What Were The Causes And Effects Of The South African War

In the second half of the 19th century, most African countries faced the aggression of the European imperialism. All African countries were colonized except for Ethiopia and Liberia. South Africa was one of the main countries that faced imperialism. The Boers, also known as the Dutch descendents or Dutch farmers, were the first to colonize South Africa in 1652. Later on, the British came and took Cape Colony from the Dutch in 1795. The British at first mainly wanted to colonize South Africa as it helps her to trade with India by its route. South Africa’s temperate climate, natural resources, and massive minerals attracted Europeans to take it over. Also, South Africa has a strategic geographical location as it’s located at the center of the

Although there was support for the Boer War from some political views, and support from the respective countries involved in the war for their country to succeed, I don’t think that there was an ‘overwhelming’ support. My view is backed up not only by the sources, but the view of many other people, including many left wing Liberals who shared the view that the Boer war was not only unjust, but morally wrong. An overwhelming support suggests a very great amount of people supporting the cause, which there was evidently not.

During the period of Apartheid in South Africa between 1948 and 1994 the reactions of the South African citizens towards the legal separation of races varied depending on race, ideals and time period. After gold and diamonds were fud inSouthAfrica both the dutch and British wanted the land to themselves, leading to the Boer War from which the Dutch farmers emerged victorious. Following the Boer War and the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the Dutch Boers gained control over the majority of the land in the previously British Cape Colony along with the settlements they had already built, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. Blacks in South Africa made up about eighty percent of the population but only lived on ten percent of

If you were Jewish or Japanese you were forced to go to the camps. When they were sent to camps, there were many disadvantages. Many of the Jewish and Japanese people had to start life all over again and once they had come back from surviving the camps they would have lost all communication with friends and family. Both races were also told to take whatever they can carry to the camps and to dispose the rest away. As stated in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, “‘I burned all my own wedding photos”’(Ford 74).

Food shortages were common in the camps. Many people went days without eating and black markets were set up everywhere during these times, inexpensively sold. The amount these camps has un-humanized some people is a tragic tale but the whole war beginning to end is another.

European imperialists often took interest in obtaining new foreign land because of economic consideration that resulted in negative outcomes. A great example of a common imperial activity place was the continent of Africa. Very few European countries had already held territory in it, and the actual people occupying it were surpluses of ethnic groups that could be easily overthrown. The real hidden secret in Africa, however, was the abundance of natural resources available there. The Boer War found not just two groups, but instead three separate nations competing for the financial benefits available down in South Africa. In a dispute to gain the large bulk of diamonds and gold there, the Dutch had to defend South Africa, which they gained control of hundreds of years ago. British powers had grown an interest in the chances to find monetary success by acquiring the rarities present there, and declared war on the Dutch who maintained the land. However, African indigenous groups had lived on these lands too, and found themselves getting involved in the war. The Boer War was

Imagine being pried away from your family. Not only that, but being left at the concentration camps, knowing that you are about to face the dreaded word “death”. Concentration camps broke people’s hearts and changed them forever. They had to encounter many terrifying and petrifying medical experiments. Alongside that, the so called “concentration camps” were basically almost becoming, or were, actual death camps. The things that they had to endure were heartbreaking and agonizing. They were starved from the moment that they got there until the end. If they were lucky, their concentration camp would’ve been liberated by the Allies. Most were not so lucky. During the Holocaust, many different concentration camps were built that were to change the lives of people forever.

being forced to ride in horse stalls like similar to slaves. Most families being torn apart and put into separate camps, thinking to never see them again. The prisoners could live there up to 4 years, including the children.

The lives of prisoners in the Holocaust was horrific due to Hitler’s rule. Between 1933-1945, there were thousands of people killed each day because of their religion and ethnic group. By the end of the Holocaust, over 6 million people had been murdered thanks to the Nazi soldiers running the concentration camps. Over the course of months, things continued to worsen and the death count increased daily. The soldiers were trained and experienced at killing which heightened the situation, considering they could kill more people than ever before. Many young children lost their chance of life because the soldiers killed everyone, no matter what age. Anyone, brought to a camp was either killed on the spot, or was worked to death by the soldiers.

In the 1830s, the British Government began to look to South Africa for the abundant gold and diamond in the area, as well as, with the hopes of gaining control of the most strategic port and route to trade with India. The British acted quickly, and started to take control of the cape of South Africa. In 1833, they emancipated the Afrikaners’ slaves, created more taxes, and auctioned off previously communal land. This caused great rage within the Boer community. The Boers were Dutch and Huguenot people that migrated to South Africa in the late 17th century (Great Trek). Starting in 1835, the Boers left their homeland with the goal of starting a new life free from British rule. The majority of the migrants left from the Eastern frontier of South

Imperialism caused more problems than progress due to the destabilization of existing African tribes through unnecessary conflict caused by Europeans. In 1877, Sir Henry Frere decided that the only way to gain total control over the South African area was to defeat the Zulus, who were bordering several independent Boer and tribal states (Herbert). While warfare between African tribes did exist, it was usually fought over matters such as land. The British however, entered Africa and attempted to destabilize a tribe to make seizing power over the area easier for them. The Anglo-Zulu War wouldn’t have been fought had the British not invaded Africa and instigated the Zulu tribe. Commandment S Bourquin wrote several journal entries detailing the

South Africa has diamonds and gold. The Boers settled in Africa long before the British came there to colonize. The Boers were Dutch and come over to Africa in 1652. The Boers and the British did not agree with British policies including land and slaves. The Boers had no where to go but north. Which later became known as the Great Trek. When they were heading north they got in fierce battles with the Zulu and many other African groups as they were attempting to take land. The Boers didn't want outsiders coming in when gold was discovered. The Boers did t want any of the people coming to seeks fortune to gain any political rights. People tried to rebel against the Boers and failed. The British were blamed, and the tension was greater than ever.

After the South Africans lost the Anglo-Zulu War, the British sent thousands of people to concentration camps. In these concentration camps, the natives were exposed to many diseases such as smallpox and measles. As a result, a great quantity of the population died. The British took advantage of their strength and hurt the natives. Additionally, the British separated white colonists from the natives during imperialism. They forced the natives to live in different communities from the Europeans, and the natives had less rights. The British perceived themselves as better than the native South Africans, so they practiced shameful racial policies in South Africa. Furthermore, the British economically abused the South Africans. While they were in South Africa, the British only cared about the gold mining industry, and they did anything to bolster their profit. Therefore, they often stole land from the natives without giving compensation. Britain profited greatly from the gold mining industry in South Africa, but they never shared their wealth with the natives. Essentially, the British stole wealth from the natives. Britain immorally took advantage of South Africa during imperialism.

     The South African Republic and the Orange Free Stated made an alliance. They then declared war on the British on October 12, 1899 because they were uncooperative with Kurger’s demands. The Afrikaner forces were successful in invading Natal and Cape Colony. In December the British commander in chief Sir Redvers H. Buller sent fresh troops to relieve the British forces in three war zones. These zones were Colenso, Natal, the hills of Magersfontein on the Orange Free State and Cape Colony borders, and the mountain range of Stormberge in the Cape Colony. Within a week, which is referred to as the Black Week by the British, each of the new units had been defeated by Afrikaner forces.

From the 17th century until the early 1900’s, European countries were fighting to get tracks of land across Africa. Although South Africa was unified by Great Britain in 1910, the African National Congress was formed two years later. It was only on Dec 11, 1931 after World War II when Britain gave South Africa its’ independence as a country. For the first sixty years after South Africa was claimed independent, white minority rulers dominated the country. South Africa is now an independent Nation but is still a member of the British Commonwealth.