Martin Marais

The Battle of Paardeberg: Lord Roberts' Gambit Martin Marais

The Boer War (1899-1902) was fought between the tiny South African Boer republics and the might of the British Empire. For the British it was a foretaste of the devastating power of the modern weaponry they would face in the First World War and they suffered a series of catastrophic defeats. In response Field Marshal Frederick 'Bobs' Roberts initiated one of the most audacious manoeuvres of the war. His objective was to outflank General Pieter Cronjé, 'the Lion of Potchefstroom' and his Boer army which sat astride the route to the besieged town of Kimberley. The move would culminate in one of the bloodiest conflicts of the war; the battle of Paardeberg and the outcome was far from certain for either man. Would it be Lord Roberts or General Cronjé that prevailed?