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Louis Botha's War: The Campaign in South West Africa, 1914 - 1915
Louis Botha was prime minister of the Union of South Africa when Britain declared war on Germany in 1914. As South Africa was a dominion of the British Empire, Botha was asked to lead his country on a campaign against the Germans across the border in South West Africa.
In light of the relatively recent Anglo-Boer War, many Afrikaners balked at the request, but the prime minister was committed politically to unifying Boer and Brit and came down heavily in favor of taking up arms against Germany. So began a war on two fronts. While Union Defence Force troops gathered on the border and prepared to launch an offensive, a handful of Botha’s former comrades incited an Afrikaner rebellion intent on keeping South Africa out of the war, or worse, siding with Germany.
Louis Botha’s War is the story of how a former Boer War fighting-general-turned-politician crushed a rebellion, rallied his country’s first united army to fight in harsh conditions and defeated the enemy in the Great War’s first successful Allied campaign. Botha’s actions and these events would determine the fate of South West Africa, and its relationship with its southern neighbor, for the next eighty years.
In light of the relatively recent Anglo-Boer War, many Afrikaners balked at the request, but the prime minister was committed politically to unifying Boer and Brit and came down heavily in favor of taking up arms against Germany. So began a war on two fronts. While Union Defence Force troops gathered on the border and prepared to launch an offensive, a handful of Botha’s former comrades incited an Afrikaner rebellion intent on keeping South Africa out of the war, or worse, siding with Germany.
Louis Botha’s War is the story of how a former Boer War fighting-general-turned-politician crushed a rebellion, rallied his country’s first united army to fight in harsh conditions and defeated the enemy in the Great War’s first successful Allied campaign. Botha’s actions and these events would determine the fate of South West Africa, and its relationship with its southern neighbor, for the next eighty years.
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 10, 2016
The book is well researched by the author and has lots of dates, places and names. It is an interesting read about the little known South-West African Campaign during World War 1 and also includes the lead up to the campaign in both South Africa and German South-West Africa. The story though is centred around Louis Botha and the great statesman and general he was.
October 2, 2018
Louis Botha was the first prime minister of the Union of South Africa. Other than being a Boer War general his claim to fame is probably limited to the role he played in unifying a very broken nation. This book aims to lift the veil on the role that he played in the First World War particularly in leading the campaign in German South West Africa (now Namibia) and simultaneously preserving the union of a very brittle young nation.
The book covers the campaign in a lot of detail that probably makes it more of interest to ardent military historians however Adam Cruise very successfully paints the picture of not only a strategist but also a visionary. The final chapter in fact provides an interesting view of the long term effects that the South African military victory had on the regions political future.
There is a statue of Louis Botha on his horse on the lawns in front of the Union Buildings in Pretoria. This book makes a good case for it deserving its place.
The book covers the campaign in a lot of detail that probably makes it more of interest to ardent military historians however Adam Cruise very successfully paints the picture of not only a strategist but also a visionary. The final chapter in fact provides an interesting view of the long term effects that the South African military victory had on the regions political future.
There is a statue of Louis Botha on his horse on the lawns in front of the Union Buildings in Pretoria. This book makes a good case for it deserving its place.
January 13, 2018
The moment I saw Louis Botha's War by Adam Cruise, I knew it was a book I needed to read. I'm fascinated by South Africa's complex history, and I was looking for a book that would not only be accessible for someone like me who's not au fait with politics, while also filling in the blanks in terms of history.
Louis Botha is not a figure who's lauded much, yet I know of him because of the statue that is situated outside of the parliament buildings in Cape Town. In terms of South African history, it's still curious (to me) why we'd have a statue of an old Boer general up. Well, now I know.
When Louis Botha was prime minister of the South African union, the Anglo Boer War was still front of mind for many South Africans. Botha had the unenviable task of putting a unified army in the field when the UK requested that South Africa invade what was then German South West Africa. How I read the book, it's my opinion that the South West African campaign (1914-1915) was primarily a European war fought on African soil, the bastard offspring of colonial powers' weakening grip on the continent.
Cruise focuses on the military tactics Botha and his opponents employed. He discusses the incredible difficulties the armies faced; knowing Namibia, it's not exactly a landscape you go waltzing into. The extremes in temperature and lack of water make it daunting to travel by land across the country now even. Back then, when warfare in Africa was still largely fought by infantry, cavalry and artillery, with minimal support courtesy of motorised vehicles ... I garner fresh respect for what Botha achieved. Aircraft were only starting to be used in warfare, though the railway proved to be absolutely vital too.
Yet this is not just a dry book about military tactics. Cruise also looks into the socio-political reverberations caused by this war, such as the rebellion that occurred in the union, as well as the later effects that bloomed into full-scale Afrikaner nationalism. Our history is incredibly complex.
