Anglo-Zulu War: Difference between revisions

| place = [[Zulu Kingdom]], present day [[South Africa]]

| result = *ZulusBritish victory in repelling the first invasion and British retreat;

| combatant2 = [[Zulu Kingdom]]

| commander2 = [[Cetshwayo kaMpande]]<br />[[Ntshingwayo Khoza]]<br />[[Dabulamanzi kaMpande]]<br />{{flagicon|USA}}[[Adna Chaffee]]

| strength1 = '''1st invasion:'''<br />16,501–16500–16,800{{efn|{{harvnb|Colenso|1880|pp=263–264}} gives 6,669 Imperial and Colonial troops; 9,035 Native Contingent; 802 Drivers, etc. {{harvnb|Morris|1998|p=292}} gives 16,801800

The '''Anglo-Zulu War''' was fought in 1879 between the [[British Empire]] and the [[Zulu Kingdom]]. The most famous battle of the War was the Defense of Rorke's Drift.
Following the passing of the [[Constitution Act, 1867|British North America Act of 1867]] forming a federation in Canada, [[Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon|Lord Carnarvon]] thought that a similar political effort, coupled with military campaigns, might succeed{{clarify|reason=Succeedlead into doinga what?ruling formingwhite anotherminority federationover ina Africa|date=Julyblack 2023}}majority, withwhich would provide a large pool of cheap labour for the British sugar plantations and mines, encompassing the African Kingdoms, tribal areas and [[Boer republics]] ininto [[South Africa]]. In 1874, Sir [[Henry Bartle Frere|Bartle Frere]] was sent to South Africa as [[High Commissioner]] for the British Empire to effect such plans,. amongAmong the obstacles were the armed independent states of the [[South African Republic]] and the Kingdom of [[Zulu Kingdom|Zululand]].<ref>Knight (1992, 2002), p. 8.</ref>

Frere, on his own initiative, sent a provocative [[Anglo-Zulu War#Terms|ultimatum]] on 11 December 1878 to the Zulu king [[Cetshwayo]] and upon its rejection sent [[Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford|Lord Chelmsford]] to invade Zululand.{{sfn|Spiers|2006|p=41}}{{sfn|Colenso|1880|pp=261–262}}{{sfn|Morris|1998|pp= 291–292}}{{efn|{{harvnb|Knight|2003|p=9}} states "By late 1878 Frere had manipulated a diplomatic crisis with the Zulus..."{{harvnb|Knight|2003|p=11}} notes "... an ultimatum with which, Frere knew, they could not possibly comply".}} The war is notable forhad several particularly bloody battles, including an opening victory of the Zulu at the [[Battle of Isandlwana]], followed by the defence of [[Rorke's Drift]] by a small British Garrison from an attack by a large Zulu force. The British eventually won the war, ending Zulu dominance of the region. The Zulu Kingdom was then made a protectorate and later annexed by the [[British Empire]] in 1887.

In 1874 [[Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon|Lord Carnarvon]], [[Secretary of State for the Colonies]], who had brought about federation in Canada in 1867, thought that a similar scheme might work in South Africa., The South African plan called for a ruling white minority over a black majority, which would provide a large pool of cheap labour for the British sugar plantations and mines., {{sfn|Gump|1996|pp=73–93}} Carnarvon, in an attempt to extend British influence in 1875, approached the Boer states of the [[Orange Free State]] and the [[Transvaal Republic]] and tried to organize a federation of the British and Boer territories but the Boer leaders turned him down.

Shepstone railed against the disruptive effect of allowing Cetshwayo's regime to remain. "Zulu power", he said, "is the root and real strength of all native difficulties in South Africa". In December 1877, he wrote to Carnarvon "Cetshwayo is the secret hope of every petty independent chief hundreds of miles from him who feels a desire that his colour shall prevail, and it will not be until this hope is destroyed that they will make up their minds to submit to the rule of civilisation". Earlier in October 1877, Shepstone had attended a meeting with Zulu leaders near the Blood River to resolve the land dispute between the Zulus and the Boers. He suggested a compromise with the Boers and the meeting broke up without clear resolutions. He turned against the Zulus with vengeance, saying he had come into possession of "the most incontrovertible, overwhelming and clear evidence" never previously disclosed, for supporting the claims of the Boers. He rejected Zulu claims as "characterised by lying and treachery to an extent that I could not have believed even savages are capable of". {{snf|Meredith|2007|p=89}}

[[File:Isandhlwana.jpg|thumbnail|upright=1.35|Battle''[[The ofLast Stand at Isandlwana]]'', painting by Charles Edwin Fripp (1854–1906)]]

Lord Chelmsford, the [[Commander-in-Chief]] of British forces during the war, initially planned a five-pronged invasion of Zululand composed of over 16,500 troops in five columns and designed to encircle the Zulu army and force it to fight as he was concerned that the Zulus would avoid battle. The Zulu capital, Ulundi, was about 80 miles inside Zulu territory.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Morris |title=Washing of the Spears}}</ref>

In the event, Chelmsford settled on three invading columns with the main centre column, now consisting of some 7,800 men comprising [[Richard Thomas Glyn]]'s No. 3 Column and [[Anthony Durnford]]'s No. 2 Column,{{efn|{{harvnb|Colenso|1880|pp=263–264}} gives 7,800: 1,752 Imperial and Colonial troops and 6,054 Native Contingent and 377 Conductors and Drivers for the Number 2 Column under Durnford and the Number 3 Column under Glyn which made up Chelmsford's Main Column. The strength of the entire invasion force is given as a total of 16,506 for the five columns: 6,669 Imperial and Colonial troops; 9,035 troops in the Native Contingent; 802 Drivers, etc.}} under his direct command. He moved his troops from [[Pietermaritzburg]] to a forward camp at Helpmekaar, past [[Greytown, KwaZulu-Natal|Greytown]]. On 9 January 1879 they moved to [[Rorke's Drift]], and early on 11 January commenced crossing the [[Buffalo River (KwaZulu-Natal)|Buffalo River]] into [[Zulu Kingdom|Zululand]].{{sfn|Giliomee|Mbenga|2007}} Three columns were to invade Zululand, from the Lower Drift of the [[Tugela River]] (No. 1 Column under [[Charles Pearson (British Army officer)|Col. Charles Pearson]]), [[Rorke's Drift]] (No. 3 Column under Lord Chelmsford), and [[Utrecht, South Africa|Utrecht]] (No. 4 Column under [[Evelyn Wood (British Army officer)|Col. Evelyn Wood]]) respectively, their objective being [[Ulundi]], the royal capital. Durnford's No. 2 Column was ordered to stay on the defensive near the Middle Drift of the Tugela River.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2015/07/24/the-battle-of-isandlwana-zulu-wars-with-the-british/|title = The Battle of Isandlwana: Zulu Wars with the British|date = 24 July 2015}}</ref>