Battles of isandlwana and rorkes drift south african. This narrative, passed along in oral histories, recorded in school textbooks, and frozen. Jul 03, 2007 blood river tells us the recent history of the congo and its descent from a wealthy and functioning country into a failed state. African historyafrican artdiy arts and craftsbook craftsmilitary dioramamilitary artbritish uniformspower to the people.
The blood river monument and museum complex is located west of the river. And i am very interested in africa and its history. View all restaurants near blood river heritage site on tripadvisor. In addition, youll find great book recommendations that may be of interest to you based on your search and purchase history, as well as the most wished for and most gifted books. The battle of blood river south african history online. Charlize theron reminds us of a shameful episode in british history. The battle of blood river was one of the great tragedies in the history of the many voortrekkers leaving the cape colony, to move to the natal region on the eastern coast of south africa. The battlefields of kwazulunatal and the revision of south african. In his book huet vehemently criticises and attacks the tendency to identify. The anniversary of the voortrekker victory is a public holiday in south africa.
Just in advance of the highlanders, two pieces of artillery have just been placed in position, and these immediately open fire upon the enemy. But after decades of slaughtering hundreds of thousands of innocent black tribesmen across south africa they never managed to reorganize themselves completely. The clashes that occurred in this strifetorn land are brought to life as you stand on remote expanses of once bloodsoaked ground where dutch, british, xhosa, voortrekker, matabele, zulu, boer and others fought to the death. After a unita occupying force arrived, the battleweary men boarded their vehicles and headed back toward namibia, unaware they had scored one of the greatest victories in the history of south africa. In previous years afrikaaners lorded their victory here, but today the day of the battle december 16 is know as the day of reconciliation in south africa. However, it is not just coincidence of coat of arms where we find the identity of the white man in south african history. Blood river outspan lodge south africa accommodation. Battle of blood river faction versus reality southern. The battle took place during the early hours of 17 february. Origins of the battle of blood river 1838 south african. The blood river heritage site, near dundee in kwazulunatal, is probably one of the most unique battlefields in southafrica. About 10 00020 000 zulu warriors led by dinganes generals dambuza nzobo and ndlela kasompisi attacked the voortrekkers, but the 470 voortrekkers, with the advantage of gun powder, warded them off. More than 3000 zulu casualties were counted around the laager.
Everything racism was prevalent in south africa since the battle of blood river in 1838, the introduction fo apartheid in 1948 created a turning point in south african history that led to segregation, government corruption, and economic distress. Battle of blood river, kwazulu natal, south africa december. The clashes that occurred in this strifetorn land are brought to life as you stand on remote expanses of once blood soaked ground where dutch, british, xhosa, voortrekker, matabele, zulu, boer and others fought to the death. Military history journal vol 10 no 5 june 1997 memorials of the battle of boomplaats 29 august 1848. Blood river heritage site dundee 2020 all you need to. Probably the most important and best known battle ever to be fought on south african soil, blood river presents a number of fascinating and. Interpretation of south african history as a source of divine. Voortrekker monument pretoria 2020 all you need to. I would like to confirm that what you wrote is absolutely correct and happened just as you wrote. The beauty if one can call it that of the battle sites in south africa is that they are, for the most part, unchanged. As the soviet union teetered on the edge of collapse during the late 1980s, and america prepared to claim its victory, a bloody war still raged in southern africa, where proxy forces from both sides vied for control of angola.
The battle of bergendal also known as the battle of belfast or battle of dalmanutha took place in south africa during the second angloboer war. Pdf the battlefields of kwazulunatal and the revision of south. Online history video on the battle of spion kop, the bloodiest battle of the anglo boer war in south africa 1899 1902, where winston churchill reported that up to seven bombs per minute were landing on top of the spion kop mountain with massive clouds of orange lydite and that the british soldiers in the trenches were being blown to atoms. South africas national holidays a look at the significance of south africas seven national holidays. For the glory of god, the reformation society shall exist to restore and preserve appreciation for our protestant and reformed christian heritage. On 30 th june 1879, the british flying column and the second division advanced into the valley of the white mfonzi, towards ulundi. Some historians differ from the researched version of the events leading up to the 1838 battle of blood river slag van bloedrivier or impi yasencome. Dec 16, 20 the battle of blood river a case study in african fundamentals jacob zuma is reported to have said that it is his goal to avenge blood river. This attraction is a must see to understand the settlement days of south africa. I am a 27 year old afrikaaner white south african, having just read your page on the battle of blood river.