Namibia itself is a land that holds special fascination for me, and I admit this is partially due to the fact that I'm married to a Namibian, and we've visited the country a few times. I've fallen irrevocably in love with the wide-open spaces and the incredible diversity of the landscape that can be at times barren and desolate (and eerily beautiful) or the alien qualities of locations like the oasis Goanikontes. What Cruise does exceptionally well is combine a narrative of the conflict with little tastes of the history of the land, so that places I've visited (like the grassy plains just beyond Aus) come to life for me in terms of the past.
Louis Botha is revealed as a remarkable individual – not just a statesman (and the devil knows we have few enough of those these days) but also a shrewd warrior. It's doubtful that we have people like this as decision makers in these days of celebrity presidents and career politicians. Granted, Cruise doesn't shy away from the fact that Botha himself was less than perfect (his attitude towards non-Europeans are typical of his time) but he does come across as a reasonable man who was considerably less extreme in his views than Herzog, Verwoerd and his ilk.
Cruise gives Botha his due in this slim volume that is easy to read, both informative and fascinating, with well balanced content. I certainly feel as if I have a firmer grip on southern African history of a time period that I was fuzzy about, and in such a way that I engaged with the book from cover to cover.
Louis Botha is not a figure who's lauded much, yet I know of him because of the statue that is situated outside of the parliament buildings in Cape Town. In terms of South African history, it's still curious (to me) why we'd have a statue of an old Boer general up. Well, now I know.
When Louis Botha was prime minister of the South African union, the Anglo Boer War was still front of mind for many South Africans. Botha had the unenviable task of putting a unified army in the field when the UK requested that South Africa invade what was then German South West Africa. How I read the book, it's my opinion that the South West African campaign (1914-1915) was primarily a European war fought on African soil, the bastard offspring of colonial powers' weakening grip on the continent.
Cruise focuses on the military tactics Botha and his opponents employed. He discusses the incredible difficulties the armies faced; knowing Namibia, it's not exactly a landscape you go waltzing into. The extremes in temperature and lack of water make it daunting to travel by land across the country now even. Back then, when warfare in Africa was still largely fought by infantry, cavalry and artillery, with minimal support courtesy of motorised vehicles ... I garner fresh respect for what Botha achieved. Aircraft were only starting to be used in warfare, though the railway proved to be absolutely vital too.
Yet this is not just a dry book about military tactics. Cruise also looks into the socio-political reverberations caused by this war, such as the rebellion that occurred in the union, as well as the later effects that bloomed into full-scale Afrikaner nationalism. Our history is incredibly complex.
Namibia itself is a land that holds special fascination for me, and I admit this is partially due to the fact that I'm married to a Namibian, and we've visited the country a few times. I've fallen irrevocably in love with the wide-open spaces and the incredible diversity of the landscape that can be at times barren and desolate (and eerily beautiful) or the alien qualities of locations like the oasis Goanikontes. What Cruise does exceptionally well is combine a narrative of the conflict with little tastes of the history of the land, so that places I've visited (like the grassy plains just beyond Aus) come to life for me in terms of the past.
Louis Botha is revealed as a remarkable individual – not just a statesman (and the devil knows we have few enough of those these days) but also a shrewd warrior. It's doubtful that we have people like this as decision makers in these days of celebrity presidents and career politicians. Granted, Cruise doesn't shy away from the fact that Botha himself was less than perfect (his attitude towards non-Europeans are typical of his time) but he does come across as a reasonable man who was considerably less extreme in his views than Herzog, Verwoerd and his ilk.
Cruise gives Botha his due in this slim volume that is easy to read, both informative and fascinating, with well balanced content. I certainly feel as if I have a firmer grip on southern African history of a time period that I was fuzzy about, and in such a way that I engaged with the book from cover to cover.
September 25, 2018
This is a very welcome book about a topic that hasn't had the attention it deserves. It's full of fascinating detail.
It would have been even better if the author had come across as a bit more detached, and avoided partisan comments such as the Germans underachieving because they're too intent on "saving their corduroy clad skins". (The quote is from memory, so is probably not fully accurate, though the sentiment is.) Conversely, the author does sound like a Botha fanboy at times, editorialising about the man's abilities, rather than letting the facts speak for themselves.
Also some of the modern day information about historic places is redundant - that a particular site is now a resort is mildly interesting, including their day rates comes across as unnecessary padding.
With this said, it's still great to get so much rare historical detail brought together in one handy volume.
It would have been even better if the author had come across as a bit more detached, and avoided partisan comments such as the Germans underachieving because they're too intent on "saving their corduroy clad skins". (The quote is from memory, so is probably not fully accurate, though the sentiment is.) Conversely, the author does sound like a Botha fanboy at times, editorialising about the man's abilities, rather than letting the facts speak for themselves.
Also some of the modern day information about historic places is redundant - that a particular site is now a resort is mildly interesting, including their day rates comes across as unnecessary padding.
With this said, it's still great to get so much rare historical detail brought together in one handy volume.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews