A Tribute To South Africa's Boers

 

SPOKEN BY GREAT MEN

"Give me 20 divisions American soldiers and I will breach Europe. Give me 15 consisting of Englishmen, and I will advance to the borders of Berlin. Give me two divisions of those marvelous fighting Boers (Meaning Farmer, originating from the Boer War) and I will remove Germany from the face of the earth."
Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery, Commander of the Allied forces during WWII.

"The Americans fight for a free world, the English mostly for honour and glory and medals, the French and Canadians decide too late that they have to participate. The Italians are too scared to fight; the Russians have no choice. The Germans for the Fatherland. The Boers? Those sons of bitches fight for the hell of it."
American General, George "Guts and Glory" Patton

"Take a community of Dutchmen of the type of those who defended themselves for fifty years against all the power of Spain at a time when Spain was the greatest power in the world. Intermix with them a strain of those inflexible French Huguenots, who gave up their name and left their country forever at the time of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The product must obviously be one of the most rugged, virile, unconquerable races ever seen upon the face of the earth. Take these formidable people and train them for seven generations in constant warfare against savage men and ferocious beasts, in circumstances in which no weakling could survive; place them so that they acquire skill with weapons and in horsemanship, give them a country which is eminently suited to the tactics of the huntsman, the marksman and the rider. Then, finally, put a fine temper upon their military qualities by a dour fatalistic Old Testament religion and an ardent and consuming patriotism. Combine all these qualities and all these impulses in one individual and you have the modern Boer."
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

 Some notable comments by great men who, at the time, were witness to South African fighting abilities. They may have classed us all as “boers” but many were us loyal folk with English and other backgrounds brought up with similar values and patriotism.

Funny that folk who fought against us in the recent past also classed us all as “boers”.

 One wishes that everyone would learn that it would be better to unite with rather than fight against us “boers”.

Mmmm not sure with that comment, and I think there are two issues (or even more) here. You can read them, as I have written them in that I think we should all talk all the SA languages, or at least make an effort.

The first issue is English versus Afrikaans.

Amongst South Africans there is still some division as far as I can see, which originates back to the discovery of wealth in the earth. The English sent in troops, and that is when all the shit started. The Dutch never officially sent  in an army to take control of South Africa (but did in the Dutch East Indies), but I think that in that time period many established countries were trying to expand to get raw materials  etc. Colonialism was  big in Africa. Somehow the English and Afrikaans speaking groups today still like to stick to their cultures, but when the Boks (through the Dutchmen he he) win the rugby, it unites these groups, and you hear Afrikaans expressions coming out of English speaking mouths? So I find it ..........(comments in green) puzzling to read that the English South Africans do not really mind being grouped under Boers? I also hold the belief that these groups should unite, as you are now South African!

The second issue concerns the fighting! The dutch had to fight for their lives against the Spanish during the 80 year war. In South Africa the dutch had to fight again because of British Imperial expansion. The British army was sent here to take control, and their soldiers were paid to do this. IOW their heart was never in it! It was out of shear belief, fear and necessity that the dutch input was that more intense when, with the little material that they had, could hold off many organized army units.

This last comment (One wishes that everyone would learn that it would be better to unite with rather than fight against us “boers”.) is dangerous as it can lead to an extended period of friction.

Back ground:

The Spanish waged an eighty year war against the dutch to force catholicism down their throats. The protestants held them off (geuzen), or fled from them. This is why the south is catholic (who were converted or burned at  the stakes), and the north are protestant.

In SA the dutch came off the ships which traded spice (VOC)etc. from the Dutch East Indies, and used the Cape as a refreshing station. The Cape started with farming communities, on land that was taken??? However with the arrival of the English they trekked away from the Cape as it started to get ugly.  The scenario is basically the same as with the oil rich nations, where armies are engaged for so called democratic reasons, but are nothing more than establishing political influence by appointing their puppets in order to get to the wealth.