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South African War summary

Discover what caused the South African War between Great Britain and the two Boer states, the South African Republic (Transvaal) and the Orange Free Stat

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see South African War.
South African War: Boer troops
South African War: Boer troopsBoer troops lining up in battle against the British during the South African War (1899ā€“1902).

South African War, or Boer War, War fought between Great Britain and the two Boer (see Afrikaner) republicsā€”the South African Republic (Transvaal) and the Orange Free Stateā€”from 1899 to 1902. It was precipitated by the refusal of the Boer leader Paul Kruger to grant political rights to Uitlanders (ā€œforeigners,ā€ mostly English) in the interior mining districts and by the aggressiveness of the British high commissioner, Alfred Milner. Initially the Boers defeated the British in major engagements and besieged the key towns of Ladysmith, Mafikeng, and Kimberley; but British reinforcements under H.H. Kitchener and F.S. Roberts relieved the besieged towns, dispersed the Boer armies, and occupied Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, and Pretoria (1900). When Boer commando attacks continued, Kitchener implemented a scorched-earth policy: Boer farms were destroyed and Boer civilians were herded into concentration camps. More than 20,000 men, women, and children (including black Africans) died as a result, causing international outrage. The Boers finally accepted defeat at the Peace of Vereeniging.