Paper 3, Option 35.2: The British experience of warfare, c1790–1918 - 3 The second Boer War, 1899–1902 — Edexcel A-Level History
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Paper 3, Option 35.2: The British experience of warfare, c1790–1918 - 3 The second Boer War, 1899–1902 explained
Paper 3, Option 35.2: The British experience of warfare, c1790–1918 - 3 The second Boer War, 1899–1902 covers 3 specification points, including The nature of British army; the significance… and The importance of the roles of Field Marshalls….
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Facing the Boers in southern Africa: the nature of British army; the significance of the sieges of Mafeking, Kimberley and Ladysmith and the impact of Black Week.
This topic examines the British army's encounter with the Boers in southern Africa, focusing on the army's nature, the sieges of Mafeking, Kimberley and Ladysmith, and the impact of Black Week. The British army initially faced conventional warfare, including sieges and pitched battles, but suffered from outdated tactics, poor leadership and disease against highly mobile Boer forces. The sieges became symbols of resistance; Mafeking's relief sparked national celebration, while Kimberley and Ladysmith highlighted severe logistical challenges. Black Week, a series of defeats in December 1899, shocked the British public and prompted major reinforcements and a shift in strategy, before the war later transitioned into a guerrilla phase. Students should assess how these events exposed weaknesses in the army and influenced public and political responses.
The importance of the roles of Field Marshalls Roberts and Kitchener, and General Sir Redvers Buller in achieving victory.
Victory in the second Boer War depended on three commanders whose methods differed sharply. Roberts, arriving in 1900, used flanking marches and rapid advances to relieve Kimberley and Mafeking and to take Bloemfontein and Pretoria, breaking conventional Boer resistance. Kitchener, succeeding him, faced guerrilla warfare; he built blockhouses linked by barbed wire, used mounted columns and scorched-earth sweeps, and interned civilians in concentration camps, grinding the commandos down by 1902. Buller, commanding in Natal, suffered early defeats at Colenso, Spion Kop and Vaal Krantz, yet recovered to relieve Ladysmith in February 1900. Assess each man's contribution to the eventual victory, weighing tactical skill, logistics, attrition and the cost in lives and civilian suffering.
Changing attitudes of the public in Britain to the conflict, including the impact of the reportage of Winston Churchill and the work of Emily Hobhouse.
British public opinion shifted across the war. Early defeats in Black Week provoked shock and patriotic volunteering, and reliefs such as Mafeking produced jubilant celebration. Churchill's dispatches, written as a war correspondent and later published, shaped perceptions through vivid accounts of battles, his capture and escape, feeding a heroic narrative. As guerrilla war dragged on, farm burning and concentration camps turned opinion. Emily Hobhouse's reports on camp conditions, based on her visits, exposed suffering and helped force the Fawcett Commission and policy change, while pro-war and anti-war groups clashed. Assess how reportage and humanitarian campaigning altered attitudes, moving many from enthusiasm to criticism and unease.
Your focus
- Analyse the nature of the British army and its effectiveness against the Boers in southern Africa.
- Assess the significance of the sieges of Mafeking, Kimberley and Ladysmith in the context of the second Boer War.
- Evaluate the impact of Black Week on British military strategy and public opinion.
Show all 9 objectives
- Explain the distinctive methods used by Roberts, Kitchener and Buller in the second Boer War.
- Assess the relative importance of each commander in achieving British victory.
- Support judgements with accurate evidence about battles, places and dates.
- Explain how reportage and humanitarian work influenced British public attitudes to the second Boer War.
- Assess the relative impact of Churchill's reporting and Hobhouse's campaigning on changing attitudes.
- Support judgements with accurate evidence about events, reports and individuals.
Paper 3, Option 35.2: The British experience of warfare, c1790–1918 - 3 The second Boer War, 1899–1902 exam tips
Marking Points
- Describes the nature of the British army in 1899, including its strengths such as discipline and numbers, and weaknesses such as outdated tactics and inadequate equipment.
