The Anglo-Zulu War was a military conflict between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Zululand. It took place from January 8 to July 4, 1879, in South Africa. The root cause of the Anglo-Zulu War was the discovery of diamonds in the region, in the land near the Vaal River, in 1867. This led to an increased British interest in the area. However, there were two obstacles: the Boers (politically organized in the Orange Free State and the Republic of Transvaal), and the Kingdom of Zululand, which had arisen in the first half of the 19th century.
Summary
During the 1870s, West Griqualand, which was the territory where diamonds had been discovered, was annexed to the British Empire. In December 1878, the British High Commissioner, Sir Henry Bartle Frere, sent an ultimatum to Cetshwayo, the King of Zululand. Having obtained no answer to the ultimatum, 15,000 British troops, under the command of Lord Chelmsford, began the invasion of Zululand on January 8, 1879.
The Anglo-Zulu War was savage and comprises a series of eight battles, beginning with the Battle of Isandlwana, at which 22,000 Zulu warriors defeated 1,800 British soldiers on January 22, 1879. Having overcome three military defeats (Battle of Isandlwana, Battle of Intombe, and Battle of Hlobane), the British began gaining the upperhand as they obtained decisive victories in the last four battles of the war: Battle of Kambula (March 29), Battle of Gingindlovu (April 2), Battle of Eshowe (April 3), and Battle of Ulundi (July 4, 1879).
As a result of the British victory over the Zulus, the Kingdom of Zululand and their culture were terminated.
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