The British view of a war in South Africa (1899)

Abstract

On the eve of the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902), Great Britain was the world's only superpower. The British Empire possessed colonies right across the globe, and the Royal Navy was unchallenged on the world's oceans. The British Army had a permanent force strength of 249 466 (all ranks) – including 125 105 soldiers stationed in the United Kingdom, 73 157 in India, and 51 204 in the other colonies. There were also 129 572 militia (plus 2732 Maltese and Bermudan militia, as well as 3996 Channel Isles militia), 11 891 Yeomanry members, 264 833 volunteers, and about 90 000 other reserves - a grand total of more than 750 000 soldiers.