- Explains the significance of the sieges of Mafeking, Kimberley and Ladysmith, including their strategic importance, the conditions endured and their impact on British morale.
- Analyses the impact of Black Week, including the defeats at Stormberg, Magersfontein and Colenso, and how they shattered confidence and led to the appointment of Lord Roberts.
- Evaluates how these events collectively influenced British military strategy and public opinion, leading to reforms and a more ruthless approach.
- Uses specific examples, such as the relief of Mafeking in May 1900 or the casualties at Magersfontein, to support arguments about the army's effectiveness and the war's turning points.
- Explains Roberts's strategy of flanking manoeuvres and rapid advance, including the relief of Kimberley and Mafeking and the capture of Bloemfontein and Pretoria, and how this broke organised Boer field resistance.
- Explains Kitchener's counter-guerrilla methods: blockhouse lines, armoured trains, mounted columns, farm burning and concentration camps, and how these progressively restricted commando movement.
- Explains Buller's mixed record: defeats at Colenso, Spion Kop and Vaal Krantz, followed by the successful relief of Ladysmith, showing resilience and the ability to learn from failure.
- Weighs the relative importance of each commander, for example arguing that Roberts won the conventional war while Kitchener's attritional system secured the peace, with Buller's role more limited.
- Uses specific evidence such as dates, battles and places accurately to support judgements about each commander's contribution to victory.
- Explains the early patriotic mood, including responses to Black Week and the relief of Mafeking, and how these shaped public attitudes.
- Explains Churchill's role as a correspondent, showing how his vivid dispatches and escape story promoted a heroic and adventurous image of the war.
- Explains Hobhouse's investigations into concentration camps and how her reports, alongside the Fawcett Commission, generated criticism and pressure for reform.
- Weighs the extent of change in attitudes, for example arguing that patriotism persisted while unease grew, and that reportage and humanitarian work were key drivers.
- Uses specific evidence such as named reports, organisations or events to support claims about changing public opinion.
Examiner Tips
- 💡When discussing the sieges, distinguish between their military significance and their propaganda value, using examples like Baden-Powell at Mafeking.
- 💡For Black Week, name the specific battles and explain their consequences, such as the shift to a war of attrition.
- 💡Plan by commander, then reach an overall judgement about whose role mattered most and why.
- 💡Anchor each claim in a named battle, date or place to show precise knowledge rather than general assertion.
- 💡Link military methods to the nature of the war, showing how guerrilla tactics forced a change from Roberts's approach to Kitchener's.
- 💡Track change over time, contrasting attitudes in 1899–1900 with those in 1901–1902.
- 💡Use named individuals, reports and events as evidence rather than vague references to the press or the public.
- 💡Distinguish between the impact of reportage and the impact of humanitarian campaigning when reaching a judgement.
Common Mistakes
- Error: Assuming the initial phase of the Boer War was characterised by guerrilla warfare. Correction: Recognise that the Boers initially conducted conventional sieges and battles; guerrilla operations emerged later in the conflict.
- Error: Treating the sieges as isolated events. Correction: Link them to broader themes of public morale, imperial defence and the strain on resources.
- Error: Overstating the immediate impact of Black Week. Correction: Show how it was a catalyst for change, but also consider longer-term factors in the war's outcome.
- Treating Buller as simply incompetent: the correction is to balance his early defeats against his eventual relief of Ladysmith and his careful logistical preparations.
- Assuming Roberts alone won the war: the correction is to recognise that Boer guerrilla resistance continued after his departure and required Kitchener's blockhouse and column system.
- Describing the concentration camps without context: the correction is to explain them as part of Kitchener's wider attritional strategy while acknowledging the high mortality from disease and poor administration.
- Treating public opinion as uniform: the correction is to distinguish patriotic enthusiasm, growing unease and outright opposition, and to show how these coexisted.
- Crediting Hobhouse alone with ending the camps: the correction is to place her reports alongside the Fawcett Commission and government responses in a wider process of reform.
- Reducing Churchill's impact to his escape: the correction is to consider his wider reporting and its role in sustaining a heroic narrative of the conflict.