Abstract
Successive British cabinets through the nineteenth century debated the merits of formal and informal empire in southern Africa. After many changes of policy it was eventually decided in 1899 to make war against the Boer republics in order to establish a firm paramountcy over the whole region. The events leading up to this decision have provided much fodder for the twentieth-century debate over the meaning of imperialism, in which several strands of argument may be discerned. Thus the role of the humanitarian lobby, seldom if ever dominant, yet seldom so insignificant that politicians of either party could afford to ignore it, was deplored in the later writings of G. M. Theal, and commended in those of W. M. Macmillan, but neither doubted its importance. Others, notably J. S. Galbraith, have seen the hand of the British Treasury as the ruling influence in the formulation of British policy, ‘reluctantly’ extending the imperial frontiers, and economising in the use of governmental and military resources. Considerations of grand strategy dominated the thinking of leading imperialists, in the view of Robinson and Gallagher. Others have traced the key initiatives less to the Colonial Office than to the periphery. Benyon, for example, has displayed the innovatory role of a succession of Imperial high commissioners. ‘Peripheral imperialism’, as Kubicek and Schreuder have described it, was rather the work of ‘subcontracting’ merchants and land-seekers in the colonies themselves.
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Bibliographical Notes
8.1 Formal and informal Empire
Atmore A. and Marks S., ‘The imperial factor in South Africa in the 19th century: towards a reassessment’, JICH (1969) 105–39; Benyon J. A., Proconsul and Paramountcy in South Africa: The High Commission, British Supremacy and the Subcontinent, 1806–1910 (1980);
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De Cecco M., Money and Empire: The International Gold Standard, 1890–1914 (1974);
Etherington N. A., ‘Theories of imperialism in southern Africa revisited’, AA 81, 323 (1982) 385–407; and Theories of Imperialism: War, Conquest and Capital (1984); Galbraith (n. 7.3);
Hobson J. A., Imperialism: a Study (1902); Kubicek (n. 5.7);
Louis W. R., Imperialism: The Robinson and Gallagher Controversy (1976);
Robinson R. E. and Gallagher J., Africa and the Victorians (1981 edn); Schreuder (n. 8.6).
8.2 The pursuit of the Voortrekkers
Agar-Hamilton (n. 7.5); Benyon (n. 8.1); De Kiewiet (n. 7.4); Harington A. L., Sir Harry Smith: Bungling Hero (1980); Keegan (n. 2.3);
Midgley J. F., The Orange River Sovereignty, 1848–54, (AYB 1949); Morrell (n. 7.4); Muller (n. 3.7); Thompson L. M., ‘The great trek, 1836–54’, in *Wilson and Thompson I 405–24; Van Jaarsveld (n. 5.2).
8.3 Republican independence: the Sand River and Bloemfontein Conventions
Benyon (n. 8.1); De Kiewiet (n. 7.4); Eybers G. W., Select Constitutional Documents illustrating South African history (1918); Keegan (n. 2.3); Morrell (n. 7.4); Orpen (n. 5.4); Van Schoor (n. 5.4).
8.4 The high commissionerships of Sir George Grey, 1854–61, and Sir Philip Wodehouse, 1862–70
Benyon (n. 8.1); Du Toit (n. 7.3); Peires (n. 7.3); Rutherford (n. 6.1); Zeeman M. J. (M.A. Cape Town) [Wodehouse as governor].
8.5 Sir Henry Barkly and the diamond fields, 1870–7
Agar-Hamilton (n. 7.5); De Kiewiet (n. 7.4); Macmillan M., Sir Henry Barkly (1969);
Oberholster J. J., Die Anneksasie van Griekwaland-Wes (AYB 1945);
Robertson M., Diamond Fever: South African Diamond History, 1866–69 (1974);
Sauer H., Ex Africa (1937); Shillington (n. 7.8); Shillington (n. 7.8);
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Smith K. W., Alfred Aylward: The Tireless Agitator (1983);
Van Jaarsveld F. A., Vaalrivier, Omstrede Grenslyn (1974). (See also 6.2 and 20.2).
8.6 Federal strategies, 1874–80: Carnarvon, Frere, Shepstone and the annexation of the Transvaal
*Atmore and Marks; Brookes E. H., White Rule in South Africa (1974);
Cope R. L., ‘Shepstone, the Zulus and the annexation of the Transvaal’, SAHJ 4 (1972) 45–63; and ‘Strategic and socio-economic explanations for Carnarvon’s confederation policy: the historiography and the evidence’, HIA 13 (1986) 13–34; De Kiewiet (n. 5.6);
Dunn W. H., J. A. Froude (1961); Engelbrecht (1946) (n. 5.6);
Etherington N. A., ‘Labour supply and the generation of South African Confederation in the 1870s’, JAH 20 (1979) 235–53;
Goodfellow C. F., Great Britain and South African Confederation (1966); Macmillan (n. 8.5);
Schreuder D. M., The Scramble for Southern Africa, 1877–95 (1980);
Solomon W. E. G., Saul Solomon (1948).
