The Causes of the Boer War by Prof. Marius Swart

The Anglo-Boer War was an event which had a long prelude and the after effects have not completely disappeared as yet. In fact, people who were in some way part of or directly influenced by the Three Years War are still alive. In the fifties of the 19th Century it was British policy to withdraw somewhat from its colonies in Africa. But almost immediately she realised that this attitude was a mistake. After 1860 British imperialism had simply become so real that conscious attempts were made to expand the British sphere of influence over other countries. Along with this approach an extremely vigorous, enterprising spirit had begun to develop since 1830 on almost every level of life; becoming very noticeable by about 1870. The result was inter alia a clash between British imperial monetary interests and an awakening Afrikaner nationalism.