British Concentration Camps During the Boer War

2016-01-18T17:44:12Z

Sebastian Schmetz: Between 1899 and 1902, the British army set up concentration camps for "Boer"-prisoners during the second Boer war. This was part of the republican policy of "scorched earth" and was meant to end the war, but ended in a desaster.

== '''British Concentration Camps during the Boer War''' ==

The British concentration camps were set up in South Africa during the second Boer War between 1899 and 1902.

Wives and children of Boer soldiers were kept in these camps to keep their husbands from fighting
and to end the war this way. This strategy was part of the so called policy of “scorched earth”,
brought forward by the republicans, which included the burning of every Boer-farm and crops
and the killing of all livestock to deprive the guerrillas from food and shelter. (BBC)

The first two camps were set up as refugee camps for people that had surrendered,
but soon they were also used to imprison fighters and mostly the families of fighting boers.

Due to the “Apartheid”, there existed separate Camps for black and for white prisoners.
In total there were 109 British concentration camps in South Africa,
45 for white internees and 64 for black people. (geni.com)

Although these camps were not meant to be “death camps” like the Nazi-regime built up during the Second World War,
the poor conditions in these camps caused the dead of about 27,000 people,
most of them innocent women and children. The biggest problems in the British concentration camps
were the poor diet, the bad hygienic conditions and that they were totally overcrowded.
This lead to malnutrition and diseases.

Sources:
http://www.geni.com/projects/Anglo-Boere-Oorlog-Boer-War-1899-1902-British-Concentration-Camps/854

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/boer_wars_01.shtml#eight

http://www.whale.to/b/british6.html

http://www.sahistory.org.za/

http://www.angloboerwar.com/

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British Concentration Camps During the Boer War