Evaluate the causes of the South African War (1899–1902).

Candidates will make an appraisal of the causes of the South African War (1899–1902), weighing up the importance of each. Candidates may refer to the social, economic and political causes, or alternatively, the long- and short-term causes of the war. The may focus on long-standing tension and hostility due to the federationist ambitions of the British and Boer resistance to attempted colonisation. They may also refer to the discovery of gold in the Transvaal and the argument that the British wished to control the source of this wealth. They may also note the role of the Uitlander community and the resentment of the Boers towards an alien cultural presence and the threat this posed to their traditional way of life. The may also refer to the intransigence of leaders such as Kruger and Milner, especially at the Bloemfontein Conference, as a cause of the conflict.