The Boer War: Public Opinion

Figure 1.--This is one of a series of postcards made in the Nerherlands about the Boer War with a tridently anti-British view. This one was captioned "6. Au Transvaal. Prisonnier".

Public opinion both in Britain and Europe was affected by the British war which in many quarters was seen as naked aggression. Others saw it as the suppression of a thugish revolt. The reaction was particularly negative in the Netherlands and Germany. German public opinion did not onject to colonisn actions against Africans and Asians, but British ctions against other Europeans--especially the Affriaaners of Dutch origins. There were many ties between the Netherlands cultural, linguistic, economic, and family ties between the Netherlands and Germany. Also disturbing to many were the tactics the British employed, especially the use of concentraion camps. There was always those in Britain that question the policies of Empire. During Victoria's rign they had been lead by Gladstone. The casualties and graphic stories of the concentration camps ws in many ways a turning point for the Britih Empire as more begn to question their country's imperial role. The majority in Briain still supported the politics of Empire, but the view was very different than two years early during Victoria's diamond jubilee. While till a minority, more of the British people, especially the growing Labour movement began to question Britain's imperial role.

Propaganda

Propsaganda played aajor role in shaping public opinion. It was not, however, the centrally directed propaganda of the later-20th century totalitarian regimes. There was an ctive free press in America, Britain, and Western European states. Patriotism and nationaslistic attitudes, however, played a major role in shaping public opinion. And newspaper editors and reporters not only reported the news, but generated many spurious stories, in many cases outright lies, to support their pont of view. British newspapers supported by Anglican churchmen and patriotic war correspondents simply invented hundreds of fake stories reporting on Boer atrocities. They depicted the Boer soldiers as killing British civilians and Boer civilians murdering British soldiers. They also claimed that the Boers even killed their own people who wanted to give into the British. Perhaps the first propaganda film was shot during the War. A film made with British actors was shot at Hampstead Heath depicting a Boer sttack on a Red Cross station where British doctors and nurses were treating wounded soldiers. The film was run in movir theaters as a newsreel. One historian writes, "There was virtually no limit to such invention." [Knightley, p. 72-75.]

Public Opinion

Public opinion both in Britain and Europe was affected by the British war which in many quarters was seen as naked aggression. Others saw it as the suppression of a thugish revolt.

Britain

British public opinion strongly favored action against the Boers. It became a popular imperial cause. British public opinion was, however, not unitrd. There was always those in Britain that question the policies of Empire. During Victoria's reign they had been led by Gladstone. The casualties and graphic stories of the concentration camps was in many ways a turning point for the British Empire as more began to question their country's imperial role. The majority in Britain still supported the politics of Empire, but the view was very different than 2 years early during Victoria's diamond jubilee. While till a minority, more of the British people, especially the growing Labour movement began to question Britain's imperial role.

Europe

Public opinion in Europe was affected by the British war which in many quarters was seen as naked aggression. Public opinion throughout Europe was largely pro-Boer and anti-British. No country, however, was prepared to defy the British and interfere. And because of the strength of the Royal Navy, no country had the capacity to do so. Thus whjile public opinion was critical, European countries remained neutral. The anti-British reaction was particularly negative in the Netherlands and Germany. German public opinion did not object to colonial actions against Africans and Asians. Europeans (and Americans and Japsnrse) had just suprresed the Boxer Rebellion in China. And the Germans had brutally supressed a native upridsing in Southwest Africa. The first Hottentot Uprising of the Nama (1893-94) was followed by the Herero Wars (1904). British actions against other Europeans--especially the Affriaaners of Dutch origins was extreemly unpopular in Germany. There were many ties between the Netherlands cultural, linguistic, economic, and family ties between the Netherlands and Germany. Also disturbing to many were the tactics the British employed, especially the use of concentraion camps.

United States

Americans through newspapers developed followed the developments in South Africa with interest. Ameriva was having its own debate about imperialism. President Roosevelt was stridently nationalistic. He had participated in the Spanish-American War and supported the colonial regime in the Philippines which resulted in a bloody ghuerrila war--the Philippines Insurection. Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst added the full force of his press empire. [Farwell] Some Americanjs, including former Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, Andrew Carnegie, and many others were concerned about America becoming an imperial power. Some saw the parallels between Amewican policy in the Philippines and British policy in Sout Africa. For some the Noers with European origins were a separate matter. Mark Twain commented, "I think that England sinned when she got herself into a war in South Africa which she could have avoided, just as we have sinned in getting into a similar war in the Philippines."

Sources

Farwell, Byron. "Taking Sides in the Boer War," American Heritage April 1976, pp. 22-25.

Knightley, Phillip. The First Casualty (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976).

Created: 1:41 AM 5/2/2010
Last updated: 7:48 AM 5/2/2010