In reviewing the process of decolonization within the British Empire from 1890 to 1997, how far do you agree that the Boer War was the key turning point in Britain's relationship with its Empire?

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In reviewing the process of decolonization within the British Empire from 1890 to 1997, how far do you agree that the Boer War was the key turning point in Britain’s relationship with its Empire?

Decolonization is the withdrawal of the British Empire and in turn the granting of sovereignty to the original occupiers of the territory. It has been suggested that the Boer War may have been the main cause of the demise of the British Empire, which can be seen as the key to some extent. The Boer took place between 1899 and 1902 and was between the British and the Dutch, taking place in South Africa. However, other factors such as the two world wars and other independent struggles such as the giving back of India and the Suez Crisis can arguably be seen as contributing to its decline.

The Boer War, which took place in a Dutch Colony in South Africa ultimately ended in the British conquering the Boer’s which, after 3 long years of fighting in a battle that ‘would be over by Christmas,’ did not however, but was successful in severely damaging British pride and her economy. Thus, other nations began to see the British Empire as a diminished force; consequentially leading in Britain losing their label as being the only ‘world super power.’

 Milner who along with Chamberlain and Rhodes was later blamed for the whole catastrophe, decided to invade South Africa, on the acclaim that there was an enormous fortune to be made in diamond and gold mining in the Boer republics of the Transvaal. Although Britain won the war, they were not successful however in each battle and proved that the army was not as strong as it was first seen and portrayed. A number of battles took place, such as The Battle of Colenso, as well as battles in Valkanas, Pieter’s Hill, and the siege of Ladysmith, Kimberly, and Meeting.

The British were unfamiliar with these ‘savages,’ tactics and this often lead to ‘bush fighting,’ which the English thought to be the wrong way in conducting war. In a letter to Gorge Hull in Kimberley from Walter Hart Wayland near Belmont, Wayland stated that ‘My own opinion is that the Boers will make but a poor stand when once active operations against them begin,’ referring to how the troops from Orange River will ‘drive the Boers across the boarder.’ At first the Boers were thought to have not been in the area, which was to be a rather over-confident comment seeing as the British walked straight into an ambush of Boers. 900 were killed on the Magersfontein Hill, using unconventional fighting methods, The loss of 22,000 lives and £222,000,000 caused the Boer War to be a humiliating experience for the British. How could they be considered one of the world’s elites when it faced so many struggles fighting against ‘savages,’ in their own colonies?

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Anti Imperialism grew as a substational amount of the British Public began to disagree with the Government and its tactics. The anti-Boer feeling that was spread by Milner, lead to Britain making an enemy out of the Dutch, and seeing as Holland was so close by, it was not particularly helpful that potential allies disliked each other. Boer General J.C. Smuts, late Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa concluded that ‘Lord Kitchener has begun to carry out a policy in both (Boer) republic of unbelievable barbarism and gruesomeness which violates the most elementary principles of the international ...

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