Conflict Perspectives: South Africa - The Anglo-Boer war - Research Paper Example

Running head: CONFLICT RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES Conflict Research Perspectives: South Africa – The Anglo-Boer War CONFLICT RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES 2 Conflict Research Perspectives: South Africa – The Anglo-Boer War Some may read the Second Anglo-Boer War as a colonial conflict, but on a wider scale, it is a precursor of WW1. However, this does not mean that preventing the Anglo-Boer War would have prevented the occurrence of the WW1, since the clash between the British and Germans are not solely focused in South Africa.

Focusing on the conflict itself as it happened in South Africa presents several causes of this war. There had been conflict between republican and imperialist political beliefs, tensions between political leaders, hunger for gold, and even the Uitlander franchise and the Jameson Raid (McLeod, Baker, Jones, & Jones, 2000, p. 141-2). This war is not about greed for wealth. It is a fact that traditionally anti-British nations such as Germany, Belgium, and France had established and guarded their own agenda in the mining industry of the Transvaal.

These imperialists are not known for their civilized treatment of their colonized people. A great example of this are the Dutch settlers who do not pay taxes, do not observe rules set by the government, and even openly conducted genocide against their neighbors. Two groups even considered themselves “republics” when neither group reached more than 26 families as population (Roberts, 1995, p. 743). What they merely wanted was to have the Black residents submit to their rule. Black rulers of the region even considered them as threat in the South Africa interior (Miller, 2005, p. 703). As with any offensive, it is a great desire to win the situation by unifying conflicting forces under the British rule, particularly within the South Africa region.

Transvaal government with be allowed to continue their rule, but easier access should be given to Uitlanders who come to the region to do business with the Transvalers. CONFLICT RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES 3 References McLeod, T., Baker, A., Jones, H. M., & Jones, M. G. M. (January 01, 2000). Review of Battles & Battlefields of the Anglo Boer War 1899-1902. African Affairs, 99, 394, 141-142. Miller, S. M. (January 01, 2005). In Support of the "Imperial Mission"? Volunteering for the South African War, 1899-1902.

Journal of Military History, 69, 3, 691-711. Roberts, J. M. (1995). The Penguin history of the world. London, England: Penguin Books. 742- 743. Steyn, M. (January 01, 2003). A comparison between pre- and post-colonial health in the northern parts of South Africa, a preliminary study. World Archaeology, 35, 2, 276-288.