Boers

The Boer War, also called the Second Anglo-Boer War or South African War, was fought between Britain and the Boer republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State from 1899 to 1902. The Boers were settlers of mainly Dutch ancestry whose republics sought to preserve their independence. Britain already controlled the Cape Colony and Natal and wanted to extend its dominance over southern Africa.

The Crimean War, 1854–1856, and the Boer Wars, 1880–1881 and 1899–1902, were fought overseas, but their consequences reached British society and government. They exposed weaknesses in military organisation, encouraged criticism of political leaders and strengthened pressure for improvements in health and welfare.