Thanks to those who’ve sent messages of support in the last few weeks – the level of interaction has been remarkable from all my listeners around the world. For some we started this journey together in September 2017 and here we are almost 36 months later and the Three Years War has ended.
This podcast was always designed to track the war week by week and it’s now time to bid adieu.
So yes, it’s an emotional time for this has been an intense three years and I’d like to thank Jon who listened to the series with his father who passed away during our series. Jon, thanks for sending me notes through this time.
To Samuel who has donated so much to this podcast series and Thomas who’s constantly spoken to me over the past two years and also helped fund the Soundcloud account – thank you two in particular.
Gustav – thanks for brightening up my day with some of your observations and unusual comments.
To Andrew and Martin of History by Hollywood, thank you for sharing your time with me and for your professional help. To Sean the real professional historian who is also known as the Historian who sees the future and who has taken the time to make contact – thank you.
To Susan from Canada who suggested I talk about two veterans of the Anglo-Boer war who went on to great things during the First World War. One is Lieutenant Edward Morrison who I mentioned in episodes dealing with the Eastern Transvaal, and the second is John McCrae. He wrote a poem called “In Flanders Field” which features the poppies and is now the reason why people wear poppies for remembrance when it comes to the First World War.
Another direct link between this little African fracas and the utter disaster of the Western Front.
As we know, the link between the Boer War and the First World War is inescapable. It was 12 years later which sounds a long time, until you get a little older like me then a dozen years is really a short hop in time.
To Michael who has listened to the whole series – and told me this week he’s gone back to Episode 1 to start again. If that’s not a vote of confidence then nothing is – Michael I reckon you’ll need a medal for bravery.
Ryan, who’s shared such detail I have stored for a day when our Covid lockdown lifestyle comes to an end – I’ll be making that trip to Lindley in the Free State and a few wee draughts of Brandewyn and coke.
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Thanks to those who’ve sent messages of support in the last few weeks – the level of interaction has been remarkable from all my listeners around the world. For some we started this journey together in September 2017 and here we are almost 36 months later and the Three Years War has ended.
This podcast was always designed to track the war week by week and it’s now time to bid adieu.
So yes, it’s an emotional time for this has been an intense three years and I’d like to thank Jon who listened to the series with his father who passed away during our series. Jon, thanks for sending me notes through this time.
To Samuel who has donated so much to this podcast series and Thomas who’s constantly spoken to me over the past two years and also helped fund the Soundcloud account – thank you two in particular.
Gustav – thanks for brightening up my day with some of your observations and unusual comments.
To Andrew and Martin of History by Hollywood, thank you for sharing your time with me and for your professional help. To Sean the real professional historian who is also known as the Historian who sees the future and who has taken the time to make contact – thank you.
To Susan from Canada who suggested I talk about two veterans of the Anglo-Boer war who went on to great things during the First World War. One is Lieutenant Edward Morrison who I mentioned in episodes dealing with the Eastern Transvaal, and the second is John McCrae. He wrote a poem called “In Flanders Field” which features the poppies and is now the reason why people wear poppies for remembrance when it comes to the First World War.
Another direct link between this little African fracas and the utter disaster of the Western Front.
As we know, the link between the Boer War and the First World War is inescapable. It was 12 years later which sounds a long time, until you get a little older like me then a dozen years is really a short hop in time.
To Michael who has listened to the whole series – and told me this week he’s gone back to Episode 1 to start again. If that’s not a vote of confidence then nothing is – Michael I reckon you’ll need a medal for bravery.
Ryan, who’s shared such detail I have stored for a day when our Covid lockdown lifestyle comes to an end – I’ll be making that trip to Lindley in the Free State and a few wee draughts of Brandewyn and coke.
Episode 136 - Deneys Reitz receives a record promotion and General Smuts takes a cruise to Cape Town
The Anglo-Boer War
18 minutes 7 seconds
5 years ago
Episode 136 - Deneys Reitz receives a record promotion and General Smuts takes a cruise to Cape Town
We’re back in the Northern Cape with General Jan Smuts. He’s been waiting in vain for more than two weeks for the British to send a relief force after he laid siege to the well defended town of O’Kiep having already seized Springbok and Concordia.
