Origins & Early Life

Louis Botha (locally BOOR-tə, Afrikaans pronunciation: [ˈlu.i ˈbuəta]; 27 September 1862 – 27 August 1919) was a South African politician who was the first prime minister of the Union of South Africa, the forerunner of the modern South African state. A Boer war veteran during the Second Boer War, Botha eventually fought to have South Africa become a British Dominion. Louis Botha led "Dinuzulu's Volunteers", a group of Boers that had supported Dinuzulu against Zibhebhu in 1884. Botha later became a member of the parliament of Transvaal in 1897, representing the district of Vryheid.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 1899, Louis Botha fought in the Second Boer War, initially joining the Krugersdorp Commando, continuing to fight under Lucas Meyer in Northern Natal, and later as a general commanding and leading Boer forces impressively at Colenso and Spion Kop. On the death of P. J. Joubert, he was made commander-in-chief of the Transvaal Boers, where he demonstrated his abilities again at Belfast-Dalmanutha. After one of the battles at the Tugela River, Botha granted a twenty-four-hour armistice to General Buller to enable him to bury his...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Bahadur Shah Zafar — Contemporary (Died in 1862) (1862): The last Mughal Emperor of India and renowned Urdu poet.
• Billy Hughes — Contemporary (Born in 1862) (1862): Long-serving Australian politician, 7th Prime Minister (1915-1923)
• Božena Němcová — Contemporary (Died in 1862) (1862): Pivotal Czech writer of the National Revival, famed for 'Babička'.
• Akashi Motojiro — Contemporary (Died in 1919) (1919): General in the Imperial Japanese Army and Governor-General of Taiwan.
• Andrew Carnegie — Contemporary (Died in 1919) (1919): Scottish-American industrialist who pioneered the American steel industry and became a major philanthropist.
• Beate Uhse-Rotermund — Contemporary (Born in 1919) (1919): Pioneering German pilot and influential founder of the modern sex shop industry.
• Aimee Semple McPherson — Shared historical date (09-27 · Died) (1944): Pioneering Pentecostal evangelist, famous for founding the Foursquare Church.
• Albert Ellis — Shared historical date (09-27 · Born) (1913): Pioneering figure in psychotherapy, founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
• Baal Shem Tov — Shared historical date (08-27 · Born) (1698): Founder of Hasidic Judaism, a Jewish mystic from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
• Bennett Cerf — Shared historical date (08-27 · Died) (1971): American publisher, author, and co-founder of Random House.
• 1862 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1862
• September 27 (09-27) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on September 27
• 1919 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1919
• August 27 (08-27) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on August 27