The Battles of Hlobane and Khambula: Forgotten Turning Point of the Anglo-Zulu War

The two main Zulu War battles of Hlobane and Khambula were fought on consecutive days, 28 and 29 March 1879, with very different outcomes.The first, a bungled raid to deprive the Zulus of vital cattle, ended in a humiliating debacle due to poor planning and reconnaissance.The latter saw the outnumbered British first repulse the counterattack against their camp and then unleash their cavalry to turn the Zulu withdrawal into a bloody rout, thus sealing the first decisive British victory of the war.As Adrian Greaves contends in his exciting account, this change in fortunes made Khambula the most important battle of the war, since it persuaded both Lord Chelmsford and the Zulu king, Cetshwayo, that the British could defeat the Zulus.Yet, despite their importance, these linked encounters have been neglected by historians due mainly to their inaccessibility and dangerous terrain. Both battles are described in the fullest detail possible, drawing on eyewitness testimony and meticulous researc