Browsing by Author "Coetzee, Lauren"

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    Contours of confrontation : factors that mobilised the Cape rebels in the South African War, 1896–1902
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Coetzee, Lauren; Fourie, Johan, 1982-; Wehner, Joachim
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : Heroes, traitors, and social outcasts – the Cape Rebels of the South African War, 1899–1902, have been cast in several roles throughout history. Not only do they continue to capture the interests of social historians, but with the incorporation of quantitative history methods, their histories have been revisited in new ways. Using a combination of archival sources and methods like GIS, this thesis presents a study of the social, economic and political circumstances of this group to analyse why they mobilised. With honour, security and livelihoods at stake, the question is raised why these rebels chose to abandon their homes and families at the high cost of hope elsewhere for a better future. Several theories of mobilisation were tested and found wanting. This thesis has used GIS to combine archival research with mapping software to show a visual representation of the historical context of the rebels. The most prevalent theories cited in the literature on the Cape Rebels were mapped and analysed to evaluate the conditions and influences on mobilisation levels in the Cape Colony before the war. The most popular theory, the rinderpest epidemic, was shown to have some correlation with rebel mobilisation rates. However, this was mostly relegated to the districts with heavier cattle losses in the north of the Cape. Proximity to the republics and differences in lifestyle and culture on the frontier were also evaluated in terms of whether this influenced people to side with those more similar to them, demonstrating that ideas, attitudes and ideologies were free-flowing in these regions. This was shown using education levels, the establishment of schools and distances to the borders. The differentiation between frontier regions and republics was proven to be political rather than physical, meaning many rebels in the area were closer to republican communication networks than that of the Cape. Some rebels were motivated by their personal convictions to aid the republics whose sovereignty was threatened. Moreover, the pre-eminent political conditions spurred people to seek alternative leadership after repeated political blunders had compounded the political and ideological vulnerabilities of potential rebels. Finally, the appeal of strong, charismatic leadership has been shown to be a powerful tool in mobilising groups. This was done through mapping the route taken by General Jan Smuts as a proxy for quantifying charismatic leadership. Ultimately, rebels mobilised in the Cape because they shared common goals and interests with the Boer republics.