Battle of Isandhlwana

The battles of Isandhlwana is a battle delivered the January 22nd 1879 in South Africa, during the anglo-Zulu Guerre (1879), and which showed one of the greatest British colonial defeats.

The Isandhlwana (also named Isandlwana or Isandula ) is a hill isolated in the province dee KwaZulu-Native. Isandhlwana wants to say the hill which resembles an ox .

An army of Zulu meadows of 22.000 , ordered by Ntshingwayo Khoza and Mavumengwana Kamdlela Ntuli, sweeps six companies 24e British Régiment of Infanterie, a quota of volunteers of the Natal and auxiliaries Basuto S, that is to say 1.400 men approximately, under the orders of the colonel Durnford and the lieutenant-colonel Pulleine. The following day a station advances British located not far from there at Rorke' S Drift resisted 3.000 Zulus. The song " Impi" , of Johnny Clegg tells this event.

The origin of the conflict

The anglo-Zulu Guerre of 1879 finds its origin in the aggressive policy of Sir Henry Bartle Frere, at the same time Governor-General of the British possessions to the Natal (called today KwaZulu-Native) and " High Commissioner" for all that milked with the relations with the populations autochtones, and which considers that the Zulu kingdom is an obstacle with the expansion of its country in the area. Following a frontier incident which has occurred in July 1878 and at the time which two indigenous women fleeing the Zulu country, are caught up with in British territory and are carried out by their prosecutors in front of the English soldiers, it sends an ultimatum to the Zulu king Cetshwayo kaMpande, per which it requires in addition to the delivery of the culprits (who already were judged according to the Zulu laws) and the payment of an important ransom at the head of cattle, dismantling and disarmament partial of the Zulu army, correction of the borders as well as the designation of a British resident in Zulu country, with voice with the large council of the Zulu nation. That means de facto the loss for the Zulu country of its independence and its constraint with a statute of state-vassal. Bartle Frere gives 30 days to Cetshwayo to accept its requirements being specified that any refusal would be compared to a Casus belli. Cetshwayo does not answer.

The Zulu army and its tactic

Created by Chaka at the beginning of the XIXe century, the Zulu army or Impi is the most powerful machine of war with which will confront the British in Southern Africa. In 1879, with the opening of the hostilities, king Cetshwayo has an army of 55.000 men, enlisted by age bracket in 33 Régiment S or Ibutho S. However, only 40.000 men are immediately operational. The warriors are mainly armed with a Sagaie with broad blade (l'" iklwa") and of large a Shield out of leather. In front of the increasing British threat, Cetshwayo starts to buy firearms and the Zulu army has more than 10.000 Mousquet S and rifle S, of poor quality however. That, being prepared perfectly with the combat with the knife and the body with body, the Zulu warriors are not involved with the handling of the firearms and in addition, many are among them, those which hold their rifles with end of arm to draw, in order to avoid undergoing the unpleasant retreat of the weapon, which obviously is prejudicial notably to the precision!

The tactics of combat of the Zulu army were carried to its apogee by Chaka, and allowed him to impose its hegemony in the area. To traditional qualities of courage and mobility of the African armies, he added the organization and the drive, transforming a undisciplined Ost into unit of particularly frightening combat, resting on a regimental system. During the battle, the Zulu army is presented in arc of circle vis-a-vis its adversary. With the center (the chest), the regiments aguerris are held, on the wings (or horns, as name them the Zulus) are placed the regiments of young warriors. Those have the role of making profitable their speed and their agility to overflow the enemy by attacking it on the sides while trying to encircle it whereas the warriors of the chest engage it of face. Behind the chest, and turning the back on the battle in order to keep their calm, of the regiments of veterans (kidneys) are held in reserve, intervening only to make rock the confrontation towards the victory. Each man knows his place, the gestures and the operations having been repeated indefinitely, as in the Western armies, until becoming automatisms.

The Zulu army is far from being invincible, the Boer S thus severely étrillée it with the Bataille Blood River in 1838, but it is not certainly to neglect or underestimate. The British who count on their firepower to gain the conflict quickly will make the bitter experiment of it.

The British plan of countryside and the opening of the hostilities

January 9th at midnight, the British ultimatum expires; at the dawn of January 10th, the first units of the army of invasion, which counts approximately 13000 men (5000 regular, 1000 volunteers with horse, 7000 indigenous auxiliaries), penetrate in Zulu territory. This army is placed under the command of the general Frederic Thesinger second baron of Chelmsford whose strategy is simple: to attack Ulundi, the Zulu capital " Royal Kraal to try at the same time to capture Cetshwayo and to destroy its impi.

To conclude these objectives, Chelmsford decides to launch its offensive on three faces and consequently divides its army into several columns. With the right wing, a first column, entrusted to colonel Pearson, must cross the Tugela, establish a provisional camp, then to launch recognitions on the road of Ulundi. With the center, the principal column, ordered by Chelmsford itself and colonel Glyn, must move directly on Ulundi and hang large Zulu forces. On the left, a third column (colonel Wood) must cross Blood River, affluent of Tulega, and close again the clipper.

Lastly, Chelmsford which does not ignore the risk of a Zulu attack in British territory, entrusts a fourth column to colonel Durnford with for mission of remaining in reserve with Native and of ensuring the active monitoring of the border to prevent any possibility.

The battle

Consequences

Battle order

British army

  • 5 companies of the 1st battalion of the 24th foot Regiment (South Wales Borderers)
  • 1 company of the 2nd battalion of the 24th foot Regiment (South Wales Borderers)
  • 70 men and 2 guns of 7 books of the 3rd brigade of Royal Artillery
  • Native native horse (mainly of the riders basutos)
  • of the elements of Newcastle Mounted Riffles, Buffalo To border Guard and Native Carbineers

Zulu army

  • rgt Undi, 3000 men
  • rgt Nokenke, 2000 men
  • rgt Nkobamakosi, 5000 men
  • rgt Umcityu, 4000 men
  • rgt Nodwengu, 2000 men
  • rgt Umbonambi, 3000 men
  • rgt Udhloko, 1000 men

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