The Battle of Blood River | Zulus Vs Boers | Total War Cinematic Battle

The Battle of Blood River (16 December 1838) was fought on the bank of the Ncome River, in what is today KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa between 464 Voortrekkers, led by Andries Pretorius, and an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 Zulu. Estimations of casualties amounted to over 3,000 of King Dingane's soldiers dead, including two Zulu princes competing with Prince Mpande for the Zulu throne. Three Voortrekker commando members were lightly wounded, including Pretorius.
Game - Napoleon Total War
Mods - The Khartum and Zulu mod
00:00 Tensions escalate
00:35 The Zulu betrayal
02:00 The Boer force
02:21 The Zulu internal conflict
02:46 The Zulus at Umgungundlovu
03:25 The Boer battle positions
04:03 The Zulu forces gather
04:36 The morning of the battle
05:08 The battle begins
06:37 The Zulus are pushed back
06:59 The Cavalry pursue the Zulu
08:20 Aftermath

[@Stefan-X24]

This gives the impression the boers were trained soldiers.

[@jknowstheway1462]

Such a shame we interrupted their space program.

[@JohnSmith-ct5jd]

LMAO! Best comment yet.

[@ArmyJames]

Yes, the Zulu were well on their way to developing their own indigenous Apollo Program - as I learned in Civilization 5.

[@jknowstheway1462]

@@ArmyJames Called 'me fall from roof"?

[@johnwalsh7256]

😂

[@Wolfen443]

This battle started the whole Circle Wagons theme, that is how the Boers fought back this massive attack by the Zulus.

[@rkarnes6304]

Circling the wagons was a Hungarian thing, used by the Magyars many hundreds of years ago.

[@Wolfen443]

@@rkarnes6304 , well it helped the Boers there I think.

[@JohnSmith-bs9ym]

@@rkarnes6304 It actually started in Czech by the Hussites. They were literally called the Hussite Wagon Forts.

[@rkarnes6304]

@@JohnSmith-bs9ym Thank you. I knew it was somewhere in there, thought the Hussites were another name for Magyars.

[@luciadegroseille-noire8073]

I believe that at this time, smokeless powder had not been adopted and so the logistics of the battle, through a dense cloud of gunsmoke, would surely have resembled Waterloo, with fire discipline prevailing.

[@Stefan-X24]

Oh my, swords and trumpets! 😅

[@cliffmays442]

Men who were fighters okay, women and children not okay. I always tended to think of the Zulus as "the good guys". Not any more!! You promise a safe meeting and you attack? B.S. Zulus you caused your defeat . Attacking a hospital? I always of the Zulus as brave, but attacking the sick and wounded? Again I am with the British.

[@stevenchristy3175]

Should do the same with Indians they did it as well.

[@cinematicbattles559]

If you look back at these conflicts people are quick to demonise the British, they were not right for invading Zululand but then again, the Zulus have done similar things to local tribes, it is never as clear as good and bad

[@billredding2000]

What was worse though is the Boers had to disarm before entering the meeting area, so they were utterly defenseless, could only fight with bare hands. UNLIKE this video as it shows them armed -- they weren't. As for the "noble" Zulus (as some people still think of them -- just "innocent victims"), look up what they did to a number of Boer (Trekker) wagon trains -- no mercy: Killed every man, woman and child. Repeatedly. Until Blood River. And they caused grief for other African tribes aroudn them as well -- as American Indians did to each other, and the Mexican Aztecs did to neighboring tribes. "Tribalism" at it's best. The myth of the "Noble Savage." Right... -- BR

[@oliverpearson1577]

@@cinematicbattles559 All military societies are colonisers of one sort or another.

[@surfahdoc]

Look up Weenen.

[@JohnSmith-ct5jd]

Please. The Dutch fought with single shot muzzleloading forearms. The Zulu outnumbered them twenty to one. It was a surprising victory for the Dutch. Stop making excuses and acting like the Zulu were the underdogs. They were not. It was a celebrated victory for the Boers for good reason.

