Anne Samson - Historian
Posts about Louis Botha written by SamsonHistorian
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Anne Samson - Historian
Botha, Smuts and the Great War – Antonio Garcia, Ian van der Waag (Helion, 2023) was a roller-coaster of a read – in style, quality and insights. It could also be described in Charles Dickens’ fashion as a ‘book of two authors’. There have been many books co-authored and whilst in some you can discern which author wrote which section because of specialism contributed, the overall feel of the book holds as a single entity. Overall, in this case, I think the roller-coaster experience is worth it as there are refreshing insights into a period of history few outside a small select group might know – both in- and outside South Africa. And where there are gaps in the wider understanding or political context, there are other texts which can be referred to.

A little annoying (at least to readers like me) are the few basic factual and typographical errors that a proofreader should have picked up, especially when it comes to continuity. Early on in the text, it is noted that Smuts is writing to ‘his mother’, Isie while in a later chapter, Isie is recognised as Smuts’ wife. For those who don’t know, Smuts would address all his letters home to ‘Liefste Mamma’ and sign them ‘Pappa’ so as to include the children. The few errors there are, however, do not detract from the overall aim of the book which is to shed light on the special relationship between the two South African leaders, Prime Minister Louis Botha and his Deputy as well as Minister of War Jan Smuts.

Some chapters are better than others in analysing their roles. This is most notable in the chapters looking at the outbreak of war, the rebellion and South West Africa where the military and politics are interwoven, and then again to an extent when Smuts is in Europe from 1917 through to the end of the war. The section on East Africa, in contrast, does not consider the political environment in which the men (and few women) were serving and comes across as a collection of snippets thrown together on the campaign in that theatre. With these chapters in particular, the author missed an opportunity to explore a theme the book was aiming to address more fully – that of ethnic relations within South Africa and Botha and Smuts’ relationship with communities who were not white. In South Africa at the time, the ‘race issue’ was between white English and white Afrikaans whereas relationships with black, Indian and the Coloured communties were referred to as the ‘native problem’, etc. There is some teasing out of the complexity of cross-cultural relationships in the South African context in some chapters, but sadly, it’s not carried through and often done in a judgemental way using today’s standards. The phrase ‘politically correct’ kept coming to mind. Another opportunity missed was the political discussion behind sending the Cape Corps to Palestine – in fact the Cape Corps do not feature in the index. Smuts’ visit to Palestine and the attempt to get him to command that theatre are covered to some extent.

One of my usual complaints is that in recent years authors have tended to rely on secondary sources to write ‘new’ histories. Here the authors are to be commended on the archival research undertaken including the use of little-known published memoirs. While the usual suspect archives have been consulted, it was refreshing to see mention of the Walter Long collection – a rich source for political insights – as well as the Preller collection in South Africa. Sadly, the Louis Harcourt collection was left out… but one can’t get everywhere… The challenge with using almost exclusively primary source material for a history such as this is to get the variety of source covering a particular incident or event. While this has been achieved for some chapters, it clearly has not for others resulting in an unbalanced and biased rendition of experience. In particular great use has been made of FH Acutt’s Sailing Through the Rainbow (Durban, nd) to provide insight to rank and file experience in East Africa when there are so many memoirs of experience in the East Africa campaign expressing both positive and negative views about Smuts’s leadership. For starters, more use could have been made of the few other autobiographies (Brett-Young, Hausmann, van der Spuy) mentioned in the book. Greater reference to secondary material based on primary material would easily have overcome this bias and allowed for a useful and much needed consideration of the two main command styles – from the front or from the rear, and how Smuts (and Botha) reconciled their Boer way of fighting with that of the British.

On reflection, the relationship between Botha and Smuts which is the focus of Botha, Smuts and the Great War is similar to that of the authors: the more mature historian and the younger eager go-getter. While there are shortfalls in the construction of book, as with the two protagonists of the study, the whole achieves what it set out to: the first assessment of the war-time roles of Louis Botha and Jan Smuts. It sets the ground for further work to be done on these two complex men and the times they lived through.

