Zulu War

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The Zulu War of 1879 was an undeclared war between the Zulu people of South Africa and the British Empire. After initial successes of the Zulu, especially in the Battle of Isandhlwana, the British were ultimately victorious in the Battle of Ulundi. Due to the defeat of the Zulu, Zululand lost its sovereignty.

Prehistory

Rise of the Zulu
The Zulu are a Bantu people based in today's South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. In the early 19th century, the Zulu under King Shaka established a powerful kingdom between the Tugela and Pongola rivers by subjugating their neighboring tribes and introducing a centralized military system. This could also assert itself against Boer attacks during the “Great Trek”.

In 1852, Zulu King Mpande granted Boer farmers settlement rights in the areas south of Pongola and east of the Blood River. They then founded the Republic of Utrecht. While the Zulu continued to see the area as part of Zululand, the Boers considered themselves independent. This was never acknowledged by the Zulu and the settlers lived with the constant concern of Zulu attacks. This conflict continued to smoulder when the republic, which had since become part of the Boer South African Republic, came under British rule with the annexation of the latter by Great Britain.

British expansion

In 1867, under the British Colonial Minister Lord Carnar, the British North America Act of 1867 was passed, which granted the British colonies in Canada a constitution and a certain autonomy from Great Britain. Carnarvon wanted to proceed in a similar manner in South Africa. Thus, the Cape Colony already received internal autonomy in 1872. To realize this plan, he sent Henry Bartle Frere as High Commissioner to South Africa. A major obstacle to the project was the existence of two independent neighbouring states: the South African Republic and the Kingdom of Zululand. In addition, Zululand under his king Cetshwayo had a large and well-organized army and the British feared Zulu attacks on their colony Natal. After the annexation of Natal in 1843 and the South African Republic in 1877 by the British Empire, Zululand was now almost completely surrounded by British-dominated territory.

In 1878, Sir Henry Bulwer, Governor of Natal, set up a border commission to resolve the border issue between the annexed South African Republic (now called Transvaal) and Zululand (disputed territory). She decided in almost all points in favor of the Zulu. Frere, who saw the result as "unilateral and unfair to the Boers" (said Boers had become British subjects by annexing the South African Republic), decreed that Boer settlements in the disputed area should be protected. Cetshwayo became a stubborn attitude and the toleration of