[@jemerage8885]

I'm an American and even I know this. I find the history of the boers to be very interesting and also very sad.

[@gerhardtvanhuyssteen4492]

@@jemerage8885 keep your eyes on the boers my friend before the end of this year my people the boers are gonna make new history...new heroes are in the making and we will shape the future of the world......

[@ColinAnderson-hy2oj]

This is rubbish, the boers were not interested in trade. They did not ride in columns but as kommando.

[@tree3910]

This is just a game mod, so the guns used here compared to what's actually used at the time is inaccurate

[@HansJuergBangerter]

Boers had settled South Africa long before the nomadic Zulus arrived as Immigrants since no Blacks were able to cross Zambezi river before 17th Century and the only true Natives were the Sani people.

[@High_rise12]

The zulus had been there for ages, you’re confusing the Zulu tribes with the Zulus kingdom founded by Shaka, plus the Dutch had settled in very different areas

[@HansJuergBangerter]

@@High_rise12 South Africa was the Native land of the Sani as the Bantus and Zulus couldn't traverse the Sambezi river as they weren't opposite to claims not people able to build real ships even when Afro Centrists lunch this utopian claims same as they had no iron before the Whites and Arabs brought them this materials which usually weere paid for with slaves.

[@billschnelzer9943]

The whites never should have settled in South Africa!!!...

[@billredding2000]

The video doesn't explain the latter part of the battle, why it was called Blood River. -- BR

[@zach7193]

Saw the original version of the battle. It was good. Zulus in the battle were no match for the Boer marksmen. They were massacred. Beginning of control in South Africa.

[@JohnSmith-ct5jd]

Really? Please.

[@WilliamBurton-uc8yc]

They got out of there faster than a runaway slave.

[@nenaddelic1593]

Remind me who started it by luring guests into trap?

[@JohnSmith-ct5jd]

@@nenaddelic1593 Good point. Liberal historians always like to portray the white man as the bad guy.

[@paultyson4389]

One minute in and it is clear that you have absolutely no idea what happened. The Boers left their guns outside the Zulu capital and were seated.

[@foleykilkenny53]

Can you do The Battle of Little bighorn?

[@svenm7264]

Sounds like the Zulu's transition away from throwing spears was a bad move. Inferior to guns to be sure, but a few thousand showering over the wagon circle and falling on the defenders would have helped the attack. A charge across open ground against a defender with projectile weapons by an attacker with only shock weapons, needless to say, is a dicey proposition at best.

[@GrumblingGrognard]

Well-done video that reminds me why I turn off the "glow-in-the-dark effect" they call reflection in Total War. ymmv of course. ;)

[@JD0124]

Brilliant defensive position. At first, I was like, "How would they escape if they needed to withdraw?" Then, I realized they could not be attacked from two directions. Zulus took this one on the chin!

[@Sovietcomrade45]

Can you do the battle of sinop which was a naval engagement that lead to the start of the Crimean war where a outnumbered Russian Black Sea fleet destroyed an entire ottoman fleet with only one ship escaping and the Russians won since they changed naval warfare forever by using explosive shells for the first time in naval warfare which were incredibly powerful against the wooden hulls of a ship

[@HansJuergBangerter]

took the Russians only 20 minutes to defeat the Ottoman fleet..Catharina the Great had settled Swiss Wine-growers from both the German and the French part and also German farmers on Crimea which were very prosperous and only when Stalin deported them ceded to exist.

[@janhviljoen]

Numerous inaccuracies in this video.

[@peaceraybob]

I don't think you understand what a naval Carronade is. They are extremely short, large-calibre guns normally mounted on slides rather than trucks. I seriously doubt that a 6pdr Carronade ever existed, as 18pdrs are the smallest that I have heard of. Did you mean 68pdr? What you showed looked more like a Napoleon 12pdr, for one thing.

