Episode 286 - German Mercenary von Brandis formally Proclaims Johannesburg
About this episode
This episode discusses the proclamation of Johannesburg and the challenges faced by the Orange Free State under President Johannes Brand.
Welcome back to the history of South Africa podcast with me your host, Des Latham. This is episode 286 - Johannesburg is proclaimed but the flow of water and cash provs challenging. We’ll start however, with the Orange Free State. Its president Johannes Brand was certainly carved from an original chunk of Boer marble — even the British empire recognized his magnificence, at least, Queen Victoria, who was knighted him. Brand was one of the main movers behind the first attempt at uniting the Boer Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State but the open hostility by Paul Kruger and the Burghers of the Transvaal scuttled his plans. President Brand had been voted into office in 1872 and for the next 20 years, the Free State was characterised by relative tranquility and modest prosperity. After Britain formally annexed Basutoland and Griqualand West, the Free State experienced a few ructions, but there was little friction between the Afrikaaners and their English compatriots. Brand was steadfast in his belief that the Republics should remain neutral when it came to Great Britain, while Paul Kruger’s Transvaal was openly hostile to London. The Free State leader was a warded the…
People in this episode
Host: Des Latham
Topics covered
- Johannesburg
- Boer Republics
- British Empire
- Orange Free State
- Paul Kruger
- Johannes Brand
Keywords
- Johannesburg
- German Mercenary
- Johannes Brand
- Paul Kruger
- British Empire
- Boer Republics
- Orange Free State
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: British Empire
Places: Orange Free State, Transvaal, Basutoland, Griqualand West
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- Episode 291 - The Miracle of South Africa’s Railways: Navvies, Gangers and Granny Mavis
- Episode 290 - Africanders, Afrikaners and the Sprigg/Hofmeyr/Rhodes Voter Disenfranchisement of 1887-1892
- Episode 289 - Black Velvet Opskop, De Beers’ Trojan Horse, an Historic Trick and a Multi-Racial Miner Protest
- Episode 288 - Squabbling Europeans Dissect Africa and the Sultan of Zanzibar gets Shafted
- Episode 287 - "Not Worth Hell Room" — JB Robinson, Widow Oosthuizen, and the Witwatersrand Gold Grab
- Episode 285 - The Three Georges Gold Saga and a Bottle of Mampoer Vignette
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