe from which the OFS would never recover. This contribution endeavours to provide new perspectives on the events leading up to the surrender by evaluating the various strategic options considered by the OFS military command during July 1900 to continue the war. It appears that two basic strategies were considered. An analysis of these provides new insights into the confusion prevailing in the Brandwater Basin, as well as the lack of effective and decisive leadership, the contradictory decisions and the concomitant conflicting orders.
Open Access
"The suspects are not to be treated as prisoners or convicts" - a labour camp for Africans associated with the Boer Commandoes during the Anglo-Boer War
(Faculty of the Humanities, University of the Free State, 2011) Wassermann, Johan
Over the past quarter of a century much has been written on African involvement in the Anglo-Boer War and on the imprisonment of civilians and military combatants during this conflict. Not mentioned in these writings is the labour camp created on the Bluff, Durban, for Africans suspected of collaborating with the Republican forces. In this institutional biography the rationale for the creation of the camp as well as life in it – from its creation in April 1900 to its closure in early 1902 – is investigated. The central argument of the article is that instead of treating captured Africans suspected of collaborating with the Boer commandoes as prisoners of war or as traitors guilty of high treason they were channelled to the Durban harbour to carry out forced labour on the breakwater. In the process, during a period of acute labour shortages, these suspects were central to the development of the Bluff wharfside.