TOPIC:

Many nations supported the Boers in the War.

Here is an article from the Russian perspective from the Morning Post, 28 Jun 1900:

David

Proof again that newspapers are the source of much interesting information. Some can no doubt be easily matched with contemporary accounts from other sources, but I wondered about the under-manning of the Boer front line at Pieters. I had not read of this before now, and I wonder if it can be confirmed?

Regards
Brett

Brett Hendey wrote: David

Proof again that newspapers are the source of much interesting information. Some can no doubt be easily matched with contemporary accounts from other sources, but I wondered about the under-manning of the Boer front line at Pieters. I had not read of this before now, and I wonder if it can be confirmed?

Regards
Brett

I wrote a paper about the foreign volunteers when at university - very interesting bunch.

The most famous of them all, the French de Villebois-Maureuil was, like this article, critical of the Boers lack of discipline and their "take it or leave it" attitude to fighting. He did not comment specifically on Pieter's Hill though.

Regards
Meurig

Hi David,

When I read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's account of "the Great Boer war" I was amused to discover that he mentions and I quote "one squadron of South African Horse was composed almost entirely of Texan muleteers."
Presumably they were Uitlanders working on the Jo'burg mines.

I do believe though that some of those that fought with the Boers, were fighting against the British rather ther than actually fighting for the Boer's cause.

regards, Iain

iaindh wrote: Hi David,

When I read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's account of "the Great Boer war" I was amused to discover that he mentions and I quote "one squadron of South African Horse was composed almost entirely of Texan muleteers."
Presumably they were Uitlanders working on the Jo'burg mines.

I do believe though that so of those that fought with the Boers, were fighting against the British rather ther than actually fighting for the Boer's cause.

regards, Iain

Hello Iain

These men were, I beleive, the muleteers who accompanied shipments of mules from the US for the British Army in SA during the war.

The reason many fought is two sides of the same coin; they were republicans, they disliked empire. Some had more reason to fight the British, like the Irish who saw the Boer War as a continuation of the Irish fight for liberty. The Frenchman de Villebois-Maureuil was called "the Lafayette of South Africa" after his compatriot who fought with the Americans during their War of Independence. Interestingly both men were aristocrats like the many British officers each of them faced.

Regards
Meurig

Hi Meurig,

I believe the German and Russian support of the Afrikaans Republics were based on jealousy of the British Empire, particularly the Germans with it coming to a head in WWI.
I agree with you with the Irish; it was a chance to fight he British and they even had some Irish Americans fighting with them.
I cant speak for de Villebois-Maureuil; I'm sure his reasons may have been noble but the French can also be anti British now and again....

regards, Iain


[quote="SWB"

Hello Iain

These men were, I beleive, the muleteers who accompanied shipments of mules from the US for the British Army in SA during the war.

The reason many fought is two sides of the same coin; they were republicans, they disliked empire. Some had more reason to fight the British, like the Irish who saw the Boer War as a continuation of the Irish fight for liberty. The Frenchman de Villebois-Maureuil was called "the Lafayette of South Africa" after his compatriot who fought with the Americans during their War of Independence. Interestingly both men were aristocrats like the many British officers each of them faced.

Regards
Meurig[/quote]