It was as if the fright that had taken hold of their hearts on that day remained with them forever. Its proximate cause was a clash over land rights in natal and the massacre of voortrekkers by the zulu king dingane. New black panther party in south africa setting up branches united nations to investigate the anc regime of south africa for human rights abuses charlize theron reminds us of a shameful episode in british history the battle of blood river 16 december 1838 blood sisters. On 16 december 1838 the battle of blood river took place near the ncome river in kwazulu natal. It was also the last time that the boers four 155 mm creusot long. It will give you a good base to begin your tour of this lovely country. The battle was the last setpiece battle of the war, although it was still to last another two years. Starting at lake tanganjika and ending at the atlantic ocean where the river congo.
Dec 31, 2017 february 28, 20 henri le riche afrikaner, general, military, south africa, south africa history comments we so often hear about blood river where the voortrekkers defeated 10 000 zulus. For over a century and a half, throughout south africa, 16 december has been observed as the day of the covenant. The name blood river makes this locations violent history obvious. The title of the book in which kotzes sermons were published serves as a. This is where a battle was fought between the boers and the zulus on the 16 th december now a public holiday in south africa, 1838. Kajsa normans book traces the war for control of south africa, its people, and its history, over a series of december 16ths, from the battle of blood river in 1838. United nations to investigate the anc regime of south africa for human rights abuses. Several of my ancestors took part in that very battle. The site is located 43 km from dundee, 24 km from nqutu and 73 km from vryheid. Battle of blood river memorial south africa trip historic. Only, 3 voortrekkers including voortrekker leader pretorius were wounded, none were killed. The battle of elands river was an engagement of the second boer war that took place between 4 and 16 august 1900 in western transvaal.
The battle of blood river memorial is located in the kwazulunatal province, south africa. The battle of blood river, so called due to the colour of water in the ncome river turning red from blood, was fought between 470 voortrekkers led by andries pretorius, and an estimated 10,00015,000 zulu attackers on the bank of the ncome river on 16 december 1838, in what is today kwazulunatal, south africa. Fugitives drift tours other tours blood river tours. Before we look at blood river, its important to know what happened before that, just as circumstances were critical to the christian foundations of america. The background to this event can be found in two concurrent historical processes of the 1820s and the 1830s. South african history on this first settlers to migrate north from the english ruled cape colony at the most southern tip, before becoming the south african republic. The battle of boomplaats is, relatively speaking, one of south africas least known battles. South africa the battle of blood river 16 des 1838. New black panther party in south africa setting up branches. In 1910 the union government proclaimed dingaans day a public holiday for the whole of south africa. Dec 19, 2016 the recurring metaphor throughout the book is the seminal battle of blood river on 16th december, 1838 when 464 boers armed with rifles held off a zulu army of 10 000 warriors armed with spears without the loss of a single boer soldier. The recurring metaphor throughout the book is the seminal battle of blood river on 16th december, 1838 when 464 boers armed with rifles held off a zulu army of 10 000 warriors armed with spears without the loss of a single boer soldier.
This was only achieved after defeating the zulu king, dingane, at the greatest battle ever fought in south africa, namely the battle of blood river, which took place on sunday 16 december 1838. Along the orange river in south africa, there lies the breakaway republic of. This site examines in great detail the real issues in south africa including history, psychology, culture, spiritual issues, etc using critical issue techniques to lift out the most important elements with regard to each subject. The bloody battle of blood river south africa tours, travel. From about 500ad bantu speaking people from central and eastern africa had migrated into south. On 3 rd july 1879, colonel buller took his mounted men across the river to reconnoitre the zulu position. Therefore, i was very curious for this book which describes one of the most challenging travels in contemporary africa. This is a fascinating piece of south african history and always reminds me of american history of the wagon trains heading west. Jul, 2015 battle of blood river, kwazulu natal, south africa december 16, 1838. The south african entertainment industry is one of the best rated when it comes to producing some of the best quality african movies. The site is sign posted with blood river, ncome or blood river encome signs. From about 50,000bc groups of san people migrate out southern africa eventually giving rise apparently to modern man in the rest of the world.
