Siege of Mafeking

Siege of Mafeking
Part of Second Boer War
British Troops repelling a Boer attack at Mafeking
Date 13 October 1899 – 17 May 1900 (7 months and 4 days) Location Mafikeng, Cape Colony (present-day South Africa) Result British victory Mafeking relieved
Belligerents
British Empire	South African Republic
Commanders and leaders
Robert Baden-Powell Bryan Mahon	Piet Cronjé Jacobus Philippus Snyman
Strength
1,500	8,000
Casualties and losses
812	2,000

The siege of Mafeking was a 217-day siege battle for the town of Mafeking (now called Mahikeng) in South Africa during the Second Boer War from October 1899 to May 1900. The siege received considerable attention as Lord Edward Cecil, the son of the British prime minister, was in the besieged town, as also was Lady Sarah Wilson, a daughter of the Duke of Marlborough and aunt of Winston Churchill.^[1] The siege turned the British commander, Colonel Robert Baden-Powell, into a national hero. The Relief of Mafeking (the lifting of the siege), while of little military significance, was a morale boost for the struggling British.^[2]