The Boer War: A Struggle for South Africa's Independence

The Boer War (1899-1902) was fought between the British Empire and two Boer states over South Africa's independence and control of rich resources. It was a clash of guerrilla warfare and imperialism.

Before the war, two independent Boer republics existed: the South African Republic and the Orange Free State. Boers were descendants of Dutch settlers, fiercely protective of their autonomy against British influence.

The discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in 1886 transformed the regional dynamics. The influx of British miners caused tensions, leading to the Jameson Raid and ultimately the war.

Famous sieges at Ladysmith, Mafeking, and Kimberley marked the war's conventional phase. The Boers then turned to guerrilla tactics, prompting a harsh British response including scorched earth policy and concentration camps.

British established the first modern concentration camps where over 26,000 Boer women and children died due to poor conditions. This created an international outcry and shaped wartime humanitarian policies.

The war saw the use of military technologies like the magazine-fed rifle and saw one of the earliest uses of trench warfare. It also led to the establishment of the British Army Veterinary Corps.

Post-war, the Treaty of Vereeniging established peace and annexed the Boer republics into the British Empire. In 1910, they united to form the Union of South Africa, a British dominion.