Complex sentence: In particular, O'Connor points to Frere being a leading thinker on imperial defence and sets the Zulu war in the context of the overall global crisis contingent on the 1877 Balkan War, which was widely expected to result in war between Britain and Russia.
Split into simpler sentences: In particular, O'Connor points to Frere as a leading thinker on imperial defence. He sets the Zulu war in the context of the overall global crisis, contingent on the 1877 Balkan War, which was widely expected to result in war between Britain and Russia.