Index:

Chapter 1: Youth years of President Paul Kruger

Chapter 2: Paul Kruger’s military service

Chapter 3: Paul Kruger’s role in the First Boer War

Chapter 4: Paul Kruger’s plans and reforms as president

Chapter 5: The Second Boer War

Chapter 6: Remembrance of President Paul Kruger

Introduction:

Paul Kruger was the State President of Transvaal and the President of South Africa. He also became
known as the Face of the Boer resistance against the British at the time of
the Anglo Boer war.

In my essay I will talk about Paul Kruger’s childhood, his role in the Boer
community and South African military, how he became president and his
unfortunate exile during the Second Boer War.
Contents:

Chapter 1: Youth years of President Paul Kruger.

Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (picture right), better known as

Paul Kruger was born on the 10th of October 1825, on his
grandfather’s farm, Bullhoek which is about 15km from Steynsburg.

He grew up on the farm Vaalbank with his father Casper Kruger,

where he only received 3 months of formal education from his
Master, Tielman Roos. He spent lots of time in the veld and became a
talented hunter and horse rider. President Paul Kruger was a deeply
religious person; he said that he only ever read one book: the Bible.

In 1835, when Kruger was only 10 years old, his father joined The Great Trek, and eventually settled down
in the district now known as Rustenburg. In 1841, at the age of 16 he was entitled to choose a farm near
Magaliesberg, where he settled down and married Gezina du Plessis in 1847.

Paul Kruger was a true “Boer”: an Afrikaans South African farmer’s son.

Chapter 2: Paul Kruger’s military service

Kruger played a big part in the South African

military (Picture left). He was first a field comet of
the commandos, and was later elected
Commandant-general. He was also appointed a
member of the Volksraad, a group of people who
were to draw up a constitution. He was only an
excellent soldier but a natural leader, whom
people trusted. He resigned as Commandant-
general in 1873, but returned the next year as the elected vice-president of the Transvaal, and played a
prominent role in negotiations during the Boer War.
Chapter 3: Paul Kruger’s role in the First Boer War.

The First Boer War began in 1880. It was fought

between the British and the Boer, a name given to
the Afrikaans South African farmers who live in the
Transvaal (Pretoria Region) and the Orange Free
State (Bloemfontein Region). The British owned the
majority of land in Southern Africa (Picture right) at
the time. Although the British had so much land,
they desperately wanted the Transvaal, which was
rich in gold. Kruger became leader of the resistance movement and the Boer was successful at the battles
of Mjuba, Talana and many more. Paul Kruger had and important role in making negotiations with the
British, which lead to the Restoration of the Transvaal’s independence.
Thus, on the 30th of December 1880, at the age of 55, Paul Kruger was elected President of the Transvaal,
and on the 9th May 1883, he was elected president of South Africa and only withdrew from office on the
10th of September1900.

Chapter 4: Paul Kruger’s plans and reforms as president.

Paul Kruger had many ambitions as president: one of the first was to revise
and better the Pretoria Convention of 1881, aswell as the agreement
between the British and Boer made at the end of the First Boer War. In
order to do so he left South Africa in 1883 to negotiate with Lord Derby, a
British governor.

Chapter 5: The Second Boer War

Things in the Transvaal were changing fast: the discovery of gold and
diamonds led to a rush of foreigners (called Uitlanders) which eventually
led to the fall of the republic. As Paul Kruger’s friend, General Joubert,
said: “Instead of rejoicing at the discovery of gold, they should be weeping
because it will cause our land to be soaked in blood.”
Although the problems were serious, and they were on the brink of a war, the country trusted and re-
elected Paul Kruger as president for the fourth and final time in 1898.

On the 11th of October 1899, the Second Boer War (picture below) broke out, but this time the Boer was
over-powered by the British. Easily foreseeing the
outcome of this war, Kruger attended his last
Volksraad meeting and upon receiving news that
Lord Roberts, a British General, was on his way to
the town, he fled for Pretoria on the 29th of May
1900.

In October he fled South Africa for Mozambique,

there he boarded Gelderland, a Dutch warship sent
by Queen Wilhelmina of Netherlands. Then he
spent time in Europe, traveling to and from France,
Germany and the Netherlands trying to negotiate a peace treaty, not wanted by the British government,
before moving to Switzerland, where he died on the 14th of July 1904. He was first laid to rest on the 16th
of July in Hague, Netherlands but British permission was given, the was moved to the Hero’s Acer of the
Church Street Cemetery in Pretoria.

Chapter 6: Remembrance of President Paul Kruger.

Although the events of Paul Kruger’s lifetime happened a long time ago
he is still remembered today. His house in Pretoria is now the Kruger
House Museum. The Krugerrand (picture right) and the Kruger National
Park are all named after him.

There is also a statue of him in Church Square, Pretoria (picture left).

Pipe makers still use a style called Oom Paul, which was said to be
made especially for him and many streets and squares in Dutch towns
and cities are named after him, and in Den Haag, the Netherland a
renowned market, de Paul Krugerlaan is named after him.
Conclusion

For many people, especially the older generations, Paul Kruger was a
true South African hero. He stood up for his country and what he
thought was right. Despite his poor formal education, he was a
powerful leader, who was trusted by his people. He made his mark on
South African history through his dedication to our independence
during the Anglo Boer War.

Bibliography

1) Literature:

De Kock, W.J: Dictionary of South African Biography, Cape Town:

Nasionale Boekhandel Beperk, vol. 1, 1968

Potgieter, D.J: Standard Encyclopedia of Southern Africa, Cape Town:

NASOU Press vol. 6, 1972

Smail, J.L: Monuments and Battlefields of the Transvaal War 1881 and
the South African War 1899 to 1902. Cape Town, 1966.

2) Web

http://www.tokencoins.com/oompaul.ht

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/boer_wars_01.shtml

http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/governence-projects/anglo-boer-wars/anglo-boer-war1i.htm

http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/people/bios/kruger-p.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Kruger