Battle of Isandlwana

The Battle of Isandlwana

In December of 1878, the British presented an ultimatum to the Zulu King Cetshwayo who did not agree with the terms, and this resulted in the British declaring war. The British commander-in-chief in South Africa at the time, Lord Chelmsford moved his troops from Pietermaritzburg to Rorke's Drift, and from there the British forces crossed the Buffalo river into Zululand. The British set up camp at Isandlwana, but due to their massive numbers, they were unable to form a lager to protect themselves. The hard ground at Isandlwana, and the lack of entrenching tools, forced the British to rely on their superior weapons and better organisation. Even though the British had lookouts posted, they did not have a full field of view, so additional reconnaissance was sent out. Although the reconnaissance units had made contact with some Zulus, and confiscated cattle, they had not realised the true size and power of Cetshwayo's armies.

Once the camp at Isandlwana was established, Chelmsford decided to divide his forces, and go forth in search of the Zulus. The first battalion of the 24th Welsh Borders Regiment were left behind to guard the camp. On 22 January 1879, while Chelmsford was out looking for the Zulus, they attacked the camp at Isandlwana with the entire Zulu army which consisted of about twenty thousand Zulu warriors. The British soldiers which totaled about one thousand five hundred, fought bravely, but were unprepared for the attack and were totally overwhelmed. Approximately sixty of the British managed to escape, and because the Zulus took no prisoners, all the rest were killed. The Zulu forces only suffered about a thousand causalities.

The British army suffered one of its worst defeats at the hands of a technologically inferior indigenous force at Isandlwana. It has been often thought that the British had problems unpacking their ammunition fast enough, which caused their defense to be inconsistent. Another more recent opinion discovers the possibility that the British tried to retreat, and that the Zulu forces took advantage of the situation. Other recent research suggests that the British skirmish line was too long, and instead of standing shoulder to shoulder, the British soldiers were spaced much to far apart.

Today the Isandlwana Battlefield is famous for its memorial cairns erected to the British troops, and is possibly the most visited battlefield in South Africa. The Zulu monument at Isandlwana was designed by Pietermaritzburg sculptor Gert Swart, and consists of a circular concrete platform which symbolises the kraal of Zulu rural communities. Four bronze headrests and a bronze necklace echo the Zulu badge of honour, given by the King for acts of special valour.