The Russian Boer General

Abstract

Afrikaans

Die Russiese Boere-generaal Sowat 250 Russiese vrywilligers het aan die Boere se kant aan die Anglo-Boereoorlog deelgeneem. Die mees merkwaardige figuur onder hulle was kolonel Yevgenij Maximov. Hy was 'n afgetrede offisier in the Russiese leer and het na Suid-Afrika gekom toe hy 51 jaar oud was. Die Franse kolonel De Villebois-Mareuil, bevelvoerder van die Europese Legioen, het hom as sy adjunk aangestel. Na Villebois se dood het Maximov bevelvoerder van die Legioen geword -'n posisie wat hy om verskeie redes nie lank beklee het nie. Nogtans was hy vir 'n wyle bevelvoerder van een van die grootste, bes opgeleide en mees gedissiplineerde buitelandse afdelings in die land. In Mei 1900 is hy tot die rang van veggeneraal bevorder. As 'n uiters dapper persoon wat deur politieke visie geïnspireer is, het Maximov met verskeie beroemde Boereleiers bevriend geraak en selfs as raadgewer vir die presidente van die Boererepublieke opgetree. Verskeie boeke is al oor Villebois-Mareuil geskryf, maar weinig oor Maximov. Hy word bloot in sommige Suid-Afrikaanse publikasies oor die oorlog vermeld, en in Rusland is hy feitlik vergete. Die outeurs van hierdie artikel het in St. Pietersburg op sy persoonlike argief afgekom. Sy Suid-Afrikaanse dagboek, 'n brief van president Kruger, instruksies van Villebois-Mareuil en ander onbekende dokumente van die Anglo-Boereoorlog maak 'n prominente gedeelte van die argief uit. In hierdie artikel bespreek die outers hulle bevindinge en die gebeure rakende Maximov se deelname aan die Anglo-Boereoorlog.

English

About 250 Russian volunteers participated in the Anglo-Boer War on the side of the Boers. The most remarkable of the was Colonel Yevgenij Maximov. Maximov, a retired officer of the Russian army, came to South Africa when he was 51 years old. The French Colonel Villebois-Mareuil, Commander of the European Legion, appointed him his deputy. After Villebois' death, Maximov became Commander of the Legion - a position which for various reasons he did not manage to keep. He still remained commander of one of the largest, best trained and disciplined foreign detachments in the country. In May 1900 Maximov was promoted to the position of veggeneraal. A person of immense bravery, inspired by a political vision, Maximov soon became friends with several famous Boer leaders, and even adviser to the presidents of the Boer republics. Several books have been published about Villebois-Mareuil, but very little about Maximov. He is just mentioned in various South African publications about the war; in Russia he is almost completely forgotten. The authors found Maximov's personal archive in St. Petersburg. Maximov's South African diary, a letter from President Kruger, the instructions from Villebois-Mareuil and other unknown documents from the Anglo-Boer War constitute a prominent part of the archive. In this article the authors discuss their findings and the events around Maximov's participation in the South African War.