[@tabletsam5624]

How did the boere cavallery engage the fleeing zulu army. Did they carry sabers or lances? Or where they able to load their Muscets on horseback? This is the part i dont understand and nobody can answer me.

[@aldosigmann419]

Excellent overview of such an epic clash.

[@darrenvalenzuela347]

yo when will you have the anglo-boer war series ?

[@deanford1795]

What round is it i think I hear a bell

[@craigbritz1684]

Whats with the wagons laying on their sides? they were upright during the battle, they had to be , this is stupid.

[@cinematicbattles559]

My apologies the game has limitations and you can only place them on their side

[@GnrMilligan]

Was the software that rendered the animation created by JJ Abrams? Never seen so many weapons glinting in the sunlight.

[@Canadianvoice]

It's a video game, being used to help educate and spread awareness of historical events? Have you created content similiar and or better? It's easy to be a quick judge when you have put 0 % effort in. How about lighten up? Find something better to do with your time than just sh*t on other people because your life is sad.

[@GnrMilligan]

@@Canadianvoice Steady on there, I was merely making a light hearted joke about the software used, and JJ's use of lense flare. I think the videos are good. Otherwise I wouldn't be watching them. And I am a really chilled guy, I don't need to lighten up. I don't even insult people online if I disagree with a comment. I just scroll on!

[@Canadianvoice]

@@GnrMilligan sorry. Just saw a bunch of sad people insulting this guy simply making a video game machina video

[@svenm7264]

Fwiw I kinda like the glint.

[@johnhamaker8441]

Bring the Bores to Chicago !

Most Africans despised the Zulu.

[@gerardhogan3]

Smart man. Good defence strategy on the river. Dont hippos eat the crap out of people?

[@brianferris8668]

Why are the cannoneers wearing British Army uniforms? Why are Boer farmers wearing uniforms?

[@tree3910]

It's a game mod sir

[@paulharrold]

The Zulus were clearly brave fighters , hard to believe they didn't even have bows and arrows by this time ? why ?

[@cinematicbattles559]

Because the Zulu as a people didn't rely on hunting as they had cattle and they basically just lost the need to use them

[@paulharrold]

@@cinematicbattles559 They fought the Brits and Boers for decades and in that entire time they never thought of using a standoff weapon like the bow ? They were Ignorant and backward people still living in the stone age , they were bound to lose. Out of the 20,000 that attacked that day had 5000 been bow men the Boers would have never had a chance.

[@marcquesnel1324]

I agree, a lot of inaccuracies and mistakes.

[@carloscortez-hv2oh]

could you explain just a few?

[@glennclark5642]

A very good video thank you. it seems like a lot of people dont get how wrong we were like dutch and english why could we not leave them alone. wtf .

[@IronDave100]

The Boers in this video appear to be armed with Martini Henry breech loading rifles that were not invented until 32 years later. The Boers at blood river predominantly used muzzle loading smooth bore muskets which made their victory all the more stunning. Blood river is the most miraculous defensive battle I have ever read about and makes Rorke’s Drift look like a picnic given the vast superiority in firepower that the British had in the latter battle.

[@cinematicbattles559]

Thanks for the comment, unfortunately using these guns was the only option with the game I am using

[@billredding2000]

Each man had 2-3 (at least) muskets, so they were reloaded by others while the men were on the front line firing. This allowed them to keep up a regular rate of fire even with muskets, reducing the time between shots were only using/reloading 1 rifle. THAT may have made a huge difference in winning the battle as well. -- BR

[@user-ze2yp8jt4e]

I believe the boer got hold of Lee Enfields and Mausers.

[@billredding2000]

@@user-ze2yp8jt4e Yes, but that was way later (late 1800s), and they mainly had 7mm Mausers so the British were outgunned as they only had Enfields. Enfields used by Boers were probably captured ones, as the Boers were constantly short of military supplies and struggled with that issue the entire time of the Boer Wars. -- BR

[@larryhand7219]

The Dutch fought with the best German rifles available

[@billmckechnie52]

This is a very poor and inaccurate depiction of the lead up to the battle and the actual battle.

