While reading a Gale Database article on the Boer wars, I got the impression that the British were in conflict with the Dutch, because of a strong ambition to become rich. The British first took complete control over the Transvaal in the southern tip of Africa, and then went on to follow the Dutch to the Orange Free State. The British were very ambitious, and didn't care at all that the lands of the Orange Free State were already occupied by the Dutch. They just wanted the rich lands and had no consideration for the Native Africans nor the Dutch. The Dutch were just looking for farmlands, and unfortunately their farmlands also were these mineral and gold packed lands that the British wanted. The Lands obviously belonged to the Dutch because they were there first after the natives, but since the British had a very solid army, the Dutch couldn't do much about the British. If it is true that the Dutch couldn't do much about the British, then why were these Boer wars very bloody?
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
most likely because the Dutch were really stuborn about leaving and attempted to put up a fight even though they knew they would loose. They also could have thought that more help was coming from Holland, but that never came. Do you think when the Dutch moved inland they knew that gold was there and thats why they moved or was it an honest "take whatever land you want british we will get out of your way." Because i can understand that it would be annoying if you already gave up land to the British and then they were greedy enough to try to take even more
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be saying that even though the Dutch were there first, the British were easily able to take over the land due to their vastly superior army. The Dutch are not likely to simply abandon their land so war broke out. It seems pretty obvious that the war is going to be bloody if one side of the conflict has a much better army and has advanced farther with the technology behind warfare (new guns, cartridges, strategies, etc.) The more advanced side (the British) is just going to annihilate the weaker side (the Dutch) which will involved a lot of bloodshed by the stubborn Dutch,
ReplyDelete