Was Cetshwayo really a threat!

Posts : 706 Join date : 2012-05-05

Would the Zulu problem really have got out hand, if the British hadn't got involved. Could the Boers have not solved the problem themselves? They beat the Zulus at Blood river, with lessor superior weapons than what was available in 1879.

Posts : 2581 Join date : 2009-04-24

Ray wrote:: Could the Boers have not solved the problem themselves?

That's a good question for our colonial cousins!

Subject: Re: Was Cetshwayo really a threat! Thu Sep 19, 2013 11:33 pm

The military forces of Transvaal Republic were hard pressed keeping the baPedi in check, the first British attempt fared little better.

I would hate to think how they might have fought a war on two fronts.

John Y.

Posts : 1086 Join date : 2012-05-12 Location : NYC

Ray63 wrote:: Would the Zulu problem really have got out hand, if the British hadn't got involved.

I don't know what you mean by "got out of hand" but Cetshwayo was trying to remain on the good side of the British by limiting the aggression up there as best he could.

Quote :: Could the Boers have not solved the problem themselves?

By leaving, yes.

Quote :: They beat the Zulus at Blood river, with lessor superior weapons than what was available in 1879.

Right. And the British had the Colonial forces, the Martini-Henry and cannon available to them at Isandlwana and what good did it do them? Besides, one battle does not a war make, as the Zulu were to learn the hard way. Without the British as a counterbalance it would have been a very one-sided boundary dispute.

Guest

Err,hello,Kimberley, the black flag rebellion.
the gold,the diamonds,the black labour,the
blood.us.yes.shame.yes.reconciliation.of
course.South Africa today is a world apart
from the continuing effects of that fatal
policy of ' confederation ' ' subjugation '.
long live the whole people of RSA. xhosa

Subject: Re: Was Cetshwayo really a threat! Fri Sep 20, 2013 7:36 am

The Zulu were blocking the transport of labour from Mozambique to the mines, therefore in the way of big business, just one of the reasons , aprt from the ones mentioned by xhosa, then look at the Russian threat. All in all the war had nothing at all to do with a potential Zulu threat. That is of course in my humble opinion.

Cheers

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 41

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