How a Boer farmer became the world's most elusive guerrilla commander

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Christiaan de Wet was a simple farmer who rose to become a legendary Boer general. Renowned for his tactical brilliance and ability to evade capture, he became a symbol of resistance against the British Empire. His life spanned from the First Boer War to the 1914 Maritz Rebellion.

Born in 1854 in the Orange Free State, Christiaan de Wet initially served as a field cornet during the First Boer War. His military career accelerated during the Second Boer War, where he transitioned from an ordinary private burgher to Commander-in-Chief of the Free State forces. De Wet earned a reputation for his mastery of guerrilla warfare, frequently striking British supply lines and vanishing before he could be surrounded. His success was so profound that even his adversaries acknowledged his skill; in the early 1920s, the British press famously dubbed Irish republican leader Michael Collins the Irish de Wet.

The conflict was deeply personal and divisive. De Wet’s own brother, Piet Daniel De Wet, eventually joined the National Scouts, fighting alongside the British against his own kin. De Wet’s tactics were ruthless, including orders to execute armed native scouts. Despite his military prowess, he was ultimately forced to negotiate peace, signing the Treaty of Vereeniging in 1902. Following the war, he sought to modify the peace terms in England and later served as Minister of Agriculture in the Orange River Colony.

His later years were marked by further political upheaval. In 1914, he participated in the Maritz Rebellion, a failed uprising against the government. Defeated by General Botha at Mushroom Valley, he was captured and sentenced to six years in prison, though he was released after one year. De Wet died in 1922 and was honored with a state funeral in Bloemfontein. His legacy persists in history and culture, from his own account of the war, Three Years War, to his inclusion in Irish folk songs and the commissioning of statues in his honor.

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