The Boer War 1899-1902

Victorious in its previous campaigns in Africa against native armies, Britain now confronted an altogether different foe. The Boers proved to be formidable opponents, masterfully compensating for inferior numbers with grim determination, resourcefulness and strong religious faith. Their mobility, expert use of cover, and knowledge of the terrain, in which they employed powerful long-range magazine rifles, gave them initial advantages. By contrast the British suffered from inadequate transport, insufficient mounted troops and poor intelligence. Despite marshalling the immense resources of their empire, the British were to be severely tested in a war which one general described as ‘the graveyard of many a soldier’s reputation’.

Victorious in its previous campaigns in Africa against native armies, Britain now confronted an altogether different foe. The Boers proved to be formidable opponents, masterfully compensating for inferior numbers with grim determination, resourcefulness and strong religious faith. Their mobility, expert use of cover, and knowledge of the terrain, in which they employed powerful long-range magazine rifles, gave them initial advantages. By contrast the British suffered from inadequate transport, insufficient mounted troops and poor intelligence. Despite marshalling the immense resources of their empire, the British were to be severely tested in a war which one general described as ‘the graveyard of many a soldier’s reputation’.

GREGORY FREMONT-BARNES holds degrees in history from the University of California, Berkeley (BA), the University of Chicago (MA) and the University of Oxford (D. Phil.). From 1993 to 2002 he lectured in British and American history in Japan, principally at Kobe University. He is the author of The French Revolutionary Wars (2001), The Peninsular War (2002), and The Fall of the French Empire, 1813-1815 (2002). He is currently co-editing the four-volume Encyclopedia of the American Revolutionary War.