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Military History – South Africa – Europe – England 19th Century
.Article – Online Historic Information | Military
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became the commander of the Transvaal’s forces in March 1900. In spite of the energetic efforts
of the British to capture him, he remained in the field to the end of the war.
Botha was born on the family farm and gained some military experience in the Zulu Civil War of
1883–88. In 1886 he married a lady described by the British press as “of Irish descent whose maiden
name was Emmet, and who claims relationship to Thomas Addis Emmet, the United Irish leader of
1798, and to Robert Emmet, executed for high treason in 1803”. The Bothas moved to a farm in the
Vryheid district of the New Republic, which became part of the Transvaal in 1888.
When General Lucas Meyer fell ill outside Ladysmith during the Battle of Lombard’s Kop or
Modderspruit on Mournful Monday, 30 October 1899, he was replaced by the young Botha. After
Ladysmith was besieged Botha continued south until, after the Battle of Willow Grange, his
commander, Piet Joubert decided to turn back. Botha was then responsible for the preparation of the
defences along the Tugela River in anticipation of Buller’s attempt to relieve Ladysmith. He assumed,
correctly, but only because the Englishman changed his mind, that Buller would attack frontally along
the railway line. Botha plotted to let the enemy cross the river, blow up the bridge behind them and
destroy them, leaving them no means of retreat. Buller, however, sought to secure his flanks first and
in failing to do so had to abort a frontal advance. At Spioenkop Botha failed to garrison the hill
sufficiently to prevent British occupation, but he reacted firmly and fast, bringing the British under
ferocious shellfire and rallying his men to clamber up the kop. After a terrible day’s fighting the
Boers were ready to abandon the Tugela line, and it was only Botha’s personal intervention that kept
them in place.
Botha could not, however, prevent Buller’s eventual success in the Battle of the Tugela Heights
in February 1900, nor could he halt the British advance northwards. Botha’s plans to resist at Langs
Nek were put into action by his brother, Assistant Commandant-general Christiaan Botha, but were
frustrated by Buller’s elegant flanking movement through Botha’s Pass. After the fall of Pretoria in
June, Botha held Lord Roberts for two days in the Battle of Diamond Hill and at the end of August
fought the last set-piece battle of the war at Bergendal when, once again, Buller had the better of him.
In the guerrilla phase of the war Botha not only remained at large, but contrived the defeat of Colonel
G. E. Benson at Bakenlaagte and the victory over Lieutenant-colonel Hubert Gough at Blood River
Poort. However, it became clear to him that the Boer cause could not be won and he advocated peace
at the conference in May 1902.
After the war he became the first Prime Minister of the new Union of South Africa in 1910.
When the First World War began in 1914 he supported the British and put down the rebellion led by
his former comrade, Christiaan De Wet. He then commanded the South African forces against the
Germans in South West Africa, a campaign that he completed in July 1915. He was present at the
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