page_title: South African Republic
section_title: Second Boer War, 1899–1902
hierarchical_section_title: South African Republic / Military history / Second Boer War, 1899–1902
caption_attribution_description: English: After Paardeberg: Cronje's Followers delivering up their Rifles Identifier: battlesofninetee06forb (find matches) Title: Battles of the nineteenth century Year: 1901 (1900s) Authors: Forbes, Archibald, 1838-1900 Atteridge, A. Hilliard (Andrew Hilliard) Subjects: Battles Military history, Modern Publisher: London New York&#160;: Cassell and Company Contributing Library: University of California Libraries Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: on the west side ofthe laager, and the rumour spread that the Boers were making a desperate sortie and trying to cut their way out in the darkness. What had really river on their flank, protected their retreat by firing into the Boer trench, and it had also exchanged fire with some Boers in its own front. After a few minutes the heavy firing ceased, but for some time after occasional shots were fired from various parts of the Boer lines, as the enemy, now thoroughly on the alert, imagined they saw signs of an attack upon them in the dark. As the twilight began this irregular firing ceased, and as the sun rose all was quiet along the lines. For the first time for many days the British guns remained silent, while it was seen that a white flag had just been hoisted on a small kopje near the drift and within the Boer lines. Cheer after cheer was raised by the British at this sign of surrender, and men reminded each other that it was Majuba Day. But it was a few hours yet ere the surrender was completed. -XV Text Appearing After Image: THE SURRENDER. 231 Cronje was making a last despairing attempt to obtain terms. Commandant Wolmarans and another Boer officer rode out with a white flag to Lord Roberts's headquarters. It was noticed that both of their horses were slightly wounded, probably by shrapnel bullets during the investment. The riders looked haggard and worn, as they well might be. They suggested that Cronje's army had by its honourable resistance deserved to be given lenient terms, and they asked that the burghers should be allowed to depart to their homes. Lord Roberts, while expressing his admiration for the way in which the Boers had kept their flag flying for so many days, told Wolmarans that the surrender must granted, and that he would be sent to Cape Town, escorted by a British general officer to ensure that he should be treated with due respect upon the way. The Boers had already begun streaming out of the laager in crowds and laying down their arms. It was with surprise that our men discovered that the force which ha Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.
context_page_description: The South African Republic was an independent and internationally recognised state located in what is now South Africa, from 1852 to 1902.
  The republic defeated the British Empire in what is often referred to as the First Boer War and remained independent until the end of the Second Boer War on 31 May 1902, when it was forced to surrender to the British after Lord Kitchener authorised the use of a scorched earth policy and concentration camps to hold captured Boer women and children. More than 27,000 of these civilians died as result. After the war the territory of the ZAR became the Transvaal Colony. During World War I, there was an attempt at resurrecting the republic in the Maritz rebellion.
  The land area that was once the ZAR now comprises all or most of the provinces of Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West in the northeastern portion of modern-day Republic of South Africa.
context_section_description: The British first attacked the ZAR with the December 1895 Jameson Raid, which ended in failure. British forces started building up troops and resources at the borders, followed by a demand for voting rights for the ZAR's 60,000 foreign nationals—of whom 50,000 British. Kruger rejected the British demand and called for the withdrawal of British troops from the ZAR's borders. When the British refused, Kruger declared war against Britain, Britain received assistance from its possessions Australia, and Canada, as well as Natal and the Cape Colony.
  The Second Boer War was a watershed for the British Army in particular and for the British Empire as a whole. The British used concentration camps where women and children were held without adequate food or medical care. The abhorrent conditions in these camps caused the death of 4,177 women and 22,074 children under 16; death rates were between 344 and 700 per 1000 per year.
  The Treaty of Vereeniging was signed on 31 May 1902. The treaty ended the existence of the ZAR and the Orange Free State as independent Boer republics and placed them within the British Empire. On 20 May 1903, an Inter Colonial Council was established to manage the colonies of the British Government. The Boers were promised eventual limited self-government and this was granted in 1906 and 1907. The Union of South Africa was established in 1910.
caption: Piet Cronjé's followers delivering up their rifles
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