On 16 december 1838, 464 voortrekkers and their servants under command of andries pretorius defeated king dinganes approximately 10 000 impi under command of ndlela kasompisi. Van loggerenberg summed up the role of the church in the history of the. Rorkes drift 2020 all you need to know before you go. Weaving between the past and the present, the book highlights how years of fear, nationalism, and social engineering have left the modern afrikaner struggling for identity and relevance. Accommodation near blood river blood river is a historic site where afrikaans and zulu forces clashed. The annual commemoration of the battle of blood river originates from a vow which the. First, the great trek afrikaans for great organised migration or the political. In the opening of this picture we see in the foreground a company of highlanders preparing for a charge on the boer entrenchments seen in the distance. The battle of blood river the fellowship of gods covenant. Stanleys famous 1874 expedition in which he mapped the congo river. A surprise attack was launched on the unsuspecting trekker lagers on the bloukrans and bushmans rivers.
Prior to the battle of blood river andries pretorius took a vow before god for deliverance that should they be granted victory that day would forever be celebrated in his honour. Marking the decisive battle of blood river, the day of the covenant has been recognised by many, not only as a victory for the voortrekkers, but as a triumph for western civilization and christianity in africa. Having recently read a graphic account of the battle and the events leading up to the battle, this got me thinking following are some points. The first europeans to colonize what is now south africa were the dutch. The battle of blood river was the pivotal event in south african history. A weapon that put the same devastating firepower seen at blood river into the hands of just a single man. It was launched on december 16, the same day as the afrikaners defeated the zulus at the battle of the blood river 100 years earlier, not long after the massacre in sharpeville of 69 unarmed. The river was the scene of a battle between the zulu and the voortrekker boers on dec.
Bottom line is that south african economic collapse is postulated within five years and. After several volleys from the battery, the highlanders charge. Koch psalm 46 1 yahweh is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. In dinganes armies first attack, zulu warriors massacred some 500 more of retiefs followers, twothirds of them women and children, half of them black. The battle of blood river occurred in south africa, fought between the zulu and the voortrekker boers on december 16, 1838. Heartstopping graphic account of the greatest last stand in british history 140 years ago this week. The battle of blood river so called due to the colour of water in the ncome river turning red with blood, afrikaans. On the way back from st lucia we took a detour and visited the blood river monument which consists of lifesize bronze replicas of the wagons involved in the historic battle of blood river. The 16th december is to this day being celebrated as the day of the covenant, mostly by afrikaans speaking south africans. By 100,000bc the san people had settle in southern africa. The ncome river became red with the blood of the slain.
Minute by bloodsoaked minute, the true story of zulu. Feb 16, 2018 south african history on this first settlers to migrate north from the english ruled cape colony at the most southern tip, before becoming the south african republic. Blood river outspan lodge offers four traditionally decorated bedrooms sleeping 12 guests in total. In the congo the law is no more than another excuse for one group of people to arbitrarily extract i have a theory which is that politicians often cannot do much to help a country but can certainly ruin one.
In december 1878 sir bartle frere, the british high commissioner for south africa, issued an ultimatum to cetshwayo, the. The result was the largest battle on the dark continent since al alamein, with forces from both sides paying in blood what u. The angloboer war is often described as a domestic quarrel of the white people, as the two independent boer republics the south african republic or transvaal and the orange free state republic in the north fought against great britain and its two colonies the cape colony and natal in the south of what in 1910 became known as south africa. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. The day of the covenant and the battle of blood river. So many perished there that the river itself ran red with their blood, leading to the battle being called the battle of blood river. The battle of blood river kinsman redeemer ministries. The battle of blood river was between the voortrekkers under the leadership of andries pretorius and the zulus under the leadership of dingane the zulu king. Fifty years of the history of the republic in south africa 17951845. Some 3000 zulu warriors were slaughtered in the battle and the ncome river ran red with blood. At that time natal was largely inhabited by the zulus, who had developed into one of the strongest and most powerful black nations of africa. Kajsa normans book traces the war for control of south africa, its people, and its history, over a series of december 16ths, from the battle of blood river in 1838 to its commemoration in 2011. We have a fully licenced restaurant on the premises which serves breakfast, lunch and dinners on request.
The battle was fought at brakfontein drift near the elands river between a force of 2,000 to 3,000 boers and a garrison of 500 australian, rhodesian. Blood river is a historic site where afrikaans and zulu forces clashed. By car from dundee, follow route r33 for around 18km and then follow the signs for blood river a further 30km or so. The sa military history society is a nonprofit society of enthusiasts dedicated to the study, recording and dissemination of military aspects of south africas history. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Blood river, afrikaans bloedrivier, also called ncome river, short stream in kwazulunatal province, south africa, a tributary of the buffalo mzinyathi river. The battle seemed all the more wondrous, when the final casualty total was counted more than 3000 zulu dead and not one trekker even seriously injured.
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