Home > Piet Cronje

Born in Transvaal, Cronje made his reputation in the First Boer War, beseiging the British garrison at Potchefstroom. He had a distinctive appearance, being short with a black beard and was reputed to have considerable personal courage.

He was in command of the force that rounded up Jameson at Dorinkop at the conclusion of the Jameson Raid on 2 January 1896. During the Second Boer War Cronje was general commanding in the western theatre of war. He began the sieges of Kimberley and Mafeking. At Mafeking, with a force varying between 2,000 and 6,000 he laid siege against 1,200 regular troops and militia under the command of Colonel Robert Baden-Powell. After his surrender with 4,000 of his commandoIn military science, the term commando can refer to an individual, a military unit, or a style of military operation. In certain contexts, the term is synonymous with light infantry or " special forces". Elite soldiers Commandos are generally seen as "elis at Paardeberg on 27 February 19001900 is the common year starting on Monday. see link for calendar) For the film, see 1900 (film). Events January January 1 Nigeria becomes British protectorate January 2 John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China. January 2 Chicag, he was imprisoned as a prisoner of warGeneva Convention Definition A prisoner of war (POW is a soldier who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The laws apply from the moment a prisoner is captured until he is released or repatriated. One of the main in St. Helena IslandFor alternate uses, see Saint Helena (disambiguation). Saint Helena is an island in the Atlantic Ocean 2,800 km off the west coast of Africa belonging to the United Kingdom. It is also the name of this island together with Ascension, Gough Island, Inacces where he remained until the conclusion of peace negotiations in 1902Events January-April January 28 The Carnegie Institution is founded in Washington, DC with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie. France, Loisy's L'evangile et l'Eglise which inaugurates the Modernist Crisis February 11 Police beat up universal suffrage.