Northern Natal Offensive

Northern Natal Offensive
Part of the Second Boer War
The Siege of Ladysmith, a key engagement in the offensive
Date 12 October 1899 - 10 June 1900 Location Natal, South Africa Result British Victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland	South African Republic  Orange Free State
Commanders and leaders
Joseph Chamberlain Lord Roberts Redvers Buller George White William Penn Symons Ian Hamilton Walter Kitchener	Paul Kruger Piet Joubert Louis Botha Christiaan de Wet Johannes Koch Lucas Meyer
Strength
October 1899: 22,000 troops December 1899: 32,000 troops (11,000 troops besieged at Ladysmith) February 1900: 60,000 troops	October 1899: 33,000 troops December 1899: 25,000 troops February 1900: 20,000 troops

The Northern Natal Offensive (12 October 1899 - 10 June 1900) was a military invasion of the Northern region of Natal by the Boers of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State during the Second Boer War.^[1] It was part of a larger offensive by the Boers into the British colonies, with other invasions occurring in Bechuanaland and the Cape Colony. The Boers invaded on 12 October,^[2] after Paul Kruger had declared war a day earlier. The Boers initially had success with this offensive, besieging Ladysmith,^[3] and reaching as far south as Estcourt in November 1899.^[4] However, with Redvers Buller's reinforcements arriving that same month, the Boers retreated to the Tugela River. Multiple attempts were made by Buller to relieve Ladysmith, but to no avail.^[5] However, the fourth attempt in February 1900 expelled the Boers from their position at the Battle of the Pieters.^[6] Scattered fighting from March-May 1900 continued, with the Boers being expelled from Natal completely at the Battle of Laing's Nek.^[7] With the Boers out of Natal, the offensive ended.