Meanwhile, the first round of peace talks have already ended in Pretoria with the Boers undertaking to select representatives to appear at follow up talks set to take place at Vereeniging starting on May 15th 1902.
Smuts has no idea that this meeting has already been agreed. As far as he’s concerned, the British will send a relief column by ship from Cape Town to Port Nolloth, and entrain from there to O’Kiep – which is a copper producing town of some significance.
Compared to Kimberley and Johannesburg, hardly strategic, but important nonetheless. And with him is our young narrator Deneys Reitz, fighting on with the other bitter enders.
“On the surface things looked prosperous..” he writes in his book Commando. “Five months ago we had come into this western country hunted like outlaws, and today we practically held the whole area from the Olifants to the Orange River four hundred miles away…”
Except of course for a few garrison towns which had held out against Smuts. These were now hunkered down and the British inside the towns were unable to travel freely while the Boers roamed this vast territory at will. The success of Smuts’ commando were gratifying for the Volk back home in the Free State and Transvaal, as well as sympathisers in the Cape.
Their spirits had been raised as reports circulated about General Smuts’ incredible attacks using hand grenades and trench type warfare at Springbok and Concordia.
“Unfortunately while matters stood thus well with us, the situation in the two Republics up north was far otherwise..”
Lord Kitchener’s drives and policy of scorched earth had worked in the end. Smuts had been out of touch from his own leaders since the previous September. That was almost nine months of no direct messages. Even guerrilla leaders must be in communication at some point or the entire idea of command and control evaporates in a mist of local delusion.
“We had been out of touch with them for so long that we did not realise the desperate straits to which they had come..”
Reitz along with Smuts had been trying to motivate the men while at the same time, realised that this war could not continue in the same vein. Something had to give.
So towards the end of April, Smuts and his men were living in the town of Concordia which lies around four miles from O’Kiep. The British there were dug in and their defensive positions were too difficult to overrun.
Smuts had assumed that eventually the relief force would arrive, and it would be large. This he believed, would mean the southern region of the Cape would have been weakened and then he could make a direct dash south and perhaps catch the British off-guard. Reitz presumed the dash included a possible attack on the outskirts of Cape Town.
The Anglo-Boer War
Thanks to those who’ve sent messages of support in the last few weeks – the level of interaction has been remarkable from all my listeners around the world. For some we started this journey together in September 2017 and here we are almost 36 months later and the Three Years War has ended.
This podcast was always designed to track the war week by week and it’s now time to bid adieu.
So yes, it’s an emotional time for this has been an intense three years and I’d like to thank Jon who listened to the series with his father who passed away during our series. Jon, thanks for sending me notes through this time.
To Samuel who has donated so much to this podcast series and Thomas who’s constantly spoken to me over the past two years and also helped fund the Soundcloud account – thank you two in particular.
Gustav – thanks for brightening up my day with some of your observations and unusual comments.
To Andrew and Martin of History by Hollywood, thank you for sharing your time with me and for your professional help. To Sean the real professional historian who is also known as the Historian who sees the future and who has taken the time to make contact – thank you.
To Susan from Canada who suggested I talk about two veterans of the Anglo-Boer war who went on to great things during the First World War. One is Lieutenant Edward Morrison who I mentioned in episodes dealing with the Eastern Transvaal, and the second is John McCrae. He wrote a poem called “In Flanders Field” which features the poppies and is now the reason why people wear poppies for remembrance when it comes to the First World War.
Another direct link between this little African fracas and the utter disaster of the Western Front.
As we know, the link between the Boer War and the First World War is inescapable. It was 12 years later which sounds a long time, until you get a little older like me then a dozen years is really a short hop in time.
To Michael who has listened to the whole series – and told me this week he’s gone back to Episode 1 to start again. If that’s not a vote of confidence then nothing is – Michael I reckon you’ll need a medal for bravery.
Ryan, who’s shared such detail I have stored for a day when our Covid lockdown lifestyle comes to an end – I’ll be making that trip to Lindley in the Free State and a few wee draughts of Brandewyn and coke.
