 We have the the largest concentration of Battlefields in Southern Africa
PS: if you click on the little picture, it gets bigger! |
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| It is hard to perceive that deep in the heart of scenic central and northern KwaZulu-Natal, that this area once was the scene of bloody conflict between the Zulu, Boer and the British. Their clashes and military engagements shaped the history of South Africa, and shook the might of the British Empire's military. It was in this area over a period of some seventy years, that one historical drama after another unfolded, making this a popular tourist destination, particularly for relatives of those men who served their countries and paid the ultimate sacrifice. |
Early African Battles
Early in the 19th century a certain King Shaka became the leader of a very powerful and proud Zulu nation, by uniting feuding farmers and quarrelling cattle herders. Although the forging of this Zulu nation involved a series of skirmishes and battles, by the mid-1820's King Shaka had united the most powerful nation in Southern Africa. |
Voortrekker-Zulu War
A strong independant spirit and dissatisfaction with British rule in the Cape led to an exodus of Voortrekkers, intent on establishing independant republics in the hinterland, where they could maintain their cultural identity and language. Once The Great Trek had crossed the Drakensberg mountains, the voortrekkers came into contact with the Zulu, leading to disputes over land, cattle and other issues. The brutal killing of one of the voortrekker leaders, Piet Retief, and 101 of his followers by King Dingane, sparked a series of clashes, culminating in the Battle of Blood River in December 1838. Seriously outnumbered the vootrekkers who had formed a Laager (a circle of wagons) along the river (which later became known as Blood River) were able to defeat the Zulu impi, and is commemorated to this day by Afrikaners. |
Anglo-Zulu War 1879
The colonists in Natal, weary of the growing strength of the Zulu nation issued them with an ultimatum. When the demands of the ultimatum were not met by the Zulu leaders, the British troops invaded Zululand. At the subsequent Battle of Isandlwana the 1500 strong invading British force was routed by Zulu impis. On the same day, a Zulu force attacked the mission station at Rorke's Drift, where just over a hundred British soldiers were able to hold off and defeat over 4000 Zulu warriors, for which 11 Victoria Crosses were awarded. It was also during this war that the last hopes of a reestablished Napoleonic dynasty were dashed when Prince Louis Napoleon, an observer with the British forces, was ambushed, while out riding one day and killed. |
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First Anglo-Boer War 1800-1881
When the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek failed to negotiate independence from the British through diplomacy, war was declared. After a series of fierce engagements, including Laing's Nek and Schuinshoogte, and the British defeat on Amajuba (the hill of doves), a peace treaty was signed in October 1881. |
Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902
This second war started when the first shots were fired at the Battle of Talana, which until 1950 was commemorated as Talana Day throughout the British Empire. This war once again tested the might of the British military forces and captured world headlines, when the Boers confounded conventional british military strategies by employing kommando tactics, in the process besieging Ladysmith for 118 days. Names like Winston Churchill, Redvers Buller, Lord Kitchener, Baden-Powell, Mohandas Gandhi, Louis Botha and Jan Smuts formed part of the rich tapestry of this war. Triumphs and tragedies of famous engagements, including Spioenkop, the Armoured Train incident, Colenso, Elandslaagte, Vaalkrans, Helpmekaar and of course the siege of Ladysmith stand out, although several other battles took place in the Vryheid area and along the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal. |
Bambatha Rebellion 1906
Bambatha, a chief of the Zondi tribe, led a protest against the imposition of a poll tax, by the British. After four policemen and a trooper were killed at Ambush Rock, colonial forces were called in and Bambatha and his men were trapped and killed in the Mome Gorge. |
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