To (1899 – 1902) Lie Essay Example

launch an attack against them in the first Boer war (1881). This conflict arose when Britain refused to restore independence to the Boer republic after their victory in the Zulu war. After being defeated by the Boers, Britain agreed to partially restore their independence.

In 1882 and 1884, two agreements were signed which contained two conditions: Britain would oversee foreign policy and retained the right to intervene in certain domestic matters. The dispute between the Transvaal and British government after the first Anglo-Boer war centered around the interpretation of these treaty terms. The war was sparked by a disagreement over voting rights for European immigrants who worked in the South African gold and diamond mines. The British government wanted the Boer republic to grant full citizenship rights to the 41,000 mainly British immigrant settlers, known as Uitlanders. However, Transvaal President Paul Kruger believed that the Uitlander issue was a means by which Britain hoped to remove the independence of the Boer republics.

The prospect of the Uitlanders receiving full voting rights was something that the independent Boers could not tolerate, as it would have eventually allowed them to elect their own government. Kruger remained convinced throughout the crisis that the British government would not give in on the issue. The Uitlander dispute was the tipping point in a longstanding conflict between the Anglo-Boer. Alongside disagreement over British rights in the Transvaal was an economic dimension, with the discovery of gold in the region in the late 19th century.

The economic transformation caused confrontation, including the notorious Jameson raid, when Jameson, with the financial backing of Cecil Rhodes, tried and failed to incite an Uitlander uprising in Johannesburg in

1895. The discovery of gold altered the economic balance of the region, turning the Transvaal from a lagging agricultural economy to a prosperous country that posed a threat to British colonies in South Africa. Yet, much of this wealth was held by British and German gold mine owners known as 'Rand millionaires', whose economic role in the war's origins remains controversial in history.

The text indicates that the main mine owners were in favor of the Uitlanders' call for voting rights because they believed it would be tough to attract skilled workers from Europe and Britain to a location where basic civil liberties were denied. The Transvaal government's resistance to this problem was viewed as an obstacle to drawing capital and labor, which were crucial for long-term growth. The 'Rand millionaires' thought that extending voting rights to the Uitlanders would be financially beneficial. Some, such as J.A. Hobson, went so far as to suggest that the war was caused by a "conspiracy of financiers" using the Uitlander issue as a cover for their personal gain. To establish who or what sparked this conflict, we must investigate which two parties were involved.

During the Boer War, the British launched a military offensive under the pretext that the Transvaal was suppressing Uitlander freedoms. However, historical evidence contradicts this claim of self-defense. J.A Hobson criticized protectionism as a factor leading to the war.

British capitalism, according to Hobson, resulted in a misallocation of wealth that motivated investors to pursue greater investment returns in developing foreign markets. This stimulated governments to pursue imperialist policies to safeguard their investors' commitments abroad. Hobson believed that imperialism served the interests of financial strongmen rather than

benefiting the state as a whole. The Boer War saw the exploitation of capitalist schemes by Rand millionaires like Cecil Rhodes, further exemplifying Hobson's belief that capitalist machinations were the actual cause of the conflict rather than Uitlander grievances.

Hobson suggested that the Uitlanders were not concerned about the issues that angered the British. He used the Jameson raid as a prime example. According to him, Cecil Rhodes supported Jameson in an attempt to open up Transvaal for his corporate mining purposes. This exemplified a financier's role in driving the tension between the Anglo-Boer. While Hobson's opinions on imperialism may be valid, his evaluation of the Jameson raid has since become less certain. New research points towards high-ranked British officials urging Rhodes to back Jameson, altering the raid from capitalist expansion to a government sanctioned covert operation.

The reasons for Britain's decision to go to war centered on Joseph Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary, and Sir Alfred Milner, the British High Commissioner. Their primary concern was the potential threats to British interests in Southern Africa posed by an independent Transvaal that appeared intent on causing trouble in the region. To address this situation, Chamberlain took several actions during the build-up to the conflict including informing Kruger that agreements signed at the end of the First Boer War did not grant full control over domestic policy to Transvaal and appointing Milner as High Commissioner for South Africa who was known for opposing Transvaal. Additionally, he pressured London City to refuse long-term investment loans to Transvaal. However, it is unclear whether these actions were part of a larger plan or if Chamberlain intended to initiate a war with

Boer republic.

Alfred Milner exerted immense pressure on the Transvaal government in order to fulfill British demands on behalf of the Uitlanders, leading some to view him as a 'warmonger'. He constantly raised the Uitlander issue, instigated anti-Boer sentiment in the South African and British press, pushed the City of London to deny the Transvaal capital, won the support of 'Rand millionaires', and convinced many Unionist government figures to join him. Milner believed that there were more vital issues at stake than just the Uitlander grievances: British supremacy in South Africa and Britain's existence as a great power. Milner adopted an aggressive and uncompromising approach in his negotiations with Kruger, insisting that the Uitlanders be granted full citizenship within 5 years. Kruger responded with an offer to grant full citizenship within 7 years in exchange for British recognition of Transvaal independence in domestic matters, but Milner rejected both proposals.

On 11th October 1899, the Anglo-Boer war commenced. Although historical events usually have multiple origins, some causes are better at clarifying the reasons for war than others. The assertion that the war was fought over Uitlander grievances has been proven to be more propaganda than fact, and the self-defense interpretation is no longer popular. However, Hobson's theory that a capitalist minority instigated the war has remained resilient since its inception almost a century ago.

Despite the erosion of some foundational components due to the revelation of new documents, the overall structure remains intact. This structure is significant as it marks a division between late Victorian England's fervent imperialism and Britain's subsequent loss of confidence in its future. Although this loss of confidence may not have been entirely justified,

it was widely felt. Following the Boer War, the British never fully regained their earlier conviction that their empire would never falter.

The future was the subject of much pessimism, reflecting the impact of the failed attempt to teach the Boers a lesson on British views of their long-term relations with their Empire. Additionally, anti-imperialist sentiment grew. Prior to the war, supporters of imperialism were accused of excessive patriotism, and imperialism was viewed as a positive mission aimed at bringing civilization to underdeveloped nations. However, this perception shifted after the war.

Imperialism was associated with unorthodox politicians, capitalist groups, and savage tactics.