Editing Redvers Buller (section)

==Second Boer War and sacking==
Buller became head of the troops stationed at [[Aldershot]] in 1898. He was sent as commander of the [[Natal Field Force]] in 1899 on the outbreak of the [[Second Boer War]]. On seeing the list of troops which would make up his Corps Buller is said to have remarked "well, if I can't win with these, I ought to be kicked." By early September 1899 he had serious thoughts that the Boers could not easily be browbeaten, and that [[George White (British Army officer)|White]]'s forces in Natal might receive some punishment if they deployed too far forward. He arrived at the end of October.{{sfn|Holmes| 2004| p=56}} He was defeated at the [[Battle of Colenso]], during what was later to become known as [[Black Week]]. Defeats at the [[Battle of Magersfontein]] and [[Battle of Stormberg]] also involved forces under his command. Because of concerns about his performance and negative reports from the field he was replaced in January 1900 as overall commander in South Africa by [[Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts|Lord Roberts]]. Defeats and questionable ability as commander soon earned him the nickname "Reverse Buller" among troops. He remained as second-in-command and suffered two more setbacks in his attempts to relieve [[Ladysmith, South Africa|Ladysmith]] at the battles of [[Battle of Spion Kop|Spion Kop]] and [[Battle of Vaal Krantz|Vaal Krantz]]. On his fourth attempt, Buller was victorious in the [[Battle of the Tugela Heights]], [[Relief of Ladysmith|lifting the siege]] on 28 February 1900, the day after [[Piet Cronje]] at last surrendered to Roberts at Paardeberg.{{sfn|Holmes| 2004| p=97}} After Roberts took Bloemfontein (13 March 1900), Buller correctly predicted that the Boers would take to guerrilla warfare.{{sfn|Holmes| 2004| p=101}} Later he was successful in flanking Boer armies out of positions at [[Biggarsberg]], [[Laing's Nek]] and [[Lydenburg]]. It was Buller's veterans who won the [[Battle of Bergendal]] in the war's last set-piece action.

Buller was also popular as a military leader amongst the public in England, and he had a triumphal return from South Africa with many public celebrations, including those on 10 November 1900 when he went to Aldershot to resume his role as [[General Officer Commanding]] Aldershot District,{{sfn|Beckett|2008}} later to be remembered as "a Buller day". He spent the following months giving lectures and speeches on the war, was promoted to a [[Order of St Michael and St George|Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]] (GCMG) in Nov 1900,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27306 |date=19 April 1901 |page=2698}}</ref> and received the [[Freedom of the City|Honorary Freedom of the Borough]] of [[Plymouth]] in April 1901.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |title=General Buller at Plymouth |date=12 April 1901 |page=8 |issue=36427}}</ref> However, his reputation had been damaged by his early reverses in South Africa, especially within the Unionist government. When public disquiet emerged over the continuing guerrilla activities by the defeated Boers, the Minister for War, [[St John Brodrick, 1st Earl of Midleton|St. John Brodrick]] and Lord Roberts sought a scapegoat.{{sfn| Powell|1994|p=199}} The opportunity was provided by the numerous attacks in the newspapers on the performance of the British Army. The matter came to a head when a virulent piece written by ''[[The Times]]'' journalist [[Leopold Stennett Amery|Leo Amery]] was publicly answered by Buller in a speech on 10 October 1901. Brodrick and Roberts saw their opportunity to pounce and, summoning Buller to an interview on 17 October, Brodrick, with Roberts in support, demanded his resignation on the grounds of breaching military discipline. Buller refused and was summarily dismissed on half pay on 22 October.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Sir Redvers Buller relieved of his command|date=23 October 1901 |page=3 |issue=36593}}</ref> His request for a court martial was refused, as was his request to appeal to [[Edward VII|the King]].