South African Wars: Zulus, Boers and British

Aims of the course

This course aims to:

1. Give you a secure base of knowledge and understanding of the major themes and events in the story of Britain’s colonial presence in southern Africa and of its wars with the amaZulu people and with the Boer Republics.
2. Help you to understand and interpret source material of different types relating to Britain’s colonial presence and conflicts in southern Africa.
3. Help you to discuss and reach an informed assessment of the people, issues, events and developments which feature in the course and of the historical debates that surround them.

Content

For the Victorians, southern Africa was a land of huge opportunity, a great farming country with apparently unlimited space and a congenial climate, yet it also carried deadly political complexities. The British arrived at a time when the land was already being contested by the expanding Zulu kingdom and the rapidly increasing Dutch boer community. The conflict deepened when the Boers left British territory and headed far inland on their Great Trek, bringing them into direct conflict with the amaZulu people. The British cherished a dream of creating a great federation of the European peoples of southern Africa, but the Boers remained deeply suspicious of British intentions, especially when the British pursued a policy of divide and rule between Boer and Zulu, managing to take control of the region’s fabulously lucrative diamond fields in the process.

One man came to impose his vision on Britain’s policy for the region – Cecil Rhodes. Rhodes envisaged a world under British imperial supervision and an Africa under his own control. However, hard reality was fast catching up with these British ‘visionaries’. When the British government of Cape Colony deliberately launched an unprovoked assault on the Zulu kingdom, it expected to achieve a swift military victory; instead the British were out-generalled and defeated by the Zulus. Although the eventual British victory was no surprise, the war had revealed the limitations both of Britain’s power and of its assumption of high moral standards. Both were to be even more severely tested when Rhodes and his acolytes turned their attention to the Boers. The Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 not only highlighted the serious shortcomings in Britain’s military capabilities, but led the British to resort of methods of warfare that called into question the whole moral fabric on which they had assumed their Empire was based.

Presentation of the course

The main method of presentation will be illustrated lectures, with time built in for discussion. We will also look at some source material to see how it can be evaluated to help us understand the issues and the outlook of the people who created it.

Class sessions

1. The contested land – why Britain first established a presence in southern Africa and the tensions that followed with the African and Dutch inhabitants.
2. The Anglo-Zulu War – why relations between Zulus and British suddenly deteriorated in the late 1870s; how war began; the British defeat at iSandlwana; the end of the war and its consequences.
3. The Vision of Cecil Rhodes – the career of Rhodes, his vision for Britain’s role in Africa, his political career and its consequences for Africa and for Britain.
4. The British and the Boers – the difficult relationship between the British and the Boers; the war of 1881 and the British defeat at Majuba Hill; the outbreak of war in 1899 and early Boer success.
5. Methods of Barbarism – the symbolic importance of the South African War in Britain; British military victory; controversy over anti-commando tactics and the concentration camps.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course you should be able to:

1. Talk with confidence and knowledge about major themes and events in the history of Britain’s colonial role in southern Africa in the late 19th century.
2. Discuss with insight and understanding the major political ideas and ideologies which underpinned British colonial policy in southern Africa and the different African responses to it.
3. Reach an informed assessment of the historical debate surrounding Britain’s colonial and imperial presence in southern Africa and its legacy and implications today.

Required reading

David, Saul, Zulu: the heroism and tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879 (London: Penguin, 2005)

Judd, Denis, The Boer War: a history (London: Bloomsbury, 2019)

Knight, Ian, Zulu Rising: the epic story of iSandlwana and Rorke’s Drift (London: Pan, 2011)

Nasson, Bill, The Boer War: the struggle for South Africa (Spellmount, 2011)

Typical week: Monday to Friday

Courses run from Monday to Friday. For each week of study, you select a morning (Am) course and an afternoon (Pm) course. The maximum class size is 25 students. 

Courses are complemented by a series of daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to the learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.

Evaluation and Academic Credit 

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses. 

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £75 per essay.

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit.

Certificate of attendance

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically after the programme.