International Relations
The South African/Boer War
Canada and the British
Empire
British Subjects:
In the late 19th and early 20th century, the
majority of Canadians were of British decent
Many felt a strong kinship to Great Britain
Canadians were British subjects and an
important part of their world empire
Canadiens
French Canadians felt no such connection to the
British or its empire
They had been isolated from Europe since before
the British “Conquest” beginning in 1759
Imperial Entanglements
Though Canada was a self-governing dominion
within the British Empire, there was danger of
getting caught up in conflicts with little or nothing to
do with Canada
A global empire had to maintain itself against:
Rebels
Other imperial powers
The South African War
1899-1902
Also known as the Boer War
Was the first time Canada officially dispatched
troops to an overseas war
Boer War: Origins
In 1899 fighting erupted between Great Britain and
the Boers
The Boers (or Afrikaaners) were descendants of
early Dutch settlers and had won the right to selfgovernment (under British rule) in Southern Africa
Boer War: Origins
In 1885 gold is discovered in Transvaal, one of the
Boer republics
British investors flooded in and the Boers restricted
their rights
Investors and British residents of the Transvaal
hoped Britain would intervene
Boer War: Origins
In 1895, a British businessman Cecil Rhodes
financed an attempt to seize control of the
Transvaal during the “Jamestown Raid”
It failed, but the Boers feared the British would try
again, possibly with the help of the British army
Anglo-Boer War
In 1899, fearing the British were seeking war, the
Boers attacked and forced the British to suffer a
number of setbacks
Canada’s Role
Britain called on the Empire for help
PM Laurier is torn between two impossible
positions:
1. Support Britain and lose all support in Quebec
2. Avoid committing Canada and enrage
British/English Canada
Laurier’s Compromise
Laurier agreed to send volunteers, providing that
Britain paid their expenses
7,000 Canadian soldiers (including 12 female
nurses) served in Southern Africa over a 3 year
period
War Continues
In 1900 the tide of battle turned, British forces took control of
most Boer territories
The superior British military forced the Boers to turn to
guerrilla tactics (war of ambush and retreat)
The British eventually defeated the Boers by not allowing
sympathetic farmers to give them food, water, or lodging
They moved civilians to internment camps, and burned Boer
houses and farms
Opposition to the War
Opposition to the war in Canada was strongest in
Quebec
Henri Bourassa, a former Laurier supporter and
Liberal MP, resigned over the war and was reelected as an independent
In his newspaper “Le Devoid” he opposed the war
and argues for a nationalist policy for the country
Results
The war ended with the Treaty of Veeriningen
A direct result of the war was the founding of South
Africa- a country that would be dominated by the
large Boer population
Canadian soldiers fought bravely and were
commended for their abilities
267 Canadians were killed in the Boer War