The war, which lasted from 1807-1812, was the strangest Anglo-Russian war. She walked for five years. Clashes between opponents took place in various parts of the globe, however, no significant battles were observed. We will talk more about this, as well as about the participation of Russians in the Boer War in our review.
Reasons for the war
First, consider the causes of the Anglo-Russian war. In military campaigns against France, carried out in 1806 and in 1807, Russia was defeated. Therefore, she was forced to negotiate peace. On June 25, 1807, Russian Emperor Alexander I and Napoleon Bonaparte met in Tilsit, where an agreement was signed, according to which Russia supported the economic blockade of Great Britain. As a result, this step negatively affected the economies of both states - both Russia and the United Kingdom.
Denmark, which concluded an alliance with Napoleon, was ready to join the continental blockade of England. During the war with France, the English fleet inflicted great damage on the Danish kingdom. However, on 16.08.1807, the British landed their troops on the Danish coast, and the war began. As a result, 11/07/807 Copenhagen was taken. Since Denmark was a long-time ally of Russia in the Baltic, St. Petersburg was very unhappy with this fact.
Fighting
The military conflicts between Russia and Great Britain were not large-scale, they were expressed in separate clashes of small-sized forces. Moreover, the geography of the battles was very extensive. Opponent ships fought on the expanses of the Atlantic Ocean, the Adriatic, Baltic, Barents and Mediterranean Seas. Next, we consider the events of the Anglo-Russian war briefly.
- On May 15, 1808, the British in the port of Simonstown in southern Africa detained the Russian sloop Diana, commanded by V. Golovin. The ship was sent to the Pacific Ocean for scientific work.
- In July 1808, two battles took place in the Baltic Sea, which were the most bloody in the Anglo-Russian war. Among the losses of the Russians was a battleship, which had 74 guns and 3 gunboats. The crews of all ships were almost completely destroyed. At the same time, all the ships of Great Britain remained intact, and the casualties were insignificant.
- In August of that year, Russian ships caught in a severe storm were forced to enter the port of Lisbon for repairs. The British fleet also entered the same harbor. The commander of the Russian fleet, Admiral Senyavin was taken by surprise. But representatives of Britain did not attack the Russian ships anchored, broken by a storm. The admiral concluded an agreement with the British that the ships were given to them for storage and should be returned after 6 months after the end of the Anglo-Russian war. This was done in 1813.
- On June 12, 1809, the British on the way from the city of Revel to Sveaborg attacked the boat “Experience” with 14 guns. On the other hand, the Salset 44-gun frigate participated in the operation. As a result, four Russian sailors were killed, the captain was wounded, and the ship was captured by the enemy. In the port of Libau, the crew were released, giving a written promise not to fight against the British Empire until the end of the war.
- In May 1809, the British attacked the city of Kola and ravaged fishing shelters on the White Sea in Murmansk.
In fact, hostilities between Great Britain and Russia during the Anglo-Russian war ceased after the conclusion of a peace agreement between the Russians and the Swedes, and in 1810-1811 they were not carried out at all.
End of war
The continental blockade, which the Russian Empire was forced to declare to the United Kingdom after the Tilsit meeting of the Russian and French emperors, was lifted. The trade relations needed by both parties have been restored. July 18, 1812 in Örebro (a city in Sweden), a peace treaty was signed between Great Britain and Russia. The Anglo-Russian war ended.
According to this agreement, not only did bilateral trade resume, but also the British were to support Russia in the outbreak of World War II with Napoleon Bonaparte. Although this treaty was a big step in the political sense, as such, it did not have a significant impact on the outcome of the war between Russia and France.
In addition to the events described, some Russian subjects also participated in the Boer War as volunteers.
Two Boer Wars
Under this name, there are two military conflicts that occurred in South Africa between Great Britain and various Boer republics.
- The first of them falls on the years 1880-1881. This war is also called the Transvaal, it was waged by England against the Transvaal, a state located on the site of the present South Africa.
- The second war - between Transvaal, the Orange Republic on the one hand and the United Kingdom on the other - fell on 1899-1902. Ended up in victory for the latter.
When it comes to the Boer, or Boer war, they usually mean the second of the two. It will be discussed.
Who fought against England?
The Republic of South Africa, which existed in southern Africa in the 2nd half of the 19th century, is a country of independent Boers. The Boers are a sub-ethnic group that is part of Afrikaners living in South Africa and Namibia. These are African farmers, white villagers and just white poor. As for the Afrikaners, they come from the colonists who once arrived in South Africa, among whom were the Dutch, French, and Germans.
The Orange Republic, otherwise called the Orange Free State, was also in those days an independent country inhabited by Europeans in the 30s of the XIX century. At this time, the Boers (Dutch colonists) fled from British rule from the Cape Colony inland. Then it became part of South Africa as a province.
Causes and outcome of the conflict
The reason for the 2nd Boer War was the desire of the United Kingdom in the person of its financial and industrial circles, as well as the administration of Natal and the Cape Colony, which was headed by Cecil Rhodes, to seize the ownership of gold deposits.
The idea of pan-African domination of Great Britain was put forward as an ideological justification for the British invasion of the Boer republics.
The reason for the military conflict was the ban imposed by Transvaal President S. Krueger on the provision of suffrage to the European immigrants of 1870-1890, who were called the "Whitelander", that is, the "foreigners". As well as ignoring the demands of the ultimatum presented by the UK government regarding their political equality.
The defeat of the Boers in this war became apparent at the end of 1901. 05.21.1902 the parties in Pretoria signed an agreement under which the Orange Republic and Transvaal completely lost their independence, passing under the control of the British administration.
Russian volunteers in the Boer War
On the side of the Boers, representatives of those nations that for one reason or another felt either sympathy for the Boers or antipathy to the British fought as volunteers. Among them were the Dutch, Germans, French, Americans, Norwegians, Swedes, as well as subjects of the Russian Empire. Among the latter were 225 people. Let's talk about the most famous of them.
- Maksimov Evgeny Yakovlevich, war journalist, lieutenant colonel in stock. First, the commander of the Foreign Legion, and then the head of the Dutch Corps. He was seriously wounded in the head.
- Nikoloz Bagrationi-Mukhransky, Georgian prince, nicknamed "Niko Boer". He fought in the French detachment, then in the "Foreign Legion", was captured. Returning to his homeland, he wrote the book “At the Boers”.
- Guchkov Alexander Ivanovich, future statesman, politician, Chairman of the State Duma, Minister. In Africa, he fought with his brother. He was wounded in the leg and was held captive.
- Augustus Evgeny Fedorovich, officer. To participate in the Boer War, he took leave in the regiment. Arriving in Russia, published a book of memoirs.
- Vandam Alexey Efimovich, major general, intelligence officer, future specialist in the field of geopolitics and geostrategy. He participated in the war as a war correspondent, published "Letters on the Transvaal."