The Battle of Majuba Hill

The Battle of Majuba Hill PDF Author: John Laband
Publisher: From Musket to Maxim 1815-1914
ISBN: 9781911512387
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The ignominious rout of a British force at the battle of Majuba on 27 February 1881 and the death of its commander, Major General Sir George Pomeroy-Colley, was the culminating British disaster in the humiliating Transvaal campaign of 1880-1881 in South Africa. For the victorious Boers who were rebelling against the British annexation of their republic in 1877, Majuba became the symbol of Afrikaner resistance against British imperialism. On the flip side, Majuba gave the late Victorian British army its first staggering experience of modern warfare and signalled the need for it to reassess its training and tactics. Based on both British and Boer archival and contemporary sources, this balanced and fresh appraisal of Majuba situates it in the closely interlocked operational and political contexts of the Transvaal campaign. It analyses the contrasting military organizations and cultures of the two sides and clarifies how a Boer citizen militia with no formal training, but that handled modern small arms with lethal effect and expertly employed fire and movement tactics, was able to defeat professional--but hidebound--British soldiers. The book explains how a British field commander, such as Colley, already subject to the factional politics of command, also found his conduct of military operations subject to the close supervision of his superiors in London at the other end of the telegraph wire. His strategic objective was to break through the Boer positions holding the passes between the colony of Natal and Transvaal and to relieve the scattered British garrisons blockaded by the Boers. However, his defeats at Laing's Nek on 28 January and at Ingogo on 8 February alarmed the British government already concerned that the war was stirring up dangerous anti-British Afrikaner nationalism across South Africa. It instructed Colley to cease operations and open peace negations with the Boers. But the general, a highly talented staff officer holding his first independent command, was determined to retrieve his tattered military reputation. He side-stepped his orders and, in an attempt to outflank the Boer positions and win the war at a stroke, seized Majuba with disastrous consequences. Although British reinforcements were now pouring in and the suppression of the Boer rebellion still seemed feasible, Majuba was the last straw for the British government. To the disgust of the military who burned to expunge the shame of Majuba with a resounding victory, the politicians insisted on restoring the Transvaal Boers their independence

The Battle of Majuba Hill

The Battle of Majuba Hill PDF Author: John Laband
Publisher: From Musket to Maxim 1815-1914
ISBN: 9781911512387
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
The ignominious rout of a British force at the battle of Majuba on 27 February 1881 and the death of its commander, Major General Sir George Pomeroy-Colley, was the culminating British disaster in the humiliating Transvaal campaign of 1880-1881 in South Africa. For the victorious Boers who were rebelling against the British annexation of their republic in 1877, Majuba became the symbol of Afrikaner resistance against British imperialism. On the flip side, Majuba gave the late Victorian British army its first staggering experience of modern warfare and signalled the need for it to reassess its training and tactics. Based on both British and Boer archival and contemporary sources, this balanced and fresh appraisal of Majuba situates it in the closely interlocked operational and political contexts of the Transvaal campaign. It analyses the contrasting military organizations and cultures of the two sides and clarifies how a Boer citizen militia with no formal training, but that handled modern small arms with lethal effect and expertly employed fire and movement tactics, was able to defeat professional--but hidebound--British soldiers. The book explains how a British field commander, such as Colley, already subject to the factional politics of command, also found his conduct of military operations subject to the close supervision of his superiors in London at the other end of the telegraph wire. His strategic objective was to break through the Boer positions holding the passes between the colony of Natal and Transvaal and to relieve the scattered British garrisons blockaded by the Boers. However, his defeats at Laing's Nek on 28 January and at Ingogo on 8 February alarmed the British government already concerned that the war was stirring up dangerous anti-British Afrikaner nationalism across South Africa. It instructed Colley to cease operations and open peace negations with the Boers. But the general, a highly talented staff officer holding his first independent command, was determined to retrieve his tattered military reputation. He side-stepped his orders and, in an attempt to outflank the Boer positions and win the war at a stroke, seized Majuba with disastrous consequences. Although British reinforcements were now pouring in and the suppression of the Boer rebellion still seemed feasible, Majuba was the last straw for the British government. To the disgust of the military who burned to expunge the shame of Majuba with a resounding victory, the politicians insisted on restoring the Transvaal Boers their independence

The Victorian soldier in Africa

The Victorian soldier in Africa PDF Author: Edward Spiers
Publisher: Manchester University Press
ISBN: 1847795463
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 339

