Advance on Pretoria

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Advance on Pretoria" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Advance on Pretoria
Part of the Second Boer War
The Battle of Doornkop, a major battle of the Advance on Pretoria
Date 3 May – 8 June 1900 Location Orange Free State and Transvaal Result British Victory
Belligerents
British Empire  United Kingdom  Canada New Zealand  Queensland  Victoria  Western Australia  South Australia  Tasmania New South Wales  Ceylon	South African Republic  Orange Free State
Commanders and leaders
Lord Roberts John French Redvers Buller Lord Methuen Charles Tucker Ian Hamilton Thomas Kelly-Kenny Reginald Pole-Carew	Louis Botha Paul Kruger Koos de la Rey Christiaan de Wet

The Advance on Pretoria was a military operation during the Second Boer War. From May–June 1900, Lord Roberts and his force began a strategic offensive from Bloemfontein to Pretoria, with the goal of capturing the Pretoria, the capital of the South African Republic (Transvaal) in hopes of ending the war, and forcing the Boers into surrendering. After the clearing of the South East of the Orange Free State, Lord Roberts began his offensive on 3 May 1900, gathering a force around 40,000-50,000 strong.^[1] The Army formed three lines of advance. On the far left, a force commanded by Lord Methuen advanced from Boshof, in the center, Lord Roberts led the main army up the railway from Bloemfontein to Pretoria, and on the right, Redvers Buller led an army up through Northern Natal from Ladysmith to Pretoria. The military operation was a success, with British Forces entering Pretoria on 5 June, and the Boers surrendering the capital shortly after. On 8 June, the country was annexed, and formed into the Transvaal Colony in 1902. Methuen managed to clear the Orange Free State, and had a force relieve Mafeking whilst doing so.