Schalk Willem Burger (6 September 1852 – 5 December 1918) was a South African military leader, lawyer, politician, and statesman who was acting

president of the South African Republic The state president of the South African Republic had the Executive (government), executive authority in the South African Republic. According to the constitution of 1871, executive power was vested in the president, who was responsible to the ...

from 1900 to 1902, whilst

Paul Kruger Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904), better known as Paul Kruger, was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South Africa, and State Preside ...

was in exile.Nathan, Manfred (1937). ''The Voortrekkers of South Africa: From the Earliest Times to the Foundation of the Republics''. Gordon and Gotch, ltd. At the age of 21, Burger worked as a clerk in the office of the field coronet. He married his wife, Alida Claudina de Villiers, during this time.

Military service

He served in a number of military conflicts such as the Sekhukhune Wars of 1876, and later during the

First Boer War The First Boer War (, ), was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881 between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and Boers of the Transvaal (as the South African Republic was known while under British ad ...

of 1881, he served as acting

field cornet Field cornet () is a term formerly used in South Africa for either a local government official or a military officer. The office had its origins in the position of ''veldwachtmeester'' in the Dutch Cape colony, and was regarded as being equivalent ...

. He was elected as commandant of the Lydenburg Commando in 1885. When the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

started, he served as commandant-general in a number of military conflicts, including the

battle of Spion Kop The Battle of Spion Kop (; ) was a military engagement between British forces and two Boer Republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, during the campaign by the British to relieve the besieged city Ladysmith during the ...

and battle of Modder River on 30 October 1899. Burger was criticized for his lack of military prowess during the siege of Ladysmith as well as when the Boer forces withdrew from Spionkop. Afterwards, Burger focused more on his role in government.

Political career

As a politician, he was described as "enlightened and shrewd" and it was reported that he rivaled Paul Kruger in his influence over his countrymen. After the battle of Spion Kop, due to illness, he withdrew from the fighting and pursued his political career once more. He was elected to the Volksraad in 1887. He served as the Chairman of Volksraad from 1895 to 1896 In March 1900, following the death of Piet Joubert, he was elected

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

under President

. In September 1900, he succeeded Kruger as state president, after Kruger had left for Europe. During the military tribunal in May 1901, he advocated a cessation of hostilities, but his proposal was strongly opposed by President

Marthinus Theunis Steyn Martinus (or Marthinus) Theunis Steyn (; 2 October 185728 November 1916) was a South African lawyer, politician, and statesman. He was the sixth and last president of the independent Orange Free State from 1896 to 1902. Early life The Stey ...

of the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( ; ) was an independent Boer-ruled sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeated and surrendered to the British Em ...

. Burger remained president until the

Treaty of Vereeniging The Treaty of Vereeniging was a peace treaty, signed on 31 May 1902, that ended the Second Boer War between the South African Republic and the Orange Free State on the one side, and the United Kingdom on the other. This settlement provided ...

on 31 May 1902. Following the end of the war, Burger visited Europe, including

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

. In 1905, Burger became a founding a member of the Het Volk Party and secured an uncontested seat on the Legislative Council. Burger was a delegate of the Transvaal to the National Convention in 1908 which lead to the forming of the Union of South Africa in 1910. After the Union of South Africa was established, Burger became a member of the South African Party under General Louis Botha and rose to Chairman of the Transvaal branch of the South African Party. In 1911, Burger became a member of the Transvaal Executive Committee and following his election to the Senate in 1913, Burger continued to serve as a senator until his death on 5 December 1918. In

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...

, in the Afrikaanderwijk, the Schalk Burgerstraat was named after him. He died in 1918 at Goedgedacht, near Krugerspos.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burger, Schalk Willem 1852 births 1918 deaths Afrikaner people People from Lydenburg People of the Second Boer War Presidents of the South African Republic Vice presidents of the South African Republic Members of the Volksraad of the South African Republic Military personnel from Mpumalanga South African people of Dutch descent South African people of German descent South African Republic generals South African Republic military personnel of the Second Boer War South African Republic politicians