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.
All content for The Anglo-Boer War is the property of Desmond Latham and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
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 138 - The Zulu massacre Boers at Holkrantz on the eve of the Vereeniging Conference
The Anglo-Boer War
21 minutes 10 seconds
5 years ago
Episode 138 - The Zulu massacre Boers at Holkrantz on the eve of the Vereeniging Conference
We’re up to episode 138 and it’s a week to go before the all-important Boer Conference in Vereeniging starting May 15th 1902.
Lord Kitchener has ordered his men in all intents and purposes to stop chasing the Boers, stop the burning of farms and to wait for the Boers conference.
We have heard how Jan Smuts and Louis Botha met in the Eastern Transvaal, chose their representatives and now were making their way to the South Eastern border down on the banks of the Vaal River. That was on the 4th May 1902.
The western Transvaal Boers were doing the same, selecting 30 representatives who would debate the future of their people, so too were Free State’s president Steyn and diehard General Christiaan de Wet – except for the outcome. They wanted the Boer conference to reject surrender and to push on to oblivion. Which is what awaited the hawks I’m afraid.
Lord Milner the British High Commissioner also wanted the Boers to fight until they were totally crushed so that he could flood South Africa with English loyalists. In military terms, you know you’re in trouble when your most hated adversary thinks your strategy should be to fight to an inevitable death.
That’s what the loyalists through South African wanted, the English speaking hard-core British iumperialists. Yes, they were shouting, keep it up Mr Boer until your terms of surrender at unconditional then you’ll be all but extinct and we can just take over everything you’ve built.
The most vocal jingos of the day were actually despised the professional British officer corps in South Africa. The war needed to end so that they could get on with their careers.
Winston Churchill was one of those who found what were known as loyalists as deeply concerning. He’d survived a Boer prisoner of war camp and many close calls and respected his former captors, there was very little rancor.
While the Boers and the British were framing their views and devising their negotiation strategies, an incident in Natal on May 6th was to sharpen everybody’s minds. Some historians have suggested that what became known as the Holkrantz incident gave further impetus to the Peace Process and strengthened the hand of the moderate Boers like Smuts and Botha who wanted to end the war immediately.
Steyn and de Wet on the other hand took the opposing view – fight on was their rallying call. Watching all of this closely was black South Africa.
The massacre at Holkrantz shocked most Boers into accepting that the longer this war continued and the more unlawful the landscape would become.
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.
