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International RelationsThe South African/Boer War
British Subjects:
In the late 19th and early 20th century, the majority of Canadians were of British decent
Many felt a strong kinship to Great Britain
Canadians were British subjects and an important part of their world empire
Canada and the British Empire
Canadiens
French Canadians felt no such connection to the British or its empire
They had been isolated from Europe since before the British “Conquest” beginning in 1759
Imperial EntanglementsThough Canada was a self-governing dominion within the British Empire, there was danger of getting caught up in conflicts with little or nothing to do with Canada
A global empire had to maintain itself against:
Rebels
Other imperial powers
The South African War 1899-1902
Also known as the Boer War
Was the first time Canada officially dispatched troops to an overseas war
Boer War: Origins
In 1899 fighting erupted between Great Britain and the Boers
The Boers (or Afrikaaners) were descendants of early Dutch settlers and had won the right to self-government (under British rule) in Southern Africa
Boer War: Origins
In 1885 gold is discovered in Transvaal, one of the Boer republics
British investors flooded in and the Boers restricted their rights
Investors and British residents of the Transvaal hoped Britain would intervene
Boer War: Origins
In 1895, a British businessman Cecil Rhodes financed an attempt to seize control of the Transvaal during the “Jamestown Raid”
It failed, but the Boers feared the British would try again, possibly with the help of the British army
Anglo-Boer War
In 1899, fearing the British were seeking war, the Boers attacked and forced the British to suffer a number of setbacks
Canada’s Role
Britain called on the Empire for help
PM Laurier is torn between two impossible positions:
1. Support Britain and lose all support in Quebec
2. Avoid committing Canada and enrage British/English Canada
Laurier’s Compromise
Laurier agreed to send volunteers, providing that Britain paid their expenses
7,000 Canadian soldiers (including 12 female nurses) served in Southern Africa over a 3 year period
War Continues
In 1900 the tide of battle turned, British forces took control of most Boer territories
The superior British military forced the Boers to turn to guerrilla tactics (war of ambush and retreat)
The British eventually defeated the Boers by not allowing sympathetic farmers to give them food, water, or lodging
They moved civilians to internment camps, and burned Boer houses and farms
Opposition to the WarOpposition to the war in Canada was strongest in Quebec
Henri Bourassa, a former Laurier supporter and Liberal MP, resigned over the war and was re-elected as an independent
In his newspaper “Le Devoid” he opposed the war and argues for a nationalist policy for the country
Results
The war ended with the Treaty of Veeriningen
A direct result of the war was the founding of South Africa- a country that would be dominated by the large Boer population
Canadian soldiers fought bravely and were commended for their abilities
267 Canadians were killed in the Boer War
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