[@cinematicbattles559]

My apologies some things are hard to get right due to physical limitations in the game I’m using

[@gerhardtvanhuyssteen4492]

​@@cinematicbattles559 baie dankie

[@williamanderson6006]

Then you make a video smart guy

[@billmckechnie52]

@@cinematicbattles559 Thanks for taking time to explain the situation wrt the software. I'm very interested in the history of the development of southern Africa and have read a few of the original accounts of the battle and have visited the site.

[@martinthorogood6223]

There's always one isn't there 😂😂😂

[@johnhamaker8441]

Zulu cook pot full that night !

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

What happened to the 3000 dead Zulu bodies?

[@user-ze2yp8jt4e]

Vultures? Plenty in Africa.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

There weren't 3,000 dead. Vast exaggeration that has no parallels in larger battles in South Africa with far more guns and firepower.

[@user-fi4lo4xv3x]

First of all the boar's left there weapon's outside the kraal as a sign of good faith . They were than attacked unarmed & murdered. There bodies were thrown over the cliff & left to rot . The battle of blood river was won because they swore a oth to God to build a church & give that day to God by celebrating him if he let them live & future generations.

[@rev.dr.davidcole8915]

Boers 3 wounded Kaffers 3000 killed

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Fantasy numbers.

[@gerhardtvanhuyssteen4492]

jys verkeerd....dit was 4000 kaffers

[@Dewald-jg5os]

​@@lyndoncmp5751cry more

[@Rugia-ox7hx]

Poor rendering of the Zulus. Are they black or are they brown? Zulus were in fact of a lighter brown complexion. There are no palm trees in the area! It's NOT the tropics.

[@williamanderson6006]

That's a you problem

[@alexalston7428]

Martinis in 1838😂😂

[@GusNdong-gg1bz]

Mereka zulu cm gunakan tombak atau pedang knpa panah tidak ada..KLO pasukan panah dipasang pasti byk korban dipasukan eropa

[@edthibeault3389]

Who is the idiot that screwed up this whole battle,for starters the wagons were not laid down on their sides!

[@cinematicbattles559]

My apologies the game has limitations and you can only place them on their side

[@williamanderson6006]

Lighten up edbeau

[@glennclark5642]

its so shame ful that the dutch and the british did these shamful things , the zulus were defending their land , shame on the dutch and shame on england.

[@pauldurkee4764]

I don't think the Zulus were actually native to that part of Africa, I believed they moved in overthrowing the indigenous people.

[@Dewald-jg5os]

The Zulus slaughtered an estimated 2 million natives from other tribes. Shaka was a mad man. When his mother died he killed around 7000 people of his own tribe so she wouldn't die alone. All pregnant women and their husbands were killed, many cattle also and they could not plant or harvest anything for a year. The Bushmen who are the real natives and mostly peaceful had to flee into the desert to escape them. You know nothing about real history and you live in woke lala land.

[@edthibeault3389]

Ok I am sorry 👍

[@timadams6801]

In 1838...thay used muzzled rifles and older smooth bore...the cartridge was not invented yet..check your Intel

[@leeherbert8277]

Zulus just hop stepping boom boom dance now

[@rduvin]

Wildly inaccurate in so many respects that is has to be considered comedy, not history

[@IronDave100]

Yep. They’re using Martini Henry’s in 1838.

[@cinematicbattles559]

@@IronDave100 Thanks for the comment, unfortunately using these guns was the only option with the game I am using

[@williamanderson6006]

Don't watch problem solved

[@JohnKearney-xx7os]

Half true half a bull shit

[@big58jazz]

More revisionist history 🤦‍♂️

[@ionidhunedoara1491]

Depends on how you spin the mfecane and the weenen incident.