The Vrouemonument was unveiled in 1913 to commemorate the struggle of the women during the 1899-1902 war in South Africa.

It caught my attention recently when reading Jan Smuts’s 1926 speech at the burying of Emily Hobhouse’s ashes at the foot of the monument. It was ‘in Bloemfontein’ that spurred this exploration of the monument.

Between 1913 and 1918 Charlotte Maxeke led the women’s pass protest. I wonder if the women at the Vrouemonument were aware of this ground breaking event? It didn’t appear on the webpages I consulted…

Smuts went on to share ‘two great impressions…from [Emily’s] life and work’:

1. ‘The power and profound influence of women in the affairs of the world.’ – so many quietly getting on including his wife, botanists etc (in South Africa some of the first appointments were around 1914). He continues ‘How often in the great happenings of history, a woman appears at the decisive moment, and in her weakness turns the flowing tide of events!’ And before anyone picks on the word ‘weakness’, I read this as bringing a different perspective to the matter.

2. ‘Patriotism is not enough’ – words spoken by Edith Cavell before she was shot. ‘And if patriotism [nationalism?] alone is going to be our rule and guide in the future, the world will surely perish just as it almost perished from patriotism in the Great War.’ … ‘Her action was not understood or appreciated by her own people.’

Women in South Africa only got the vote in 1932. Before then there didn’t seem to be much pushing for them to get the vote – unlike the Suffragette and Suffragist movements in the UK. However, women were very active politically and socially – the first female mayor was appointed during the war years, as were the first female police officers.

What is fascinating about the Vrouemonument though is the number of men buried/commemorated in the same space – President Steyn whose idea it was for the monument. Koos de la Rey, one of the great Boer Generals who died during World War 1. Louis Botha was against the erection of the monument – his Irish-heritage wife, Annie, had played a significant role during the 1899-1902 war taking messages to Botha from Kitchener. And apparently he was in favour of a more inclusive momument – the Voortrekker monument which was eventually opened in 1936 and which commemorates the great trek of the Boers around 1836. The murals of this monument are also something to see – the equal portrayal of man and woman in a diverse range of rolls. While the murals might be one culture dominant, the museum attached to the monument is more culturally diverse – however, I leave you to visit to see for yourself.

I don’t believe in taking monuments down – they’re a part of our human story, and as part of that they can be moved to more suitable spaces, or reconfigured to better address the changing narratives. This was brought home quite strongly at the 2023 Great War in Africa conference where one of the speakers discussed the use of the old German boma (administrative office) in Arusha which is today used as a National Natural History museum. Perhaps one day Charlotte and her fellow campaigners will also feature in the Vrouemonument…

Hancock & van der Poel, Smuts papers vol 5, p330 – 26 October 1926

King Lewanika of Barotseland died in February 1916. This led to a series of articles in the Cape Times, one being the front page of The Weekly Cape Times and Farmers’ Record, 18 February 1916.

The short article concludes: ‘It is also to be noted that Lewanika long ago settled the Suffragette question by a stroke of genius. It was ordained that once a year on one day, the head woman be permitted, in the presence of other women, to have full and free licence to criticise the Council of the nation without check or interruption. It is said that the head woman exercised this right with immense satisfaction, and that her criticism of the men was complete and scorching. In witnessing the discomfiture of the men on that glorious day the women forgot their wrongs and their rights.’

I wonder what the Suffragettes made of this? It would be interesting to know if the head woman gathered the views from a range of other women or if she only spoke for herself.

The power of the female voice as expressed in the article resonated with Ian Hamilton’s statement about women being powerful before they put themselves on the pedestal, and also Louis Botha’s attempts to find a way out for the Boer rebels who were being pressured by their wives to make a stand against the government in 1914. He resorted to offering options – imprisonment or government service leaving the men to decide which was the lesser of the two ‘evils’.

