South Africa - De Wet

General Christian De Wet was a Boer ringleader of the Maritz Rebellion in 1914.

The Maritz Rebellion was an armed insurrection which occurred in South Africa in 1914 at the start of the First World War, led by Boers who supported the re-establishment of the South African Republic in the Transvaal. Many members of the government were themselves former Boers who had fought with the Maritz rebels against the British in the Second Boer War which had ended twelve years earlier.

General Maritz was defeated on 24th October and took refuge with the Germans. General De Wet, who was aiming to break through into German South West Africa to link up with Martiz, was chased across the arid countryside by a motor car contingent.  He was eventually captured in Bechuanaland with 52 others.  The rebellion had failed, and the ringleaders received heavy fines and terms of imprisonment.