Apr 15
The Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902) was a major conflict between the British Empire and the Boer republics of the South African Republic (Transvaal) and the Orange Free State, rooted in imperial rivalry, economic interests, and competing political visions in southern Africa. The discovery of gold in the Witwatersrand (1886) intensified tensions, as British authorities sought greater influence over the region while Boer leaders aimed to preserve independence. War broke out in 1899 during the reign of Queen Victoria (reign 1837–1901), with early Boer successes reflecting mobility, local knowledge, and effective use of defensive tactics against a numerically superior but initially unprepared imperial force.