8.7 Republican independence again, 1881–4: the Pretoria and London Conventions; conflict over Basutoland and the ‘Road to the North’, 1880–5
Agar-Hamilton (n. 7.5); Dachs (n. 7.10); Davenport (n. 6.2); Hall K. O., Imperial Proconsul: Sir Hercules Robinson and South Africa, 1881–9 (1980); Kruger D. W. (n. 5.5);
Schreuder D. M., Gladstone and Kruger (1969) and (n. 8.6); Shillington (n. 7.8);
Sillery A., John Mackenzie of Bechuanaland (1971);
Van Jaarsveld F. A. et al., Die eerste Vryheidsoorlog, 1880–1 (1980).; Wilburn K. (D. Phil. thesis, Oxford, 1982) [railway politics]
8.8 The scramble for southern Africa: gold, railways and rival imperialisms, 1880–95
Axelson E., Portugal and the Scramble for Africa (1962); Butler J., ‘The German factor in Anglo-Transvaal relations’, in *Gifford and Louis 179–214; Galbraith (n. 7.9); Hofmeyr J. H. in *Walker 551–64; Kubicek (1979) (n. 5.7); Marais (n. 5.5);
Marks S., ‘Scrambling for southern Africa’, JAH 23 (1982) 97–113; Maylam (n. 7.8); Mendelsohn (n. 5.7);
Phimister I., ‘Rhodes, Rhodesia and the Rand’, JSAS 1 (1974) 74–90; Schreuder (n. 8.6);
Van der Poel J., Railway and Customs Policies in South Africa, 1885–1910 (1933);
Van Winter P. J., Onder Krugers Hollanders (1937); Van Helten (n. 5.7);
Warhurst P. R., Anglo-Portuguese Relations in South-Central Africa, 1890–1900 (1962).
8.9 Chamberlain, Rhodes, Milner and Kruger, 1895–9
Ally R., Gold and Empire: The Bank of England and South Africa’s Gold Producers, 1886–1920 (1994); Benyon (n. 8.1); Blainey (n. 5.7);
Butler J., The Liberal Party and the Jameson Raid (1968);
Cammack D., ‘The politics of discontent: the grievances of the uitlander refugees, 1899–1902’, JSAS 8 (1982) 243–70; *Carruthers; Davenport (n. 6.2); De Cecco (n. 8.1); *Duminy and Guest;
FitzPatrick J. P., The Transvaal from Within (1896);
and Further South African Memories (ed. D. Lavin, 1979);
Hancock W. K., Smuts: The Sanguine Years (1962);
Hobson J. A., The War in South Africa (1902); Kubicek (1972) (n. 5.7); Henshaw P., ‘“The Key to South Africa” in the 1890s: Delagoa Bay and the origins of the South African War’, JSAS 24, 3 (1998);
Le May G. H. L., British Supremacy in South Africa (1965);
Le Roux F. J. and Van Zyl D. (eds), [Smuts J. C.], Een Eeuw van Onreg (1985); Lewsen (1982) (n. 6.8);
Makhuru T. J., ‘Another road to the Raid: the neglected role of the Boer-Bagananwa war as a factor, 1894–5’, JSAS 21 (1995) 257–68; Marais (n. 5.5);
Marks S. and Trapido S., ‘Lord Milner and the S., A. state reconsidered’, in Twaddle M., Imperialism, the State and the Third World (1992) 80–94; Mendelsohn (n. 5.7) and in *Carruthers 55–88;
Ovendale R., ‘Profit and patriotism: Natal, the Transvaal and the coming of the second Anglo-Boer war’, JICH 8 (1980) 209–34;
Pakenham E., Jameson’s Raid (1960);
Phimister I., ‘Unscrambling the scramble for southern Africa: the Jameson Raid and the South African War revisited’, SAHJ 28 (1993) 203–20;
Porter A. N., The Origins of the South African War: Joseph Chamberlain and the Diplomacy of Imperialism, 1895–9 (1980); and ‘Sir Alfred Milner and the press, 1897–9’, HJ 16 (1973); and ‘The South African war (1899–1902): context and motive reconsidered’, JAH 31 (1990) 43–57; Rotberg (n. 6.2); Saunders C. C. in *Carruthers 239–50;
Smith I. R., The Origins of the South African War, 1899–1902 (1996), and in *Carruthers 89–110; and in SAHJ 22 (1990) 24–60;
Spies S. B., The Origins of the Anglo-Boer War (1972);
Van der Poel J., The Jameson Raid (1951); Van Helten (n. 5.7), and ‘Empire and high finance: South Africa and the international gold standard, 1890–1914’, JAH 23 (1982) 529–48; Walker (n. 6.2); Wilde R. H., ‘Joseph Chamberlain and the South African Republic, 1895–9’, (AYB 1956);
Wilburn K., ‘The drifts crisis and the Jameson Raid: a centennial review’, JICH 25 (1997) 219–39.
