The Battle of Isandlwana, January 22, 1879,was the first engagement of the Anglo-Zulu War and would prove to be asignificant and unexpected victory for the Zulu in a war which they ultimatelylost to the British.

Since the British arrival in South Africa at the beginning of the 19thCentury, Zululand had proved a troublesomenation in their efforts to control the region. During the first three decades of the century the British made noattempt to challenge Shaka, the founder of the Zulu Empire, and his immediatesuccessors. From the 1840s through the1860s however, British (and Boer) power gradually increased as Zulu militarycontrol grew weaker. By the 1870s theZulu Empire threatened British expansion into the diamond and gold-richinterior. In 1878 the British HighCommissioner of Southern Africa, Sir Bartle Frere, provoked a war with theZulu, hoping for a sharp, short attack leading to the destruction of Zulumilitary power.

On December 11, 1878 Frere sent anultimatum to Zulu King Cetshwayo, ordering him either to dismantle the military system of hisnation or else face war with the British Empire.Cetshwayo had long made efforts to avoid outright war with the British; howeverhe found it impossible to comply with this request and, just as Frere hadanticipated, he refused to disband his army and instead prepared for waragainst the British.

On the 22nd January 1879 theBritish invaded Zululand. Their army was composed of nearly 1,800 troops, made up of both British and African men fromthe neighbouring British colony of Natal.Although they faced a force of roughly 20,000 Zulu warriors, the British feltassured of their victory due to superior military resources. However, thebattle which ensued would prove to be an embarrassing defeat for the British asthey were out-manoeuvred by Cetshwayos men. By the end of the battle theBritish had lost around 1,300 of their force of 1,800 while the Zulus suffereda relatively light loss of around 1,000 men.

The Zulus triumph, however, would not lastlong. In order to preserve the

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