The Anglo-Boer War 1899 - 1902 As the name indicates, the Anglo-Boer War was fought between Britain and the Boers - the latter consisting of the combined forces of the South African Republic and the Republic of the Orange Free State. The war broke out on 11 October 1899 and ended on 31 May 1902. To the British it was a war mainly fought to establish their supremacy in South Africa, while to the Boer Republics it was a defensive war. In spite of their initial victories over the British, the tide began to turn against the Boers in February 1900. Bloemfontein, capital of the Free State, fell to the British on 13 March 1900. On 5 June 1900 British forces also invaded Pretoria, capital of the South African Republic. Some of the British now mistakenly believed that the war would soon be over. This was, however, far from true. Gradually abandoning a conventional style of warfare, the Boers officially adopted a guerilla style of fighting from September 1900. This proved to be to their advantage because the small Boer commandos were much more mobile than the large British divisions. In the months that followed, the British counteracted this with a concentration camp system, the "scorched earth" policy and strategic blockhouses and drives. It became increasingly difficult for the fighting Boers in the field to evade the British. The countryside was pillaged and as a result provisions were scarce. Above all the conditions in the concentration camps were a cause for great anxiety. These factors eventually persuaded the Boers to negotiate peace.