All splendid, but horrible: The Politics of South Africa’s Second “Little Bit” and the War on the Western Front, 1915-1918

dc.creator	Ian Van der Waag
dc.date	2013-02-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-07-20T20:08:38Z
dc.date.available	2015-07-20T20:08:38Z
dc.identifier	10.5787/40-3-1040
dc.identifier	2224-0020
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/a8157fbe9efa4f2992dad936004b7221
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/8367
dc.identifier.uri	https://doaj.org/article/a8157fbe9efa4f2992dad936004b7221
dc.description	<p>South Africa’s decision to enter the First World War was not easy. After a difficult interplay between Whitehall and Tuinhuis, the Botha government agreed to secure limited strategic objectives in neighbouring German South West Africa. An armed insurrection had to be suppressed first. When both these objects were achieved, and following a further British appeal, South African troops moved further afield. This move, representing South Africa’s second ‘little bit’, was a dangerous step for the Botha government. The despatch of troops to France was controversial. Yet, by the end of 1915, South African expeditionary forces were en route to Europe and East Africa. This paper investigates the political crisis in South Africa and the difficult decision to send troops out of Africa, their deployment in an environment entirely foreign to the South African way of war, and the impact of the Western Front on the drawing of ‘lessons’ by post-war Union authorities.</p>
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Military Science (Military Academy)
dc.relation	http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/1040
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/2224-0020
dc.source	Scientia Militaria : South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 40, Iss 3 (2013)
dc.subject	First World War
dc.subject	South Africa
dc.subject	France
dc.subject	Defence policy
dc.subject	Union Defence Force
dc.subject	UDF
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.subject	DOAJ:Military Science
dc.subject	DOAJ:Technology and Engineering
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.subject	DOAJ:Military Science
dc.subject	DOAJ:Technology and Engineering
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.title	All splendid, but horrible: The Politics of South Africa’s Second “Little Bit” and the War on the Western Front, 1915-1918
dc.type	Article