The conflict broke out in 1899 when Boer irregulars and militia attacked colonial settlements in nearby British colonies. Eventually, British scorched earth policies brought the remaining Boer guerillas to the negotiating table, ending the war. Though the British swiftly occupied the Boer republics, numerous Boers refused to accept defeat and engaged in guerrilla warfare. Triggered by the discovery of diamond and gold deposits in the Boer republics, the Boers launched successful attacks against British outposts in the opening stages of the war before being pushed back by imperial reinforcements.
'Second Freedom War', 11 October 1899 – ), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo-Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South African Republic and the Orange Free State) over the Empire's influence in Southern Africa from 1899 to 1902. The Second Boer War ( Afrikaans: Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, lit. Before Federation in 1901 Australian involvement in the war consisted of forces from the following separate colonies:Ģ1,256 bitter-enders surrendered (at the end of the war) Ģ6,370 Boer women and children died in concentration campsĢ0,000+ Africans of the 115,000 interned in separate concentration camps.
