The wonderful thing about our North Star 1672 range is that the figures will do for many different nations armies in the period 1665-1680. This is
because it is a time just before uniforms, and the figures are all dressed in the fashions common amongst soldiers throughout Western Europe.
because it is a time just before uniforms, and the figures are all dressed in the fashions common amongst soldiers throughout Western Europe.
This of course includes Britain.
The years covered by our range is called the Restoration Period in
Britain as it was the time the monarchy, represented by Charles II,
was restored after the English Civil War.
It was also the genesis of the British Army. Britain, tired of soldiers
and war, had disbanded much of it’s forces after the Civil War and
Oliver Cromwell’s reign. With the return of Charles II to England in
1660, the units still under arms swore allegiance to the King and
became the senior units of the British Army.
Some of the infantry regiments:
Coldstream Guards
Grenadier Guards
Scots Guards
1st Regiment (Royal Scots)
2nd Regiment (The Queen’s)
3rd Regiment (The Buffs)
st
The years covered by our range is called the Restoration Period in
Britain as it was the time the monarchy, represented by Charles II,
was restored after the English Civil War.
It was also the genesis of the British Army. Britain, tired of soldiers
and war, had disbanded much of it’s forces after the Civil War and
Oliver Cromwell’s reign. With the return of Charles II to England in
1660, the units still under arms swore allegiance to the King and
became the senior units of the British Army.
Some of the infantry regiments:
Coldstream Guards
Grenadier Guards
Scots Guards
1st Regiment (Royal Scots)
2nd Regiment (The Queen’s)
3rd Regiment (The Buffs)
st
Colour.
the Limpopo River into the country which became known as
Matabeleland, in the west of modern Zimbabwe. This was a
well watered country with plenty of grazing, and had the
further advantage that it was easily defensible. To the north an
almost impassable forest stretched away to the Zambezi, while
the south and west were protected by the rugged Matopo
Hills. The main road from the south entered the country via
the precipitous Mangwe Pass, which was easily defended by a
regiment stationed at a nearby kraal. The only vulnerable
frontier was on the east, where it bordered on the territory of
the local Shona tribes. But Mzilikazi defeated the Shona,
reduced them to vassalage, and enjoyed a period of relative
peace until his death in 1868 (though his last fight with the
Boers was as late as 1847, when he sent an "impi" back south
across the Limpopo in search of more cattle). Lobengula and
the Defeat of the Matabele.
Mzilikazi's favourite son Lobengula succeeded to the throne in
1870, after a brief civil war, and soon resumed his father's
career of conquest. His armies campaigned in all directions,
consolidating his power over the neighbouring tribes and in
some areas even extending it. Among their opponents and
victims in this period were the Tswana in the west, and the
Barotse, Tonga and Ila beyond the Zambezi. In about 1887 the
Tonga, fed up with the depredations of local Chikunda slave
raiders, rashly invited Lobengula to come and help sort them
out. An "impi" duly arrived and wiped out the slavers, but the
Tonga had not taken the precaution of hiding their cattle, and
of course the Matabele found the temptation irresistible. They
went home with all the beasts they could round up in payment
for their services, then over the next few years came back
twice more for the rest of what they described as "our cattle
which we have left among the Tonga", inflicting immense
damage in the process.
But Lobengula was careful to avoid trouble with white men,
and he encouraged hunters and traders (including the famous
elephant hunter F. C. Selous) to visit his country. A British
Resident named Captain Patterson was sent to Bulawayo in
1878. Patterson was an arrogant character who insisted on
travelling wherever he liked against the king's orders; one day
he and his whole party disappeared, and it was rumoured that
Lobengula had had them murdered, but nothing was ever
Matabeleland, in the west of modern Zimbabwe. This was a
well watered country with plenty of grazing, and had the
further advantage that it was easily defensible. To the north an
almost impassable forest stretched away to the Zambezi, while
the south and west were protected by the rugged Matopo
Hills. The main road from the south entered the country via
the precipitous Mangwe Pass, which was easily defended by a
regiment stationed at a nearby kraal. The only vulnerable
frontier was on the east, where it bordered on the territory of
the local Shona tribes. But Mzilikazi defeated the Shona,
reduced them to vassalage, and enjoyed a period of relative
peace until his death in 1868 (though his last fight with the
Boers was as late as 1847, when he sent an "impi" back south
across the Limpopo in search of more cattle). Lobengula and
the Defeat of the Matabele.
Mzilikazi's favourite son Lobengula succeeded to the throne in
1870, after a brief civil war, and soon resumed his father's
career of conquest. His armies campaigned in all directions,
consolidating his power over the neighbouring tribes and in
some areas even extending it. Among their opponents and
victims in this period were the Tswana in the west, and the
Barotse, Tonga and Ila beyond the Zambezi. In about 1887 the
Tonga, fed up with the depredations of local Chikunda slave
raiders, rashly invited Lobengula to come and help sort them
out. An "impi" duly arrived and wiped out the slavers, but the
Tonga had not taken the precaution of hiding their cattle, and
of course the Matabele found the temptation irresistible. They
went home with all the beasts they could round up in payment
for their services, then over the next few years came back
twice more for the rest of what they described as "our cattle
which we have left among the Tonga", inflicting immense
damage in the process.
