May 31, 1902 · Transvaal Theater
May 31, 1902
The Peace of Vereeniging, signed on May 31, 1902, formally ended the Second Boer War after two years and eight months of fighting. Boer delegates — including Botha, Smuts, and de Wet, none of whom had been captured — agreed to accept British sovereignty over the former republics. In return, Britain promised £3 million for reconstruction, amnesty for all combatants, and a promise that the question of political rights for Black Africans would be decided after responsible government was granted — a promise that effectively deferred the question indefinitely and paved the way for the racial segregation that would follow. The treaty was debated for three days in a building at Vereeniging by 60 Boer delegates, 30 of whom voted against it.
Commanders