Medium

Second Boer War

War between the British Empire and Boer republics that reshaped British control in southern Africa.

Timeline
1899-1902
Duration
4 years
Region
Southern Africa
Record
Static archive

Historical overview

Overview adapted from a Wikipedia summary and stored locally on May 11, 2026.

The Second Boer War, also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the Boer republics over Britain's influence in Southern Africa.

Theater countries

South Africa

Actors

British EmpireSouth African RepublicOrange Free State

Tags

empirecolonial-warsouth-africa

Border context

1872-1899historical border era

High imperial age

Imperial expansion and late nineteenth-century state competition reshape Africa, East Asia and the Caribbean.

Japan rises as a regional power after war with Qing China. European colonial borders harden across Africa.
1900-1913historical border era

Imperial world order

Large empires still structure much of the map, including Ottoman, Russian, British, French and Austro-Hungarian power.

Colonial borders dominate Africa and Asia. The Balkan Wars begin the rapid retreat of Ottoman Europe.

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