What are the main Historiographical issues concerning the Boer War?

Question

I am looking specifically for themes that relate to the British Empire, and even mroe specifically how it impacted Britain, and British people.

Answer 1

IMHO, the main historiographical issues are: the causes of the war, and the long-term implications for the Empire; specifically, did the British forces inability to achieve decisive victory over the Boer forces have long-term effect on the British peoples' perception of the viability of the empire?

Answer 2

The southern part of the African continent was dominated in the 19th century by a set of epic struggles to create within it a single unified state. The British attempt to annex Transvaal in 1880, and the Transvaal and the Orange Free State in 1899 (leading to the Second Boer War), was their biggest incursion into southern Africa, but there were others. In 1868, the British annexed Basutoland in the Drakensberg Mountains (modern Lesotho, surrounded by Transvaal, the Orange Free State and Natal) following an appeal from Moshesh, the leader of a mixed group of African refugees from the Zulu wars, who sought British protection against both the Boers and the Zulus. In the 1880s, Bechuanaland (modern Botswana, located north of the Orange River) became the object of dispute between the Germans to the west, the Boers to the east, and the British in the Cape Colony to the south. Although Bechuanaland had no economic value, the "Missionaries Road" passed through it towards territory farther north. After the Germans annexed Damaraland and Namaqualand (modern Namibia) in 1884, the British annexed Bechuanaland in 1885.

After 1806, following the British annexation of the Cape, the British had gradually extended their control along the coast to the east. Certain Boers resented British rule, even though British control brought some economic benefits. There were successive waves of migrations of Boer farmers (known as Trekboer), first towards Natal, which the British annexed in 1845, then towards the interior establishing Orange Free State and eventually the region that came to be known as Transvaal - literally "beyond the Vaal River," a tributary of the Orange River.

The British did not try to stop Boers from moving away from the Cape and into the interior, since it reduced friction in their own territory. Subsequently, the British ratified the outcome in a pair of treaties: the Sand River Convention of 1852 which recognized the independence of Transvaal, and the Bloemfontein Convention of 1854 which recognized the independence of the Orange Free State.

Tensions remained, however, between the Boers who remained behind in Cape Colony and the British administration. Some British living in Cape Colony even joined the Boers in their resentment of the "imperial factor"- i.e. perceived meddling by London in local affairs. The discovery of diamonds in 1867 near the Vaal River, some 550 miles northeast of Capetown, ended the isolation of the Boers in the interior and changed South African history. The discovery triggered a "diamond rush" that attracted people from all over the world and turned Kimberley into a town of 50,000 within five years. The tension increased even further in the 1870s when the British annexed West Griqualand, site of the Kimberley

Answer 3

It had a little to do with the gold, but without knowing how much of it there was no government would have gone to the expense of an overseas war followed by plans for administration of the new possession, just for that. Besides, gold in the British empire tended to enrich individuals, not governments. South Africa was of enormous strategic importance for its ports which were used by British ships on their way to Australia and New Zealand and a number of other places....They could refuel and restock in south Africa; their was food enough and civilisation enough for the British to keep part of their navy there; protecting the routes to other parts of the empire and to trading nations.At the same time there were people in Britain urging the growth of empire as a political necessity and a number of private interests lobbying for what they hoped would be profitable to them in the near future but it was mostly about ensuring the protection of British naval routes and supply stations..it often helps explain the history if you take a look at the geography.

Answer 4

The Boere did no longer leave because of the fact slavery became into abolished, they did no longer even very own slaves, the Cape Dutch did! Slavery became into additionally unlawful interior the Boer republics. finally, the British additionally stored Indian slaves in Natal, they only named them "indentured servants". And the girls human beings and little ones have been starved if their men did no longer renounce. If that got here approximately right this moment, they could be tried for conflict crimes! The Boer who suggested the camps, did no longer propose it to wreck human beings, he pleaded the British to a minimum of help the girls human beings and little ones if the British burned down their properties. The British used the camps to starve human beings (the two Boer and local women human beings and little ones. finally, the reason greater non-whites sided with the British became into because of the fact there became into basically greater non-whites residing among the British colonies. The non-whites who lived with the Boere fought with the Boere, the non-whites residing with the English fought with them. At no element did the "choose" to combat with one over the different. What with regard to the British who fought many quite a few wars with the Xhosas and Zulus? Are they to no longer be suggested? finally, the British did no longer care with regard to the Uitlanders. the 2nd the conflict broke out, many uitlanders joined the Boere. They knew that the British could grab the mines for themselves and a minimum of the Boere allowed them get right of entry to to the mines (Albeit with tax). confident, the Boere quite had their faults. And it became into by no potential an excuse to do to others what got here approximately to them. yet finally undergo in innovations this: The British began racial segregation in SA. They issued the common bypass regulations Act that divided human beings. The Boere basically renamed it in Afrikaans: Apartheid.

Answer 5

There was a lot of minerals, including gold in South Africa at the time. Britain wanted a piece of it. Also the strategical position of South Africa was a major contribution to Britains wish to colonise it.

Answer 6

It's the war in which the British Army invented the most vile form of imprisonment - The Concetration Camp.

Answer 7

There are many ways of finding the infomation you want, and I have included the links you will need to help you. Of course, in addition to this, you can also use the resources at your local library, they are only too happy to help you with your searches and queries.

http://uk.search.yahoo.com/web


http://vos.ucsb.edu/index.asp

http://www.geocities.com/athens/troy/886...

http://www.studentresearcher.com/search/...

http://www.chacha.com/