Battle of Ulundi

Lord Chelmsford advanced on the royal capital of Ulundi with a reorganised British and colonial force. On 4 July 1879 the army formed a large infantry square on open ground, supported by artillery and cavalry, and met the main Zulu army.

Concentrated fire defeated the Zulu attack, after which mounted troops pursued the retreating warriors and the royal settlement was burned. The battle ended the principal campaign and was followed by the capture and exile of King Cetshwayo.

Fiction set at Ulundi can address the mechanics of the infantry square, the destructive power of modern rifles and artillery, and the political destruction of an independent African kingdom.