Today my favorite reader "Donald" can sit back and relax, because no Nazi and no US-American bomber far and wide!

The First Boer Republic


On February 6, 1795, settlers of Dutch origin, the "Boers", founded the first so-called "Boer Republic" in southern Africa in protest against the "Dutch East India Company", which dominated everything and everyone there!

It is the "Republic of Graaf-Reinet", ie the area with and around the city founded on July 19, 1786, which is today the fourth oldest city in South Africa founded by Europeans!









Adriaan van Jaarsveld was elected chairman of the provisional government and the war council. This old silhouette is supposed to show it, but this is not entirely certain...:



As a sign of their rebellion, the supporters of the independent republic used the flag of the Netherlands...:



This differed from the flag of the Dutch East India Company in using the color red instead of orange in the top stripe...:



In this way, the intention was to consciously declare a break with colonial authority and at the same time loyalty to the Dutch homeland.

The Dutch East India Company, also in the Netherlands (then: "Batavian Republic") a state within a state, pulls its strings at home and is pushed by the protecting power, the revolutionary France and trusting in the support of the local patriots in March 1796 a Batavian fleet and a small expeditionary force for the reconquest (and suppression of the rebellion) arose.



With nine warships and 2000 marines, the Dutch rear admiral Engelbertus Lucas...



...at anchor in the South African Saldanha Bay on August 6, 1796...:



However, the admiral remains completely inactive as far as his actual mission is concerned, because his ships urgently need a number of repairs - and half of his people, who are not used to the climate, are ill.

On August 16th, a twice as powerful British fleet under Vice-Admiral George Elphinstone appears...



... (one is once again at war with one another) and traps the Dutch squadron in the bay.

A day later, the Dutch surrender without a fight - the boat with the white flag in the stern is clearly visible...:



When this became known on the Dutch ships, the crews mutinied against their officers - it was up to the British to put down the mutiny bloodily.

Then the English went ashore and sacked the entire Dutch Cape colony for their empire - including the renegade "Graaff-Reinet Republic", which had to surrender to the British at mercy on August 22, 1796.

So the first Boer Republic only existed for a year and a half - and is now almost completely forgotten in the Netherlands too.