Tag Archives: 2 November

2 November 1899

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The Boers begin their 118-day siege of British-held Ladysmith during the Second Boer War.

The Second Boer War, also known as the Anglo-Boer War or the Second Anglo-Boer War, was a conflict that took place between 1899 and 1902 in South Africa. It was fought between the British Empire and two Boer states, the South African Republic (also known as the Transvaal) and the Orange Free State. The war was a result of longstanding tensions and conflicts over British imperial interests, mineral wealth, and the desire for independence among the Boers, who were of Dutch descent.

Causes: The primary causes of the war were British imperial ambitions and the desire to control the rich gold and diamond resources in the Boer states. The British also sought to extend their influence over the region.

Outbreak: The war began on October 11, 1899, when the British, under the leadership of Sir Alfred Milner and Lord Roberts, launched an invasion of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. The Boers, led by figures such as Paul Kruger and Louis Botha, mounted a strong resistance.

Guerilla Warfare: After initial British successes, the Boers transitioned to guerrilla warfare tactics, making it difficult for the British to defeat them in open battles. This phase of the war dragged on for several years, with the Boers using their knowledge of the terrain to their advantage.

Concentration Camps: The Second Boer War is infamous for the establishment of British-run concentration camps to house Boer civilians, particularly women and children, who were displaced by the conflict. The conditions in these camps were often deplorable, and many people suffered and died from disease and malnutrition.

Treaty of Vereeniging: The war ended on May 31, 1902, with the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging. The treaty recognized the independence of the two Boer states, while also acknowledging the British sovereignty over the entire territory. It established a framework for reconciliation and the eventual formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.

Legacy: The Second Boer War had a profound impact on South Africa and its people. It contributed to the development of Afrikaner nationalism and a sense of identity among the Boers, which would later shape the country’s political landscape. The war also left a legacy of bitterness and division, particularly between the English-speaking and Afrikaner communities.

2 November 1889

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North Dakota and South Dakota are admitted as the 39th and 40th USA states.

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The U.S. Congress created the Dakota Territory, which consisted of the present-day states of North and South Dakota, and most of Montana and Wyoming. In 1863 the size of the territory was reduced to the area of North and South Dakota. With the advent of the Northern Pacific Railroad, immigration and settlement increased; the climate was suitable for wheat, which was in high demand in American cities and in Europe. By the late 1870s Dakotans felt inadequately represented by territorial status and began pushing for statehood, either as one state or two.

Both North and South Dakota were admitted to the United States. Since President Benjamin Harrison did not want to show favoritism, he listed the order of their admissions alphabetically, with North Dakota the 39th state and South Dakota the 40th state.

Today, North Dakota is in the midst of an oil boom. The state sits on a rock unit known as the Bakken formation, which also covers parts of Montana and Saskatchewan. The new technology of “fracking” has enabled oil production to explode in the area, going from 3,000 barrels a day in 2005 to some 800,000 in 2013 (about 11% of the country’s total production).

2 November 1930

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Haile Selassie is crowned as the emperor of Ethiopia.

Haile Selassie, is an emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 who sought to modernize his country and who steered it into the mainstream of post-World War II African politics. He brought Ethiopia into the League of Nations and the United Nations and made Addis Ababa the major centre for the Organization of African Unity (now African Union). Haile Selassie played a very important role in the establishment of the Organization of African Unity in 1963. His rule in Ethiopia continued until 1974, at which time famine, worsening unemployment, and the political stagnation of his government prompted segments of the army to mutiny. They deposed Haile Selassie and established a provisional military government that espoused Marxist ideologies. Haile Selassie was kept under house arrest in his own palace, where he spent the remainder of his life. Official sources at the time attributed his death to natural causes, but evidence later emerged suggesting that he had been strangled on the orders of the military government.Haile Selassie was regarded as the messiah of the African race by the Rastafarian movement.