Given the general shortcomings in our democratic processes today, I wonder if our forebears did not miss a trick back in the day when women were demanding a greater say. Is there a clue in these past experiences to help give all marginalised a greater voice while preventing new discriminations? Democracy has never been for everyone, even in its first formation it was discriminatory and promoting one group above another does not solve the equality dilemma. Perhaps we can take something from the implied messages of these few instances commenting on the power of women before they were permitted to enter the Councils of men, and design a system that works for all, irrespective of gender or background. I keep dreaming…

In all my reading around South Africa and World War 1, I only recently happened across the account of a ship being mined off the South African coast during the war and the role South Africans played in rescuing the survivors.

A postcard given by Louis Botha triggered a little investigation. I’d read about German raiders and the fear of them off the South African coast but this is the first account I’ve come across (that I can recall) of their impact. On 16 January 1917, the German raider Wolf laid mines off Cape Agulhas. On 6 February that year, the SS Tyndareus, carrying the 25th Middlesex Regiment, hit one (page 3/4 has photo and short account).

The Middlesex regiment, 1005 strong, was on its way to Hong Kong for garrison duties under command of Lieutenant John Ward. It left Devonport in England on 22 December 1916 and would change ships in Durban. At 6.55pm on 6 February, 173 kilometres out of Cape Town, the ship struck the mine. All on board were evacuated and the ship was towed for two days to Simonstown where she received some repairs.

On 16 February 1917, the garrison provided a guard of honour for the opening of the Union parliamentary session before it reached Hong Kong on 1 April 1917. Ward commissioned a memorial in memory of the exemplary conduct displayed by the men when the ship had been sunk. This was placed on the Peak on Hong Kong Island, but during the 1990s was removed and now (2004) was on display in the National Army Museum in London which is the Middlesex Regiment’s official regimental archive. (Dan Waters, ‘The Middlesex “Tyndareus” Stone‘ in Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 2003) I wonder if the stone is still on display in the ‘new look’ NAM – I’ll keep an eye open for it next time I visit the archive.

The SS Tyndareus was not the only ship to suffer these mines. According to WW1 US photos (scroll down for more detail), four ships sank off the Cape Town coast:

26 Jan 1917 – Matheran (British)

12 Feb 1917 – Cilicia (British)

26 May 1917 – Carlos de Eizaguirre (Spanish)

10 Aug 1917 – City of Exeter

The SS Tyndareus was the only one salvaged with some lives from the others being saved.

Amid all the depressing news of death caused by the flu epidemic of 1918, which was to see the Prime Minister of South Africa, Louis Botha, lose his life along with so many others, I was surprised to see a little advert in the Mafeking Mail of 14 November 1918 headed ‘Christmas cheer for all S.A. Soldiers’ … to ‘Make the “Boys” happy on their last Christmas at the Front!”

The advert had obviously been placed around the time of the armistice on 11 November with the realisation that many would not be demobilised and be able to return home in time for Christmas. This event was to see a street colection on the 16th and it was hoped that

‘the public of Mafeking … will cap their many generous acts by one big final effort for the boys at the front. This is the last opportunity of showing “THE BOYS” how you have appreciated their GALLANT SERVICES” remember they have helped to stop the greatest war in history and brought the greatest peace in the World.’ [emphasis as in original]

The advert ended with:

Give gladly – generously now! Make their last Christmas fires bright with happy thoughts of HOME and their native land – SOUTH AFRICA.

I wonder what the boys received to make their last Christmas memorable, and by all accounts, had it not been for Louis Botha pushing for his ‘boys’ to come home in April 1919, they might well have spent another Christmas in Europe.

While many celebrate Christmas and other festivals at this time of year and spending time with family, it’s worth remembering those who cannot be home for whatever reason – whether working to keep us safe, have been forced to flee to be safe, are in hospital, prison or are no longer living.

This season is often a challenge for many, and while it might have been the last on the front for ‘our boys’ back in 1918, it’s invariably a first of many for so many. Whatever the season holds for you, irrespective of your beliefs, may it be peaceful, and perhaps not out of place for a two-minute silence as suggested by Sir Percy for 11/11 at 11am…