The historian and author of The Great Trek recounts the devastating period of violence among indigenous peoples in early 19th century southern Africa. From 1815 to 1840, southeastern Africa experienced a devastating period of warfare between the Zulus, the Matabele, and other indigenous peoples. Though the causes of the unrest—which the Zulu called the Mfecane—are still debated by historians, we know that hundreds of thousands of lives lost. Some estimate the total number of deaths to be near two million. At the center of the turmoil was the Zulu Kingdom and its King Shaka, whose wars of expansion sparked mass migrations among smaller tribes. One of Shaka’s lieutenants, Mzilikazi Khumalo, escaped execution and began a trail of destruction from Zululand north to the Highveld. Refugees from Mzilikazi’s warpath then formed their own alliance—including with the Dutch-speaking Voortrekkers, arriving on their own “Great Trek” to escape British control. Finally defeated in 1836 by the Voortrekkers in a nine-day battle, Mzilikazi and his followers crossed the Limpopo River and founded the kingdom of the Matabele in what is now Zimbabwe.
The Zulu War of 1879 remains one of the best known British colonial wars and included two battles whose names reverberate through history. At Isandlwana the Zulus inflicted a crushing defeat on the British; the gallant British defence at Rorke's Drift followed and re-established British prestige. Yet as this book shows, there was more to the war than this. Six months of brutal fighting followed, until the Zulu kingdom was broken up, its king imprisoned and the whole structure of the Zulu state destroyed. Years of internecine strife followed, until the British finally annexed Zululand as a colonial possession.
The Anglo-Zulu War was one of many colonial campaigns in which the British Army served as the instrument of British imperialism. The conflict, fought against a native adversary the British initially under-estimated, is remarkable for battles that included perhaps the most humiliating defeat in British military history-the Battle of Isandlwana, January 22, 1879-and one of its most heroic feats of martial arms-the defense of Rorke's Drift, January 22-23, 1879. While lasting only six months, it is one of the most examined, studied, and debated conflicts in Victorian military history. Anglo-Zulu War, 1879: A Selected Bibliography is a research guide and tool for identifying obscure publications and source materials in order to encourage continued original and thought-provoking contributions to this popular field of historical study. From the student or neophyte to the study of the Anglo-Zulu War, its battles, and its opponents to the more experienced historian or scholar, this selected bibliography is a must for anyone interested in the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War.
This book offers an account of this understudied conflict dating from the early stage of European colonialism in Africa, and unpacks the complex regional relationships between different communities in the first half of 19th century.
If the glamor life of Street Dreams is your destination, then this story will take your mind on a journey through the dark world of the streets where tragic nightmares will awaken you if you are ready for Spiritual Enlightenment. The Dream of Death is an urban story of love and friendship in a world where the only loyalty is to money and the American Dream. Climbing the ladder of success sometimes involves crime and the destruction of relationships, friendships, and family. In this story selfish desires devours love. Greed violates bonds of trust. Money and Power motivates murder. In a dark world of materialism and selfish desires, only spiritual knowledge can lead one into the light of True Peace and Happiness. This story will vivify the reality of those who seek love, peace, and happiness but experience tragedy as they chase their Dreams.
Attempts to discover what happens to people when they acquire power, and whether the abuse of power is inevitable. This book examines the life of the 19th-century Zulu king Shaka Zulu in order to help us understand the psychology of power and terror. It also explores the characteristics of totalitarian states.
A serious but readable study that should be widely read by all concerned with leadership issues. Long Range Planning This book is the most up-to-date available investigation of the understanding of tyranny and terror that psychologists, psychoanalysts and experts on group and institutional behaviour can provide. Manfred Kets de Vries has produced a masterpiece. He draws on a wealth of published research in the field and relates it in an academically excellent, yet eminently readable, way to the premier problem of the beginning of the 21st century. I strongly recommend it. Anton Obholzer, formerly Tavistock Centre London, Psychoanalyst and Organizational Consultant From constructive narcissism to reactive narcissism, we are but one step away from megalomania and terror. Professor Kets de Vries traces the origin of leadership by terror to early childhood in this case study of Shaka Zulu. A gruesome story warns us that terror may be inherent in the human condition. Abraham Zaleznik, Harvard Business School, US Kets de Vries has written another terrific book on leadership. However, this work will prove both timely and insightful to students of leadership and political psychology. Through the tale of Shaka Zulu, Kets de Vries introduces us to our very own despotic tendencies and thus familiarizes the reader with the human side, however horribly oppressive and destructive, of leadership by terror. Here is a genuine contribution to the field of leadership studies. Michael A. Diamond, University of Missouri Columbia, US What makes despotic leaders tick? How do they become despots? On a lesser (but far more common) scale: why are some people ruthlessly abrasive in the workplace? Why do some business leaders appear to lose their sense of humanity? How and why do they create a culture of fear, uncertainty and doubt in their companies? Lessons on Leadership by Terror attempts to discover what happens to people when they acquire power, and whether the abuse of power is inevitable. Manfred Kets de Vries examines the life of the nineteenth-century Zulu king Shaka Zulu in order to help us understand the psychology of power and terror. During his short reign, Shaka Zulu established one of the most successful regimes based on terror that has ever existed, from which the traits of despotic leaders are illustrated. Shaka s life history is a study in the psychology of terror, and he can be a proxy for the behavior of any despot, be it from antiquity or modern times. From his leadership behavior fifteen cautionary lessons are derived, offering valuable principles for contemporary leaders. The book also explores the characteristics of totalitarian states, and discusses what can be done to prevent despotic leaders from coming to the fore. Clear parallels are drawn between Shaka s behavior and that of other, more contemporary, leaders including Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and Saddam Hussein. This fascinating and highly original book will be of enormous interest to a broad audience from students and academics focusing on leadership, political science, and political psychology, to practitioners such as managers, executives, consultants, and leadership coaches.
A new and complete history of Zululand, and its destruction at the hands of the British in 1879. This book is not only a complete history of the Zulus but also an account of the way the British won absolute rule in South Africa. In the early decades of the nineteenth century, Shaka Zulu established a nation in south-east Africa which was to become the most politically sophisticated and militarily powerful black nation in the entire area. Although the Zulus never had any quarrel with their British neighbours, the rulers of the Cape Colony could not conceive of them as anything but a threat. In 1879, under dubious pretences, the British finally crossed the Buffalo River, and embarked on a bloody war that was to rock the very foundations of the British Empire. The story is studded with tales of incredible heroism, drama and atrocity on both sides: the Battle of Isandlwana, where the Zulus inflicted on the British the worst defeat a modern army has ever suffered at the hands of men without guns; Rorke's Drift, where a handful of British troops beat off thousands of Zulu warriors and won a record 11 VCs; and Ulundi, where the Zulus were finally crushed in a battle that was to herald some of the most shameful episodes in British Colonial history. Comprehensive, vast in scope, and filled with original and up-to-date research, this is a book that is set to replace all standard works on the subject.
First published in 1974, The Bantu-Speaking Peoples of Southern Africa is a revised and rewritten version of I. Schapera’s ethnographical survey of the Bantu-speaking tribes of South Africa. New South African contributors place on record all the known facts of the physical characteristics and traditional cultures of these peoples, as well as documenting the important social, cultural and economic changes that have occurred since the coming of the white man. This book will be of interest to students of anthropology, sociology, African studies, and history.
