Uploaded May 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
In the late 1870s, the British Empire set about creating a Confederation of South Africa out of its various properties there. In their way stood two obstacles: the Boer South African Republic and the Kingdom of Zululand. In 1879, an invasion force was sent under Lord Chelmsford's own initiative (and without the authorization of the British Foreign Office) to subdue the Kingdom of Zululand, thinking the poorly armed but numerous Zulus would not pose a great threat. However, the British were to find that they had sorely underestimated the ingenuity and courage of the proud warrior nation they faced.
In the late 1870s, the British Empire set about creating a Confederation of South Africa out of its various properties there. In their way stood two obstacles: the Boer South African Republic and the Kingdom of Zululand. In 1879, an invasion force was sent under Lord Chelmsford's own initiative (and without the authorization of the British Foreign Office) to subdue the Kingdom of Zululand, thinking the poorly armed but numerous Zulus would not pose a great threat. However, the British were to find that they had sorely underestimated the ingenuity and courage of the proud warrior nation they faced.
