The British Army in 1899: Problems that hampered preparations for war in South Africa

Abstract

In a previous article the British view of a war in South Africa was discussed, including the way in which problems with regard to military intelligence affected this view and hampered preparations with regard to the coming war. In this article three other aspects typical of the British Army in 1899 will be analyzed, namely the conflict between the military and political leaders, financial problems, and the problem of reinforcements, i.e. manpower shortages.

In the light of the fact that by the end of the nineteenth century Great Britain was the world's only super-power, one would have thought that the British Army would have sorted out its relationship with its political masters, and that it would have had
access to sufficient funds and a sufficient number of soldiers to defend Britian's global interests. The run-up to and outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War on 11 October 1899, and the defeats suffered by the British forces under the command of Gen. Redvers Buller, indicated that all was not well with Britain's army.