Overview

Almost one hundred and twenty five years ago, a Scottish adventurer attempted to expand the British Empire in South Africa with the backing of a mere 500 men. He was part of a conspiracy of entrepreneurs, gold magnates and politicians, each of whom had different motives for supporting and encouraging his actions. Leander Starr Jameson's Raid failed miserably. It almost brought down the British Government, destroyed the career of one of the most eminent South African Statesmen, nearly caused a war with the South African Republic and exposed Britain to international ridicule. It was a failed attempt to expand the Empire on the cheap. This book, using a number of contemporary sources, examines the motives for Jameson's actions, the reasons for the Raid's failure and its consequences for those involved. It attempts to answer the extent of the involvement of the British Colonial Office and its Secretary of State, Joseph Chamberlain and how he, Cecil Rhodes, Paul Kruger and Jameson worked for their own and their countries best interests which were not necessarily one in the same.It also considers the part played by the dignitaries in Johannesburg and the consequences of their lukewarm support of Dr Jameson. The book contains a detailed examination of the two Inquiries which were held as a result of the Raid and a blow by blow account of the evidence given by their many witnesses. Reactions in the British Parliament and the fate of the Raiders are particular features of this work,as is how the actions of those swept up in the plans of the key players were to affect their future careers. AUTHOR: David Snape spent almost 40 years in Education during which he occupied a number of senior posts. He was a Head Teacher of two secondary schools, a Chief Examiner, a School Adviser and worked for a Local Education Authority. On his retirement he pursued his lifelong interest in Military History at a more formal level by taking two M.A. degrees at the University of Wolverhampton. 43 b/w illustrations, 1 colour plate, 4 b/w maps

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9781913118778

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Students of Victoria’s Empire will want to read this, as will anyone interested in 19th Century Imperial adventures. * Wargames Illustrated 11/05/2021 *

Students of Victoria's Empire will want to read this, as will anyone interested in 19th Century Imperial adventures. * Wargames Illustrated 11/05/2021 *

Author Information

David Snape spent almost 40 years in Education as a Head Teacher of secondary schools, Chief Examiner, School Adviser and a Local Education Authority officer. On his retirement he continued his interest in Military History by taking M.A. degrees at the University of Wolverhampton. In 2017, he was awarded the prize for best performing postgraduate student in History, Politics and War Studies for his study of the Indian Army in the First World War. He is a regular contributor to the Victorian Military History Society's magazine, Soldiers of the Queen and was awarded the Society's Howard Browne Medal in 2019 for an assessment of Kitchener's Indian Army reforms. He has also contributed to Durbar, the magazine of the Indian Historical Society and Stand To, the Journal of the Western Front Association. This is David's second book; the first was The Rescue they called a Raid, a study of the Jameson Raid and published by Helion in 2020.

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