Episode 24 - Cronje surrenders to Lord Roberts

It’s February 1900 and things have begun to change in South Africa. The British Army corps which so far has found itself flailing against an enemy steeped in the concept of mobility and able to exploit the leadenfooted leadership of the imperial entitled upper class has started to gain the upper hand. It’s a 40 000 strong army that General Roberts has formed in the wake of numerous losses. Roberts himself has only just arrived in South Africa to replace General Buller. Robert’s centipede has starting to move at a more rapid pace into the interior of the country and so far has kept to the railway line to relieve Kimberley. By 17th February Robert’s army has caught up to 4000 Boers at Paardeberg Drift on the Modder River as they tried to head eastwards to Bloemfontein, the Free State Republic capital. General Cronje in charge of the Boers had made a fatal error in deciding to dig in against the overhwelmingly large British force despite the warning from his most talented subordinate, Christian de Wet.