But Lobengula was careful to avoid trouble with white men,
and he encouraged hunters and traders (including the famous
elephant hunter F. C. Selous) to visit his country. A British
Resident named Captain Patterson was sent to Bulawayo in
1878. Patterson was an arrogant character who insisted on
travelling wherever he liked against the king's orders; one day
he and his whole party disappeared, and it was rumoured that
Lobengula had had them murdered, but nothing was ever
proved, and the British, preoccupied by then with events in
Zululand, took no action. Lobengula raised no objection when
in 1885 Britain established a Protectorate over Bechuanaland to
the west (now Botswana), which had once been a favourite
Matabele raiding ground. This conciliatory attitude, as well as
the remoteness of the country, enabled the Matabele to retain
their independence long after the defeat of their Zulu cousins in
the south. But by the late 1880s the impetus of the European
"Scramble for Africa" was unstoppable.
Cecil Rhodes
In October 1888 Cecil Rhodes sent agents of his British South
Africa Company to trick Lobengula into signing away the
mineral rights in his kingdom. The king soon saw through this
con trick, but was persuaded to allow prospectors to enter the
country anyway. Then in May 1890 Rhodes revealed his true
intentions, despatching a heavily armed "Pioneer Column" from
Bechuanaland, consisting of about two hundred civilians with
an escort of four hundred British South Africa Company and
Bechuanaland Police. Avoiding a direct confrontation with
Lobengula, the invaders skirted around Matabeleland proper
and marched into Shona territory further north, where they built
a fortified post at Fort Salisbury.
Lobengula protested, but held back from giving his "impis" the
order to attack. In doing so he missed what may have been his
only chance to keep his kingdom. Soon the white colonists were
building more forts, establishing farms and mines, and luring
young Shona and Matabele men to desert Lobengula and work
for them. In 1891 Mashonaland became a British Protectorate,
situated at the very point where the borders of Matabeleland
were most exposed to attack. Many of the Shona welcomed the
whites as protectors against their Matabele masters, and took
the opportunity to thumb their noses at them from the imagined
security of the new settlements. But the king was not prepared
to put up with disrespect from his own "dogs", as he called the
Shona. In June 1893 a rebel chief stole some Matabele cattle, an
"impi" was sent across the border in pursuit. The warriors had
instructions not to molest the whites, but they slaughtered many
of their Shona employees, burnt their kraals and took all the
cattle they could find. One white settler at Fort Victoria recalled
how "insolent Matabele swaggered through the streets of the
Zululand, took no action. Lobengula raised no objection when
in 1885 Britain established a Protectorate over Bechuanaland to
the west (now Botswana), which had once been a favourite
Matabele raiding ground. This conciliatory attitude, as well as
the remoteness of the country, enabled the Matabele to retain
their independence long after the defeat of their Zulu cousins in
the south. But by the late 1880s the impetus of the European
"Scramble for Africa" was unstoppable.
Cecil Rhodes
In October 1888 Cecil Rhodes sent agents of his British South
Africa Company to trick Lobengula into signing away the
mineral rights in his kingdom. The king soon saw through this
con trick, but was persuaded to allow prospectors to enter the
country anyway. Then in May 1890 Rhodes revealed his true
intentions, despatching a heavily armed "Pioneer Column" from
Bechuanaland, consisting of about two hundred civilians with
an escort of four hundred British South Africa Company and
Bechuanaland Police. Avoiding a direct confrontation with
Lobengula, the invaders skirted around Matabeleland proper
and marched into Shona territory further north, where they built
a fortified post at Fort Salisbury.
Lobengula protested, but held back from giving his "impis" the
order to attack. In doing so he missed what may have been his
only chance to keep his kingdom. Soon the white colonists were
building more forts, establishing farms and mines, and luring
young Shona and Matabele men to desert Lobengula and work
for them. In 1891 Mashonaland became a British Protectorate,
situated at the very point where the borders of Matabeleland
were most exposed to attack. Many of the Shona welcomed the
whites as protectors against their Matabele masters, and took
the opportunity to thumb their noses at them from the imagined
security of the new settlements. But the king was not prepared
to put up with disrespect from his own "dogs", as he called the
Shona. In June 1893 a rebel chief stole some Matabele cattle, an
"impi" was sent across the border in pursuit. The warriors had
instructions not to molest the whites, but they slaughtered many
of their Shona employees, burnt their kraals and took all the
cattle they could find. One white settler at Fort Victoria recalled
how "insolent Matabele swaggered through the streets of the
NSA1010 - Chief and Izinduna
