BOER WAR, the war waged by Great Britain from October, 1899, to May, 1902, against the two South African republics, Transvaal and Orange Free State. The opening of 1902 saw an attempt on the part of the Boers to negotiate terms of peace; but the British Government still refused to consider the question of the in dependence of the republics, and the ef fort accordingly failed. Further fighting took place, and in March a column com manded by Lord Methuen was badly de feated near Klerksdorp, its leader being wounded and taken prisoner. Renewed efforts to procure peace before the ap proaching coronation of King Edward proved successful; and after a meeting of the principal Boer commanders with Lord Kitchener at Vereeniging, the treaty was signed on May 30, at Pretoria, the Boers agreeing to recognize the King of England as their sovereign on condition that representative government should be granted after a limited period, and that the use of the Dutch language be per mitted together with that of English.
The Boers still remaining in the field now surrendered to the number of 20,000.
The number of combatants who fought on the English side throughout the cam paign including regulars, irregulars, Canadians, Australians and sailors amounted to 450,000, of whom about 250, 000 were engaged at the same time dur ing the latter stages of the war. Of these 1,072 officers and 21,000 men were killed, and 3,116 officers and 72,500 men invalided home. On the Boer side some 75,000 took part in the war, though never more than 50,000 were present in the field at any time. Their casualties in killed totalled 3,700 and in prisoners 32,000, of whom 700 died before peace was declared. The net cost of the war to Great Britain is estimated at £250,000,000.