8.10 The Anglo-Boer War of 1899–1902
Bailes H. L., ‘Military aspects’, in *Warwick 65–102; Belfïeld E., The Boer War (1975);
Breytenbach J. J., Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899–1902 (6 vols, 1969–77);
Brits J. P. (ed.), The Diary of a National Scout: P. J. du Toit (1974);
Cammack D., The Rand at War, 1899–1902 (1978); Davenport (n. 6.2);
Davey A. M., The British Pro-Boers, 1877–1902 (1978); and ed., Lawrence Richardson’s Selected Correspondence, 1901–3 (1977); and ‘Breaker Morant and the Bushveldt Carbineers (VRS 2nd ser. 18, 1987);
Davidson A. and Filatova I., The Russians and the Anglo-Boer War (1998);
Denoon D. J. N., ‘Participation in the “Boer war”: people’s non-war, or non-people’s war?’, in Ogot B.A., War and Society in Africa (1972) 109–22;
De Wet C. R., Three Years War (1902);
Foxcroft E., Russia and the Anglo-Boer War (1981);
Fuller J. F. C., The Last of the Gentlemen’s Wars (1937);
Galbraith J. S., ‘The pamphlet campaign in the Anglo-Boer war’, JMH 24 (1952) 111–26;
Grundlingh A., Hensoppers and Joiners (1998), and ‘Collaborators in Boer society’, in *Warwick 158–78; Hancock (n. 8.9);
Judd D., The Boer War (1977);
Koss S., The Anatomy of an Anti-War Movement: The Pro-Boers (1973);
Krikler J., ‘The Transvaal agrarian class struggle in the S.A. War, 1899–1902’, SD 12 (1986) 1–30; and (n. 7.11); Le May (n. 8.9); Lewsen P. (1982) (n. 6.8) and Selections from the Correspondence of]. X. Merriman (1966);
Magnus P., Kitchener: Portrait of an Imperialist (1958);
Marquard L. (ed.), Letters from a Boer Parsonage (1967);
Morton R. F., ‘Linchwe I and the Kgastla campaign in the S.A. war, 1899–1902’, JAH 26 (1985) 169–92;
Nasson W. R., Abraham Esau’s War: A Black South African War in the Cape, 1899–1902 (1991);
Pakenham T., The Boer War (1979);
Plaatje S. T., Boer War Diary, ed. J. Comaroff (1973); Porter B., ‘Pro-Boers in Britain’, in *Warwick 239–57;
Preller G. (ed.), Scheepers se Dagboek (1938);
Pretorius F-J, Life on commando (1999), and in *Warwick 103–23;
Price R., An Imperial War and the British Working Class (1972);
Reitz D., Commando (1931); Snyman J. H., ‘Rebelle Verhoor in Kaapland, 1899–1902’ (AYB 1962);
Spies S. B. and Nattrass G. (eds), Jan Smuts: Memoirs of the Boer War (1994), also in Van der Poel and Hancock (n. 9.1) 537–663; and ‘Women and the war’, in *Warwick 161–85;
Strydom C. J. S., Kaapland in die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog (1937);
Surridge K. T., Managing the South African War, 1899–1902: Politicians v. Generals (1998);
Travers T. H. E., ‘Technology, tactics and morale: Jean de Bloch, the Boer War and military theory, JMH 51 (1979) 264–86;
Van Reenen R. (ed.), Emily Hobhouse: Boer War Letters (1984);
Van Wyk Smith M., Drummer Hodge: The Poetry of the Anglo-Boer War, 1899–1902 (1978);
Viljoen B., My Reminiscences of the Anglo-Boer War (1903); *Warwick P., ed., and Black People in the Anglo-Boer War (1984);
Wright H. M. (ed.), Sir James Rose Innes: Selected Correspondence 1884–1902 (1972).
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© 2000 T. R. H. Davenport and Christopher Saunders
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Davenport, T.R.H., Saunders, C. (2000). Empire and Republics: the Breaking of Boer Independence, 1850–1902. In: South Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230287549_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230287549_8
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