The Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879 marked a day of defeat for the British in the first major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu War between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Eleven days after the British invaded Zululand (now most commonly known as South Africa) a Zulu force of some 20,000 warriors attacked the British combat formation known as 'the main column' which consisted of about 2,200 British combatants.
The battle at Isandlwana stunned the world and is historically acknowledged as a demoralizing defeat for the British against a less technologically advanced indigenous force. Prior to this battle, it was unfathomable that a Zulu Army primarily equipped with then low-tech weapons, could defeat a conventional fighting force. Not only did the Zulus defeat the British troops (that were fully armed with modern rifles and artillery); they completely destroyed an Infantry Battalion in only 11 days. The complete loss of a battalion of British Army troops challenged the British to fully understand the capability of the Zulu Warriors to defend their land which forced the British Military to adjust their strategy accordingly.
The Zulus were mainly equipped with the traditional iron spears, and cow-hide shields, but they also had a number of muskets and rifles despite the fact that they were not formally trained to proficiently use such weapons. The British troops, commanded by Lord Chelmsford, were armed with then state of the art breech-loading rifles and artillery pieces. Although the British were well equipped, the Zulu force vastly out numbered the British and ultimately destroyed their entire infantry battalion resulting in the deaths of over 1,300 British troops.
In the 1st phase of the Zulu assault plan, they e...
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...ities to sever communications between the British recon elements and their higher command. With British communications severed and their command and control decimated, the Zulu Army fully engaged the British combat formation which led to their victory at Isandlwana. Additionally, on this day, a partial solar eclipse took place in the early afternoon, near the end the battle. It was interpreted by the Zulu fighters as an omen of their victory.
References
Vince Crawley (January 2010) Isandlwana – Historic Zulu Victory in 1879
http://vincecrawley.wordpress.com/2010/01/21/isandlwana-historic-zulu-victory-in-1879/
Dr. Saul David (February 2011). Zulu: The True Story.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/zulu_01.shtml#eight
Ian Knight (August 2010). Wet With Yesterday’s Blood: Zulu Rising
http://www.zulunet.co.za/izl/isandlwana.htm
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Wilkinson, Stephan. “The Worst Battlefield Blunders: Five Battles That Ended Badly.” History.net, Weider History Group. Web 30. March 2014.
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