List of battles in South Africa

List of battles in South Africa is a list of all military conflicts, wars or battles fought within the borders of South Africa.[1]

Part of a series on the
Military history of
South Africa
Conflicts
National Defence Force
Historical forces
Lists

Khoikhoi–Dutch Wars (1659–1677)

  • First Khoikhoi–Dutch War 1659–1660
  • Second Khoikhoi–Dutch War 1673–1677

Anglo-Dutch rivalry (1664–1804)

Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese navigator, discovered the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. The Dutch settlement in the area began in March 1647. A Dutch expedition of 90 Calvinist settlers, under the command of Jan van Riebeeck, founded the first permanent settlement near the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. Cape Colony established in 1652. 31 December 1687 a community of Huguenots arrived at the Cape from the Netherlands. See also Huguenots in South Africa.

Cape of Good Hope War (Cape Colony)

Xhosa Wars

Also known as the Kaffir Wars or Cape Frontier Wars or Dispossession Wars

  • First war (1779–81)
  • Second war (1789–93)
  • Third war (1799–1803)
  • Fourth War (1811–12)
  • Fifth War (1818–19)
  • Sixth War (1834–36)
  • Seventh War (1846–1847)
  • Eighth War (1850–53)
  • Cattle Killings (1856–58)
  • Ninth War, Ngcayechibi's War or Fengu-Gcaleka War (1877–79)

Ndwandwe–Zulu War (1817–19)

Also known as the Zulu Civil War. The fallout from this war led to the catastrophe known as the Mfecane (Difaqane, Lifaqane, Mfeqane).

Battles between the Voortrekkers and Ndebele (1836–1837)

Battles between the Voortrekkers and the Zulu (1838–40)

Anglo-Pedi Wars (1876–1879)

Natal (1842–1843)

Transorangia (1845–1848)

South African Republic (1854–1877)

  • The Boers defeat the Ndebele under chief Makopane at Makapansgat 1854[3]
  • Campaign against Batlhaping (Batlapin) Bantu people under Gasibone and Mahura in West Transvaal 1858[3]
  • Campaign against Bampelas in North Transvaal 1858[3]
  • Campaign against Mabhogo and Maleo 1863[3]
  • Campaign against people of Katlagter, Makopane, Mapela and Matshem 1865–1868[3]
  • Campaign against Bantu chief Sekhukhune (Afrikaans: Sekoekoeni) 1876–1877[3]

Zulu Succession (1856)

Free State–Basotho Wars (1858–1868)

  • Senekal's War 1858
  • Seqiti War which included two conflicts, in 1865−1866 and 1867−1868

Koranna War (1868)

  • The Koranna War breaks out along the Orange River. 1868

Anglo-Zulu War (11 January – 4 July 1879)

Basuto Rebellion

First Boer War (16 December 1880 – 23 March 1881)

The British recognised the two Boer Republics in 1852 (Sand River Convention) and 1854 (Orange River Convention, or Bloemfontein Convention), but the annexation of the Transvaal in 1877 led to the First Boer War in 1880 and 1881. After British defeats, most heavily at the Battle of Majuba Hill, Transvaal independence was restored subject to certain conditions, but relations were uneasy.

Between the two Boer Wars

  • Wars of the South African Republic (Transvaal) with black peoples:
  • Jameson Raid (British-Boer conflict) 29 December 1895 – 2 January 1896
  • Second Matabele War (British-Matabele conflict) also known as the Matabeleland Rebellion March 1896 – October 1897

Second Boer War (11 October 1899 – 31 May 1902)

between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics of the South African Republic (Transvaal Republic) and the Orange Free State.[5]

1899

1900

1901

1902

First World War (1914–1918)

See also

References

  1. ^ Military Information Bureau SADF Information Bureau. "A short chronicle of warfare in South Africa. Compiled by the Military Information Bureau. From Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 16, Nr 3, 1986". pp. 40–57. Retrieved 20 July 2023. Khoisan Wars. Khoisan is the collective name for the South African people known as Hottentots and Bushmen....The KhoiKhoi Wars. 1st Khoikhoi War (1659–1660)..
  2. ^ Saks, DY (June 1995). "The South African Military History Society, Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging, Military History Journal, Vol 10 No 1, June 1995 (incorporating Museum Review) - SKIRMISH AT ZWARTKOPPIES". samilitaryhistory.org. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m J. H. Breytenbach, Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899–1902, Die Staatsdrukker Pretoria, 1969–1996. Volume I. Die Boere-offensief, Okt. - Nov. 1899, pp. 30-31, Die Staatsdrukker Pretoria, 1969. In Afrikaans.
  4. ^ Rademeyer, Jacobus Ignatius. "Die Oorlog teen Magato (M'pefu) 1898" (PDF). repository.up.ac.za (in Afrikaans). M. A. dissertation, University of Pretoria. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  5. ^ For Afrikaans language designations of battles: Breytenbach, J. H. Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899-1902, Die Staatsdrukker Pretoria, 1969-1996, six volumes
  6. ^ "Battle of Graspan". britishbattles.com. 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023. The battle (also known as the Battle of Enslin) fought on 25th November 1899 in the Great Boer War by Lord Methuen, leading to the British advance to the disastrous battles of Modder River and Magersfontein
  7. ^ Thomas Pakenham, The Boer War, George Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1979. Abacus, 1992. ISBN 0 349 10466 2. Pages 188-189 and 192-193.
  8. ^ Conan Doyle, A.C. (1902). "The Great Boer War, London, Smith, Elder & Co., 1902. CHAPTER XX Roberts' Advance on Bloemfontein". pinetreeweb.com. Smith, Elder & Co. Archived from the original on 10 February 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  9. ^ Rickard, John (2 March 2007). "Battle of Driefontein, 10 March 1900". historyofwar.org. Military History Encyclopedia on the Web. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  10. ^ Killingray, David (2012). "Chapter 8. The War in Africa (pages 112-126)". In Horne, John (ed.). A Companion to World War I. John Wiley & Sons. p. 119.