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The Second Boer War(1899-1902) and the Development of British Irregular Warfare Tactics

Lee, Nae-Joo 1

1한국군사문제연구원

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ABSTRACT

Guerrilla warfare, characterized by its irregularity and covertness, emerged clearly as a form of warfare after World War II. Throughout history, this form of irregular warfare has developed especially as colonized peoples rebelled against the domination of imperialist powers, and it was especially typical in Southeast Asia in the immediate aftermath of World War II, when the struggles for independence in the colonies were intense. In the Malay Peninsula, the British fought a fierce guerrilla war against indigenous communist forces seeking independence. Unlike other imperialist nations, the British are considered to be effective in armed conflict with the guerrillas. So how did the British army respond to the anomalous resistance of its colonies? The answer is that the British army had been trained in counter-guerrilla warfare tactics and military doctrine as well as traditional regular military operations doctrine. Of course, the British had not been able to respond effectively to colonial armed action in the 19th century. The Boer War at the end of the 19th century was crucial in changing that trend. After being beaten down by the guerrilla tactics of the Boers, the British army actively developed irregular warfare tactics and doctrine, and applied them to military training, so that they could better respond to the increasingly intense colonial resistance in the 20th century. In this context, this article examines the Boer War and its impact on the British army, focusing on the irregular warfare aspect. Although the British Empire ceased to exist after World War II, the tactics developed by the British army in the wake of the Boer War to combat irregular warfare remain militarily relevant in the 21st century.

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