Roberts & Kitchener in South Africa, 1900–1902
Roberts & Kitchener in South Africa, 1900–1902

Author: Rodney Atwood

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2012-02-02

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 1844685640

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The British Army was shocked by three military defeats in a week in South Africa in late 1899. The commanding General Sir Redvers Buller lost his nerve. Something must be done was the cry across the Empire. Britain sent forth not one, but two military heroes. Field Marshal Lord Roberts and Major General Lord Kitchener spent their first five weeks in South Africa restoring morale, reorganising their forces and deceiving the enemy as to their intentions. In the next four weeks their offensive transformed the war: Kimberley and Ladysmith were relieved from Boer sieges and an enemy force of 4000 under General Cronje was captured on the Modder River. A long and bitter guerrilla war ensured in a terrain ideally suited to fast-moving Boer commandoes. On the dark side, deeds were committed of which no civilised empire priding itself on justice and fair play could be proud. The comradeship-in-arms of Roberts and Kitchener, their differing yet complementary personalities, their strategic and tactical decisions are described and assessed using a wide variety of sources including, personal papers and official correspondence. By these mens resourcefulness the British Army, despite its unpreparedness and poor leadership at many levels, won a remarkable victory in the first of the twentieth century Peoples Wars.

Managing the South African War, 1899-1902
Managing the South African War, 1899-1902

Author: Keith Terrance Surridge

Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 9780861932382

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Of all the wars fought by Britain between 1815 and 1914, the South African War was the most extensive and costly. This book offers a survey of the disputes which arose between the British government and the era's most famous soldiers.

Kitchener
Kitchener

Author: C. Brad Faught

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2016-02-24

Total Pages: 327

ISBN-13: 0857727567

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Horatio Herbert Kitchener, Earl Kitchener of Khartoum (1850-1916) is one of the most important figures in the history of the British Empire. Beginning as Royal Engineer in the 1870s he would end his career over forty years later as Secretary of State for War - the iconic figure of World War I recruitment posters. In between he became both the most famous British soldier in the world during the peak period of European imperialism, and a celebrated and sometimes controversial pro-consul and administrator. At his death in 1916 he had literally become the 'face' of the British war effort. This new biography offers a timely and modern evaluation of a still disputed and complex military man of empire.

The Boer War
The Boer War

Author: Denis Judd

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2013-03-15

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 085772231X

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The Boer War of 1899-1902 was an epic of heroism and bungling, cunning and barbarism, with an extraordinary cast of characters - including Churchill, Rhodes, Conan Doyle, Smuts, Kipling, Gandhi, Kruger and Kitchener. The war revealed the ineptitude of the British military and unexpectedly exposed the corrupt underside of imperialism in the establishment of the first concentration camps, the shooting of Boer prisoners-of-war and the embezzlement of military supplies by British officers. This acclaimed book provides a complete history of the Boer War - from the first signs of unrest to the eventual peace. In the process, it debunks several of the myths which have grown up around the conflict and explores the deadly legacy it left for southern Africa.

Encyclopedia of African Colonial Conflicts [2 volumes]
Encyclopedia of African Colonial Conflicts [2 volumes]

Author: Timothy J. Stapleton

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2016-11-07

Total Pages: 803

ISBN-13:

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Two volumes introduce the history of colonial wars in Africa and illustrate why African countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan continue to experience ethnic, political, and religious violence in the early 21st century. This sweeping study examines the wars of colonial conquest fought in Africa during the 19th and early 20th centuries. From Britain's efforts to wrest control of the Sudan from military leader Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi, to Italy's decisive defeat at the Battle of Adowa in Ethiopia, to Leopold II's brutal reign over the Belgian Congo, the work surveys the devastation reaped upon the continent by colonization and illustrates how its combative influence continues to resonate in Africa today. Written by scholars in the fields of history and politics, this complete reference includes entries on wars, campaigns, rebellions, battles, leaders, and organizations. The work delves into key historical periods including the "Scramble for Africa" (ca.1880 to 1910); early European colonial wars in Africa, such as the Dutch in the Cape and the Portuguese in Angola and Mozambique; and African rebellions against the early colonial state in the 1890s and early 1900s. Entries feature prominent events and personalities as well as lesser-known occurrences and players.

The British Army Regular Mounted Infantry 1880–1913
The British Army Regular Mounted Infantry 1880–1913

Author: Andrew Winrow

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2016-11-03

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 1317039947

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The regular Mounted Infantry was one of the most important innovations of the late Victorian and Edwardian British Army. Rather than fight on horseback in the traditional manner of cavalry, they used horses primarily to move swiftly about the battlefield, where they would then dismount and fight on foot, thus anticipating the development of mechanised infantry tactics during the twentieth century. Yet despite this apparent foresight, the mounted infantry concept was abandoned by the British Army in 1913, just at the point when it may have made the transition from a colonial to a continental force as part of the British Expeditionary Force. Exploring the historical background to the Mounted Infantry, this book untangles the debates that raged in the army, Parliament and the press between its advocates and the supporters of the established cavalry. With its origins in the extemporised mounted detachments raised during times of crisis from infantry battalions on overseas imperial garrison duties, Dr Winrow reveals how the Mounted Infantry model, unique among European armies, evolved into a formalised and apparently highly successful organisation of non-cavalry mounted troops. He then analyses why the Mounted Infantry concept fell out of favour just eleven years after its apogee during the South African Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902. As such the book will be of interest not only to historians of the nineteenth-century British army, but also those tracing the development of modern military doctrine and tactics, to which the Mounted Infantry provided successful - if short lived - inspiration.

Victoria's Generals
Victoria's Generals

Author: Steven J. Corvi

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2009-09-19

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1844688364

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The senior British generals of the Victorian era - men like Wolseley, Roberts, Gordon and Kitchener - were heroes of their time. As soldiers, administrators and battlefield commanders they represented the empire at the height of its power. But they were a disparate, sometimes fractious group of men. They exhibited many of the failings as well as the strengths of the British army of the late nineteenth-century. And now, when the Victorian period is being looked at more critically than before, the moment is right to reassess them as individuals and as soldiers. This balanced and perceptive study of these eminent military men gives a fascinating insight into their careers, into the British army of their day and into a now-remote period when Britain was a world power.

World War I
World War I

Author: Spencer C. Tucker

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2016-05-16

Total Pages: 414

ISBN-13:

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With its authoritative reference entries, multiple introductory and perspective essays, primary source documents, detailed chronology, and bibliography, this single-volume reference provides all the key information readers need to understand this monumental conflict. World War I was an epic conflict that toppled centuries-old empires, transformed the Middle East and Russia, and helped elevate the United States to prominence as a world power. In essence, understanding the reasons for and outcomes of the First World War provides a cornerstone for knowledge of all modern history. In World War I: The Essential Reference Guide, detailed reference entries, a comprehensive overview essay, plus additional examinations of the causes and consequences of the conflict provide readers with the context needed to understand all aspects of World War I. Important primary source documents like the Zimmerman Telegram and Balfour Declaration are included and accompanied by explanations that supply readers with key historical perspective. Biographies on major political and military leaders, such as Wilhelm II, Woodrow Wilson, Nicholas II, John Pershing, and Ferdinand Foch, offer insight into the people who played key roles in the conflict. Entries on the key confrontations of the war—many accompanied by maps—showcase the strategies of both sides in their attempts to emerge victorious, and the bibliography presents a wealth of options to students looking to conduct further research on World War I.