In January 1879, the British Empire invaded the Zulu Kingdom in southern Africa, expecting a short, easy campaign. Instead, on the slopes of a hill called Isandlwana, a Zulu army armed mostly with spears and shields inflicted one of the worst defeats the British army ever suffered against an indigenous force. Six months later, the Zulu Kingdom had fallen. How can both things be true?
The Zulus: Who They Were
The Zulu Kingdom was forged in the early 19th century by Shaka kaSenzangakhona, who turned a small clan into the dominant power of the region. He reorganised the army into age-based regiments called amabutho. Young men from across the kingdom served the king together, lived in military homesteads, and were not allowed to marry until the king released their regiment.
By 1879 the king was Cetshwayo kaMpande, who could call up around 40,000 warriors. Zulu soldiers were fit, fast and fearless, able to run long distances barefoot and fight at the end of the march.
The British: Who They Were
The British force was led by Lieutenant-General Lord Chelmsford. It combined regular infantry battalions, the famous redcoats, with colonial mounted units and African auxiliaries of the Natal Native Contingent. In total Chelmsford invaded with around 16,000 to 17,000 men in several columns. The war had been pushed by the British High Commissioner, Sir Bartle Frere, who issued Cetshwayo an ultimatum he knew could not be accepted.
Weapons and Armour
- Zulus: the iklwa, a short stabbing spear with a long blade, designed for close combat; lighter throwing spears; a knobkerrie club; and a large cowhide shield (isihlangu). Many warriors had old firearms, but they were poorly maintained and they had little training with them. There was no body armour.
- British: the single-shot, breech-loading Martini-Henry rifle, which fired a heavy .450 bullet and was deadly at several hundred metres; a long bayonet; 7-pounder field guns and rockets; and, later in the war, Gatling guns.
Tactics: The Horns of the Buffalo
The Zulu army's signature tactic was the impondo zankomo, the "horns of the buffalo." The chest, made up of experienced regiments, pinned the enemy in front. The horns, younger and faster regiments, raced around both flanks to encircle. The loins, reserves, waited behind, often sitting with their backs to the fight so they would not get overexcited. It was simple, fast and devastating against an enemy that allowed itself to be surrounded.
British tactics relied on firepower: steady lines or squares of infantry delivering volley fire, supported by artillery, ideally from behind fortifications or a wagon laager.
Isandlwana: 22 January 1879
Chelmsford's central column camped beneath the hill of Isandlwana without digging defences or forming a laager. On the morning of 22 January he took about half the force out to look for the Zulu army, leaving roughly 1,800 British and colonial troops and auxiliaries in camp.
The main Zulu army of around 20,000 men had in fact been hiding in a valley nearby. When a British patrol stumbled onto it, the warriors attacked. The British firing line, spread too thin across a wide front, at first held the Zulu chest with heavy rifle fire. But the horns swept round both flanks, the line was pulled back, and the Zulus broke into the camp. Over 1,300 men on the British side were killed. Historians still debate why the line collapsed; the old story about ammunition boxes that could not be opened is now widely doubted, and the over-extended position is seen as the main cause. Zulu losses were also heavy, perhaps 1,000 to 2,000 killed.
Rorke's Drift: The Same Night
That afternoon, around 3,000 to 4,000 Zulus of the reserve crossed the river to attack the small mission station at Rorke's Drift. About 150 British soldiers, many of them sick in hospital, had barricaded the buildings with mealie bags and biscuit boxes. They held out through ten hours of fighting, often hand to hand. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded, the most ever for a single action.
Ulundi: The End of the War
Stung by Isandlwana, Britain poured in reinforcements. On 4 July 1879, Chelmsford marched about 5,000 men in a large hollow square to Ulundi, near the royal capital. Perhaps 15,000 to 20,000 Zulus attacked, but this time the British were ready. Rifle volleys, artillery and Gatling guns meant no warrior got close to the square. The Zulu army was broken in under an hour. Cetshwayo was captured in August, and the kingdom was divided into 13 chiefdoms.
Verdict: Who Wins?
Strategically, the British won the war, because industrial firepower and the resources of a global empire were too much. But the Zulus won the most famous battle, and they did it because the British made mistakes: they split their force, did not fortify, and underestimated a highly disciplined enemy. At Isandlwana, courage, speed and tactics beat modern rifles.
That is probably why the community gives the Zulus a narrow lead. Is it fair to judge by the war, or by the battle? Cast your vote on the homepage.
Sources and Further Reading
- Donald R. Morris, The Washing of the Spears
- Ian Knight, Zulu Rising: The Epic Story of iSandlwana and Rorke's Drift
- Saul David, Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879
- National Army Museum (London): the Anglo-Zulu War collections