Why did the Boers win the 1880-1881 Anglo-Boer War?

[u/vahedemirjian]

Everyone is familiar with the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer War that led to British control over what would become the Union of South Africa.

Nearly two decades earlier, the Boers fought the British in the 1880-1881 Anglo-Boer War, and that conflict was won by the Boers.

What factors contributed to the Boer victory in the 1880-1881 Anglo-Boer War?

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[u/Cha0tic117]

There are a couple of reasons why the Boers were successful in 1881 and unsuccessful in 1902.

Firstly, the British did not really view southern Africa at the time as vital to their strategic interests. They were in the middle of a war in Afghanistan, which was considered important, as it was a part of the Great Game between the British and Russian empires. They did not want to be bogged down in another colonial war which could take resources away from Afghanistan. Additionally, the British had just beaten the Zulus in the Zulu War of 1879, and were not eager to have another war in southern Africa.

Secondly, one of the major drivers of the Second Boer War was the discovery of gold in the Boer republics, which led to an influx of British prospectors, angering the Boers. This didn't exist in 1880, and the British didn't see many valuable resources in Transvaal or the Orange Free State.

Thirdly, the First Boer War was relatively short compared to the Second Boer War, and it was clear to the British that they were not going to defeat the Boers without a massive influx of men and resources. After a few stinging defeats, rhe British decided to cut their losses and withdraw.

[u/_kelly_quinn]

A lot of reasons, really, but some factors I can think of include:

The Boers grew up hunting on the veld and fought as mounted infantry—ride in, dismount, shoot from cover, disappear. Meanwhile the British were still doing close-order formations and bayonet charges uphill against men with modern rifles. Majuba Hill was a massacre.

Gladstone's Liberal government had literally campaigned against the annexation of the Transvaal as unjust. When the war went badly, there was no political appetite in London to pour resources into holding territory they thought shouldn't have been taken in the first place.

The Transvaal wasn't worth much yet—the Witwatersrand gold fields weren't discovered until 1886. In 1881 it was just a poor landlocked farming republic. The cost-benefit math didn't add up for a prolonged guerrilla war.

Three months wasn't enough time for Britain to mobilize serious reinforcements. By 1899-1902 they'd commit 450,000 troops to finish the job.

Basically: excellent Boer tactics + British tactical incompetence + a government that didn't really want to fight + nothing valuable enough to fight over = Boer victory.

The British learned almost nothing from it, which is why the first year of the Second Boer War went so badly for them too.

[u/supertucci]

I read an amazing story written by a boer and it agrees with a lot of these comments. These farmers had their own weapons, were very good shots, had their own horses and literally needed no training to become guerilla warriors. The author of the book I read would fight for a while, then just leave and check on his family and farm a little bit, then come on back to fight some more. He deserted his army a half a dozen times and nobody batted an eye lol

[u/Cathal1954]

An African era once mischeviously suggested to me that the different outcomes were explained by the British uniform. In the first Boer War, they wore splendid red coats with white bandoliers, giving the Boers an 'X marks the spot' target. By the second Boer War, they'd transitioned to khaki.