Rise of a Valkyrie

Part 32

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Christie watched from her seat as an instructor activated the classroom's presentation screen. A painting appeared before the recruits, who studied it without reacting. Against the background of a tall pillar of rock, a huddle of Red-coated soldiers desperately aimed their rifles. Dead comrades lay at their feet, together with wounded men who raised imploring arms. Around them crowded a horde of naked warriors armed with spears, wooden shields, and fierce expressions of murderous intent.

Christie shifted in her seat and wondered again whether she was making the right decision by staying the course. Throughout their history lessons, the instructors had shown the recruits nothing but disaster and bloodshed.

The instructor addressed the class. "Major General Lord Chelmsford led the British when they camped at the foot of Mount Isandlwana in the Zulu kingdom in 1879."

At an adjacent desk, Thandi was on the edge of her seat. She glanced at Christie, no doubt hoping to revel smugly in the victory. Christie returned her attention to her pad and began taking notes.

"Unfortunately," the instructor continued, "Chelmsford's military experience left a lot to be desired, having bought his commission before the government banned the practice."

Thandi raised her hand. "Instructor, what does it mean to 'buy' a commission?"

"Wealthy individuals could pay money to receive the rank of an officer in a particular regiment, allowing them to skip any kind of selection, training, or promotion by merit."

Thandi's eyes went wide. "That's insane. Christie, isn't that insane?"

Christie rolled her eyes. "Yes, Thandi. It is indeed a terrible way to run an army."

"How could the British rulers allow that to happen?" Thandi pressed.

"Let's stick to the battle, please recruit," the instructor said. "Once Chelmsford invaded Zulu territory, he camped at the foot of this mountain. Now, if we look at the map we can see how the Zulu's commander, or 'inDuna', Ntshingwayo Khoza, expertly drew Chelmsford away from his poorly protected base. Khoza used fast scouting parties and fake intelligence provided by locals to lead the British General east to the Mangeni Valley. The lightly armed impis could travel three times faster than the Imperial troops, and while the main Zulu army secretly positioned itself, their scouts managed to lure their enemy several miles away from the camp.

"Splitting Chelmsford's forces," Thandi observed.

"Exactly." The instructor gave a curt nod towards Thandi. "In the meantime, Chelmsford had not given any order to the camp at Isandlwana to form defenses, and the camp's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Pulleine, also did not take any initiative in that regard. Class?"

"You didn't need an order, jackass," Kayla declared.

"Eloquent as always, recruit Barnes," the instructor said. "In fact, accounts suggest that Pulleine was afraid to give the order because he feared the response he would provoke from Chelmsford. The British general already admonished Pulleine for slow progress in bringing supplies to the camp. This toxic leadership is a perfect demonstration of the weakness of too centralized a command structure. When officers are not encouraged to think for themselves, and the senior commander misses important details, disaster follows.

"Remember, class, it starts with the individual. A commander may draw up a plan, but every soldier has the responsibility to question orders that don't make sense. So, back to the battle. With Chelmsford looking in the wrong direction, Ntshingwayo marched his forces overnight to close with the unprepared camp. They attacked the next morning."