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Book Description
This electronic version has been made available under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) open access license. The Victorian soldier in Africa re-examines the campaign experience of British soldiers in Africa during the period, 1874–1902 – the zenith of the Victorian imperial expansion – and does so from the perspective of the regimental soldier. The book utilises an unprecedented number of letters and diaries, written by regimental officers and other ranks, to allow soldiers to speak for themselves about their experience of colonial warfare. The sources demonstrate the adaptability of the British army in fighting in different climates, over demanding terrain and against a diverse array of enemies. They also uncover soldiers’ responses to army reforms of the era as well as the response to the introduction of new technologies of war. Moreover, the book provides commentary on soldiers’ views of commanding officers and politicians alongside assessment of war correspondents, colonial auxiliaries and African natives in their roles as bearers, allies and enemies. This book reveals new insights on imperial and racial attitudes within the army, on relations between soldiers and the media and the production of information and knowledge from frontline to homefront. It will make fascinating reading for students, academics and enthusiasts in imperial history, Victorian studies, military history and colonial warfare.

Majuba 1881

Majuba 1881 PDF Author: Ian Castle
Publisher: Greenwood
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 104

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Book Description
Britain entered the First Boer War against the Afrikaaner settlers in the Orange Free State and the Transvaal with complete confidence; yet within a matter of weeks the Boers had inflicted several reverses on the British Army, culminating in the humiliating defeat at Majuba Hill - a battle which sent echoes around the Empire.

Scottish Soldier and Empire, 1854-1902

Scottish Soldier and Empire, 1854-1902 PDF Author: Edward M. Spiers
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
ISBN: 074862726X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
The Scottish Soldier and Empire, 1854-1902 reflects upon the iconic role of the Scottish soldier as an empire builder from the Crimean War to the end of the nineteenth century. It examines how the soldier commented on this imperial experience, largely through letter, diaries and poems published in the provincial press, how his exploits were reviewed in Scotland and how military achievements contributed to both a growing sense of national identity and a deepening degree of imperial commitment.

Empire

Empire PDF Author: Niall Ferguson
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465013104
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 572

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Book Description
A bestselling historian shows how the British Empire created the modern world, in a book lauded as "a rattling good tale" (Wall Street Journal) and "popular history at its best" (Washington Post) The British Empire was the largest in all history: the nearest thing to global domination ever achieved. The world we know today is in large measure the product of Britain's Age of Empire. The global spread of capitalism, telecommunications, the English language, and institutions of representative government -- all these can be traced back to the extraordinary expansion of Britain's economy, population and culture from the seventeenth century until the mid-twentieth. On a vast and vividly colored canvas, Empire shows how the British Empire acted as midwife to modernity. Displaying the originality and rigor that have made Niall Ferguson one of the world's foremost historians, Empire is a dazzling tour de force -- a remarkable reappraisal of the prizes and pitfalls of global empire.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Library of Congress Subject Headings PDF Author: Library of Congress
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Subject headings, Library of Congress
Languages : en
Pages : 1368

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Book Description


Since Waterloo

Since Waterloo PDF Author: Robert Jones
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Europe
Languages : en
Pages : 362

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Book Description


The History of the Oxford Canning Club from 1861 to 1911

The History of the Oxford Canning Club from 1861 to 1911 PDF Author: University of Oxford. Canning Club
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Conservatism
Languages : en
Pages : 582

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Book Description


Leadership through Battles: Learning Leadership and Management through the Greatest Battles in History

Leadership through Battles: Learning Leadership and Management through the Greatest Battles in History PDF Author: Mohammad Nozari
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1483427374
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
Whether you manage or lead a startup, small company, or a large and established firm, you probably don't have time to wade through dozens of books to determine what history's greatest battles can teach you about running a business. Even if you had the time, you don't need to, because this guidebook to leadership does it for you. It's a short but precise narrative highlighting lessons from war, including how to: implement ideas and plans amid confusion; expand business into a new market or geographic area; prepare employees for tumultuous change; weaken and conquer adversaries. The guidebook highlights some of history's best and worst battlefield generals, including Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun, William the Duke of Normandy, Napoleon, George Washington, Col. George Armstrong Custer and many others. Their tactics reveal hundreds of memorable insights that will help you do what the great leaders did and avoid what doomed others.

The Story of My Captivity During the Transvaal War 1899-1900

The Story of My Captivity During the Transvaal War 1899-1900 PDF Author: Adrian Hofmeyr
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 364

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Book Description