Battle+of+Isandlwana

=The Battle of Isandlwana= In December 1878, the Britsh reported deaths of several citizens. The British believed that some Zulus were to blame. The authorities demanded the Zulu king to turn over the criminals so that they could be trailed. Due to the refusal of the Zulu king, the British began to invade Zulu's land. On January 20, 1879, the British reached Isandlwana Hill and set up a small base. The next day at dawn the British planned their attack on the Zulus. The Battle of Isandlwana took place on January 22, 1879.

On the morning of the attack, Chelmsford, the leader of the British army, led his men in search of the Zulu people. Clearly outnumbered, the British relied on their advanced weapons. The British did not notice that the Zulu people slipped around their arm forces and made their way to Isandlwana. After hearing reports of what the Zulu people were up to, the British began to investigate. The leader of the soldiers on patrol was Lieutenant Charles Raw. Raw notice a large quantity of the Zulu army in a small valley. The Zulu army took notice of the British army as well. The British began retreating to Isandlwana to prepare for battle. Rather than forming a tight defensive perimeter, the British army decided to establish a firing line. Whereas, the Zulu army fought in a formation like the traditional horns and chest of the buffalo. This allowed the chest to hold the enemy while the horns worked around the flanks. After constantly firing their weapon, the British began running low on ammunition. The British tried to retreat, but the Zulu were able to intercept them. The Zulu army defeated the British in the Battle of Isandlwana.

This was the worst defeat that the British army had ever faced. A total of 1,329 men of the British army died. Only 55 British soldiers managed to escape the battle alive. The Zulu, however, suffered 1,000 casualties and 3,000 injuries, but because they so vastly outnumbered the British to begin with, it was a decisive victory. The tremendous victory for the Zulus was short lived, because the embarrassing defeat led to the British increasing their timetables and becoming more aggressive in the war.