Editing Paul Kruger (section)

===Under Burgers===
[[File:The Cape Colony - 1878.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|South Africa in 1878|alt=]]
Burgers busied himself attempting to modernise the South African Republic along European lines, hoping to set in motion a process that would lead to a united, independent South Africa. Finding Boer officialdom inadequate, he imported ministers and civil servants en masse from the Netherlands. His ascent to the presidency came shortly after the realisation that the Boer republics might stand on land of immense mineral wealth. Diamonds had been discovered in [[Griqua people|Griqua]] territory just north of the Orange River on the western edge of the Free State, arousing the interest of Britain and other countries; mostly British settlers, referred to by the Boers as [[uitlander]]s ("out-landers"), were flooding into the region.{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|pp = 72–75}} Britain began to pursue [[federation]] (at that time often referred to as "[[confederation]]") of the Boer republics with the Cape and Natal and in 1873, over Boer objections, annexed the area surrounding the huge [[Big Hole|diamond mine]] at [[Kimberley, Northern Cape|Kimberley]], dubbing it [[Griqualand West]].<ref>{{harvnb|Blake|1967|pp=666–672}}; {{harvnb|Meintjes|1974|pp=72–75}}.</ref>{{#tag:ref|This followed the annexation of [[Basutoland]] to the Cape Colony in 1868.{{sfn|Meredith|2007|p=81}}|group = "n"|name = "basutoland"}}

Some Doppers preferred to embark on another trek, north-west across the [[Kalahari Desert]] towards Angola, rather than live under Burgers. This became the [[Dorsland Trek]] of 1874. The emigrants asked Kruger to lead the way, but he refused to take part. In September 1874, following a long delay calling the volksraad due to sickness, Burgers proposed a railway to Delagoa Bay and said he would go to Europe to raise the necessary funds. By the time he left in February 1875 opposition pressure had brought about an amendment to bring religious instruction back into school hours, and Kruger had been restored to the executive council.{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|pp=72–75}}

In 1876 hostilities broke out with the [[Pedi people|Bapedi]] people under [[Sekhukhune]]. Burgers had told the Acting President [[Piet Joubert]] not to fight a war in his absence, so the Transvaal government did little to combat the Bapedi raids. On his return Burgers resolved to send a commando against Sekhukhune; he called on Kruger to lead the column, but much to his surprise the erstwhile commandant-general refused. Burgers unsuccessfully asked Joubert to head the commando, then approached Kruger twice more, but to no avail. Kruger was convinced that God would cause any military expedition organised by Burgers to fail—particularly if the President rode with the commando, which he was determined to do.{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|pp = 75–78}} "I cannot lead the commando if you come", Kruger said, "for, with your merry evenings in laager and your Sunday dances, the enemy will even shoot me behind the wall; for God's blessing will not rest on your expedition."{{sfn|Kruger|1902|p = 110}} Burgers, who had no military experience, led the commando himself after several other prospective generals rebuffed him. After being routed by Sekhukhune, he hired a group of "volunteers" under the German Conrad von Schlickmann to defend the country, paying for this by levying a special tax. The war ended, but Burgers became extremely unpopular among his electorate.{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|pp = 75–78}}

With Burgers due to stand for re-election the following year, Kruger became a popular alternative candidate, but he resolved to stand by the President after Burgers privately assured him that he would do his utmost to defend the South African Republic's independence. The towns of the Transvaal were becoming increasingly British in character as immigration and trade gathered pace, and the idea of annexation was gaining support both locally and in the British government. In late 1876 [[Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon|Lord Carnarvon]], [[Secretary of State for the Colonies|Colonial Secretary]] under [[Benjamin Disraeli]], gave [[Theophilus Shepstone|Sir Theophilus Shepstone]] of Natal a special commission to confer with the South African Republic's government and, if he saw fit, annex the country.{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|pp = 78–81}}