The Anglo-Zulu War, fought between the British and
the Zulus, began with the British invasion of Zululand.
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| British forces entered Zululand under thinly veiled pretexts. |
Following Lord Carnarvon's successful introduction of
federation in Canada, it was thought that similar political effort, coupled
with military campaigns, might succeed with the African kingdoms, tribal areas
and Boer republics in South Africa.
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| British regulars in their distinctive red coats. |
In 1874, Sir Henry Bartle Frere was sent to South Africa
as High Commissioner for the British Empire to bring such plans into being.
Among the obstacles were the presence of the independent states of the South
African Republic and the Kingdom of Zululand and its army. Frere, on his own
initiative, without the approval of the British government and with the intent
of instigating a war with the Zulu, had presented an ultimatum on December 11, 1878,
to the Zulu king Cetshwayo with which the Zulu king could not comply. Bartle
Frere then sent Lord Chelmsford to invade Zululand.
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| Early Zulu victories shocked the British, but also strengthened their resolve. |
The war is notable for several particularly bloody
battles, including a stunning opening victory by the Zulu at the Battle of
Isandlwana, as well as for being a landmark in the timeline of imperialism in
the region. The war eventually resulted in a British victory and the end of the
Zulu nation's independence.
[January 11, 1879]
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