Oom for Uncle

It has been over a century since Paul Kruger died. It is quite possible that you have never heard of him.

Kruger, born in 1825, was a Boer, a descendant of the Dutch settlers of South Africa. When a new republic was set up for the Afrikaners (another word for Boers), who had gained independence from Great Britain, Kruger helped form the constitution, in 1856-57 .

Later, the British took over again, and Kruger helped lead the struggle for reindependence. After a conflict between Great Britain and the Afrikaners, Kruger helped negotiate a treaty that promised limited independence for the Boers. He became president in 1883, and would remain so until 1902.

In several quarrels between Britain and South Africa, Kruger was often forced to concede to Britain. When British imperialism again threatened South Africa's borders, Kruger set an ultimatum for British troop withdrawal. War broke out in 1899, and the two capitals of the Boer republic were occupied by the British. Kruger was forced to flee the country, and he died in exile in Switzerland in 1904, at the age of 78.

Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica