Paul Kruger
| Paul Kruger | |
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Kruger, photographed in 1900
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| 3rd President of the South African Republic | |
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In office 9 May 1883 – 10 September 1900 |
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| Preceded by | Triumvirate |
| Succeeded by | Schalk Willem Burger (acting) |
| Member of the Triumvirate | |
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In office 8 August 1881 – 9 May 1883 Serving with M W Pretorius and Piet Joubert |
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| Preceded by | T F Burgers (President, 1872–77) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger 10 October 1825 Bulhoek, Steynsburg, Cape Colony |
| Died | 14 July 1904 (aged 78) Clarens, Vaud, Switzerland |
| Resting place | Heroes' Acre, Pretoria, South Africa |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 17 |
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| Signature |  |
Stephanus Johannes Paulus "Paul" Kruger (/ˈkruːɡər/; Dutch: [ˈkryɣər]; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904) was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South Africa, and President of the South African Republic (or Transvaal) from 1883 to 1900. Nicknamed Oom Paul ("Uncle Paul"), he came to international prominence as the face of the Boer cause—that of the Transvaal and its neighbour the Orange Free State—against Britain during the Second Boer War of 1899–1902. He has been called a personification of Afrikanerdom, and remains a controversial and divisive figure; admirers venerate him as a tragic folk hero, while critics view him as the obstinate guardian of an unjust cause.
Born near the eastern edge of the Cape Colony, Kruger took part in the Great Trek as a child during the late 1830s. He had almost no education apart from the Bible and, through his interpretations of scripture, believed the Earth was flat. A protégé of the Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius, he witnessed the signing of the Sand River Convention with Britain in 1852 and over the next decade played a prominent role in the forging of the South African Republic, leading its commandos and resolving disputes between the rival Boer leaders and factions. In 1863 he was elected Commandant-General, a post he held for a decade before he resigned soon after the election of President Thomas François Burgers.
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Wikipedia