Southern Africa had been shared between British colonies and republics of Dutch-Afrikaner settlers, also known as the Boers, since its acquisition by Britain at the conclusion of the Napoleonic wars. Throughout the 19th century, these two inhabitants maintained a strained relationship, and the question of the retention of total sovereignty became increasingly prevalent as the 20th century approached. The Boers and the British had already fought a war in 1880 that provided no answer to the question, however the discovery of both gold and diamonds after this conflict intensified the already tense relationship between the two governing powers. Furthermore, British imperial ambition and Afrikaner nationalism took tensions to breaking point, and in 1899 the Boers attacked the British in order to forestall what they believed as an imminent British invasion.
British imperialism was, as was imperialism itself, experiencing a decline as the 20th century neared, and Afrikaner nationalism was just beginning to emerge as a widely accepted ideology in South Africa, This decline of traditional imperialism and emergence of nationalism serves to clearly demonstrate the shift in both traditional relationships and ideals that was so characteristic of the world in 1900.
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