To what extent did the Boer War mark a turning point in Britain's relations with her empire?

Britain had suffered international humiliation and the Empire was no longer seen as a vote-winner for political parties. People were deeply opposed to the ‘barbaric’ methods used by the British, as the war lowered the morale of the British and support for Empire decreased. There was less confidence in Britain’s ability to defend her Empire, and the British struggle against guerrilla tactics proved this. Britain had to resort to a change in foreign policy, the government wanted to defend their Empire, and strong Empire was linked to colonial security. Imperialism became synonymous with ‘maverick’ politicians’, ‘capitalist cliques’ and ‘methods of barbarism’, and became seen as a right-wing policy associated with ‘die-hard’ Conservatives. It has been argued by Hobson that by their actions the Boer War imperialists had ‘jeopardised the entire wealth of the nation in rousing strong resentment of other nations for no real gain’.

In the years after the war a potentially catastrophic situation was allowed to develop on South Africa. The peace terms the Boers were offered reflected the general view that the war had been a major blunder. The British offered loans for rebuilding, promised to safeguard the Afrikaaner language in any future constitution, and pledged to restore free elections and self-government at the earliest opportunity. In 1906, the Liberal government restored self-government and free elections for white people to the defeated states.  In the 1907 elections the Afrikaaner Het Volk Party, committed to a Union of South Africa and racial segregation, won a sweeping victory with the support of the newly enfranchised Utilanders. In 1910 the Orange River Colony, the Transvaal and Cape Colony agreed to form the Union of South Africa. This self-governing Boer-dominated Union was able to develop a racist state over which Britain had no control. After the Boer War, Australia, Canada and New Zealand sought a redefinition of their constitutional relationship with Britain in the years following the conflict. They resented being called colonies, as his implied they were still under the control of the British, and in 1907 all self-governing areas of the Empire were given ‘dominion’ status. This was independence in all but name, as the dominions could now outvote Britain on any matters relating to their constitutional relationship with the mother country.

However, the victory resulted in continued expansion of Empire in Africa and the Empire brought more economic benefits to Britain. The Empire became more important for trade and investment than ever before. Between 1903 and 1914 British exports to the Empire increased by 31 per cent, British trade with Africa doubled, 42 per cent of all British overseas investment went to the Empire and there was cheap labour in the gold mines.

The Boer War marks the dividing line between the passionate imperialism of the late-Victorian England and the loss of self-confidence in Britain about its future that has typified the twentieth century. This loss of confidence, though perhaps not completely warranted, was widely felt. After the Boer War the British never believed as strongly as they had before that it was the British Empire that the sun would never set on. There was a deeper sense of pessimism about the future of Britain and the strength of the Empire was questioned. The Boer War permeated the British view of its long-term relations with the people of its Empire. The war marked a turning point for Britain, and triggered the decline of British Empire. The Empire was no longer seen in a positive light and Britain had little or no control over South Africa and the white settler colonies.