The Battle of Isandlwana 1879

Date: 22 January, 1879

On 22 January 1879, the British Army suffered its greatest defeat in Africa when 24,000 Zulu warriors overrun a British camp of 1,700 near Isandlwana Mountain. Over 1,300 of the British force were killed, with only 60 Europeans surviving. The battle that lasted for almost four hours began around 11:h00 am. Just under six months into the war, on 1June 1879, an escort of British troops accompanied by the French Prince Imperial, Napoléon Eugène Louis Jean Joseph, a descendant of Napoleon Bonaparte, was ambushed outside Ulundi. Louis was killed in the ensuing skirmish. . ,

The short-lived Zulu War of 1879 ended on July 4 at the last ritual battle of Ulundi where the old Zulu order was smashed forever and King Cetshwayo sent into exile.

To date, people still gather on the battlefield of Isandlwana to commemorate this day.

References

• Boddy-Evans A. (2011), ‘This Day in African History’, from African History Guide, [online] available at www.africanhistory.about.com [Accessed: 07 December 2011]
• Drakensberg Tourism, ‘Isandlwana - To brave men on both sides’, [online] available at www.drakensberg-tourism.com [Accessed: 07 December 2011]