Everything Everywhere Daily · Thursday, July 30, 2026
The Second Boer War, beginning in 1899, saw the British Empire employ controversial tactics to control the region's gold fields. British commander Lord Kitchener implemented a scorched earth policy, destroying farms, and established concentration camps for displaced civilians, leading to the deaths of nearly 28,000 Boer civilians.
“The Second Boer War kicked off in 1899, and this time, the Boers were met with the full, undivided attention of the British Empire.”
“During the Second Boer War, the British adopted a scorched earth policy against the highly effective Boer guerrilla units.”
“The second strategy was to round up thousands of people who were displaced by the destruction of rural farms into concentration camps.”
“Worse still, they became breeding grounds for starvation and deadly disease, claiming the lives of nearly 28,000 Boer civilians, the vast majority of them being women and children.”