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The Maori Wars

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  Quote Knights Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: The Maori Wars
    Posted: 06-Aug-2007 at 03:22
The region located possibly furthest from the capital -London- of the British Empire during its expansion in the 19th century, was the colony in New Zealand. Prior to the arrival of the British, a people called the Maori inhabited New Zealand. They were a fierce warrior culture, and proved to be a lot harder to subdue than the empire had estimated.
In 1840, the signing of the treaty of Waitangi meant that the Maori tribes were sovereign to the British, and would be defended by them. The Flagstaff war against the British took place between 1845 and 1847. It was an indication of the growing opposition to British sovereignty, and although being suppressed by Governor Grey, the strategic situation for the British was still at a stalemate. 20 years later, after the invasion of Waikato, the British gained control of a large portion of land, ever expanding their control and influence in New Zealand. With the arrival of Australian reinforcements on HMS Victoria, in 1864 a famous and legendary battle was fought at Gate Pa. A "Pa" was a Maori hill fortification, and this particular one was their strongest ever built. 1,700 British, loaded with ammunition, firepower and training, marched and fired upon the force of 120 unarmoured Maori warriors. The Maoris employed a tactic that would prove the downfall of the overly confident and thus misjudging British. By eluding to the British a severe lack of men and the near absence of weapons, the British marched forth only to be ambushed by the waiting Maoris. It was a crushing defeat for the British, and proved to be a huge dent in their reputation and egos.
However, success was short lived and the Empire had extended over most of New Zealand by the end of the century. New Zealand was now a British colony, despite the heroic efforts of the numerous Maori resistance movements. Maoris still compose a large population of New Zealanders, and their traditions and culture has made New Zealand a tourism hot spot.

A New Zealand Soldier, 1858


Battle of Te Ranga, 1864


Maori War Canoe


Maori War Dance using guns


The cutting of the flagstaff - symbol of opposition of British rule


Sources: Battles (Dorling Kindersley)
Australians fighting New Zealanders http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-conflicts-periods/other/maori_wars.htm
http://www.elkingtonfamily.com/arthurelkingtonnewzealand.htm


Edited by Knights - 06-Aug-2007 at 03:25
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  Quote Omar al Hashim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-Aug-2007 at 05:53
Thats cool. Thanks for posting this Knights!
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  Quote Sander Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-Aug-2007 at 19:48
Nice  pics. 
 
These maoris  were fierce warriors and crazy about guns and rifles.   One Chieftain  even went to England to get them. He recieved only 3 but on his way back he managed to get hundreds of them.
 
 
 
 
 
 


Edited by Sander - 16-Aug-2007 at 19:49
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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-Sep-2007 at 14:08
Very interesting thread!
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  Quote Leonidas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-Oct-2007 at 09:46
Originally posted by Knights



The cutting of the flagstaff - symbol of opposition of British rule


That is Hone Heke one of the lead Chiefs in the revolt.



Although Heke was one of the first and most influential chiefs to sign the Treaty of Waitangi, he was annoyed to find that his revenue from the whaling ships was being diverted to the Crown and that his land sales came under the scrutiny of the Government Commission. In 1841, when a European family was murdered by Maketu, the European settlers demanded his arrest. Heke, however, advocated open revolt, but the moderate counsels of Tamati Waka Nene and other Ngapuhi chiefs prevailed. Heke's anger smouldered until, in 1844, two American whalers were seized for smuggling and their crews convicted and fined heavily. Annoyed by the severity of these fines, the Acting American Consul suggested to Heke that the British flag at Kororareka was to blame, for it was by virtue of that flag that the country had passed to the Queen. Heke fomented a quarrel against his cousin Kaimare and set out with a taua (war party) against him, but Kaimare suggested that the taua might be better employed against the British. Accordingly, at daybreak on 8 July 1844, Heke's men cut down the flagstaff. Waka Nene and some of the Ngapuhi chiefs protested against this action and Heke apologised and made reparation.

Heke then sent Kawiti, the fighting chief of Kawakawa, a green mere smeared with filth, suggestive of the indignities which had been heaped upon the Maori. Kawiti agreed to join Heke in his war against the British and his men commenced plundering the settlers. Heke denounced looting, but, being jealous of the reputation Kawiti was gaining, decided to seek the limelight by once more cutting down the flagstaff. On 9 January 1845 he did so and the Government offered 100 reward for his capture. Meanwhile a new flagpole was erected and Waka Nene told the Colonial Secretary, Dr Sinclair, that he would arrest Heke should he make another attempt on the flagpole. Ten days later Heke left his men at the foot of the hill, walked to the summit through Nene's men, and cut the back stays of the flagstaff, which fell. Nene's men, faced with the choice of killing a chief for his treatment of an inanimate flagstaff, refused to take action. A new flagstaff was erected and guarded by a blockhouse, while a second blockhouse and a battery were placed lower down the hill. Heke now joined forces with Kawiti at Te Uruti, near Kororareka, where they planned two diversionary movements to draw away the soldiers guarding Kororareka, leaving Heke free to move his men up the flagstaff hill. The surprise was complete and the flagstaff fell for the fourth time. After some fierce fighting the Europeans abandoned Kororareka to the Maoris and reports reached Auckland that Heke and Kawiti had joined forces and that a joint attack on the city was imminent.

1




1 www.teara.govt.nz/1966/H/HekePokaiHone/HekePokaiHone/en

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  Quote Tazjet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-May-2010 at 20:50
Originally posted by Knights

The Maoris employed a tactic that would prove the downfall of the overly confident and thus misjudging British. By eluding to the British a severe lack of men and the near absence of weapons, the British marched forth only to be ambushed by the waiting Maoris. It was a crushing defeat for the British, and proved to be a huge dent in their reputation and egos.  


Only one slight problem with this theory... These overly confident British won didn't they?

In fact for 20 years before 1840 Maori tribes were trading with sealers for muskets and other materials. Those tribes which did the trading became militarily powerful and began conquering less powerful inland tribes who lacked muskets. There were whole stings of vendettas and massacres. Before the treaty with the British vanquished tribes began seeking protection of the british from their maori cousins.

The tribe mentioned which was chopping down flagpoles in the far north was to put it mildly, irritated when the British put a stop to these massacres of other tribes.

Yes there were land wars and the British were often outmanouvered in jungle territory lacking roads or communications. Yes there were Maori tactics which from time to time got the upper hand. The original post however skates right over underlying issues and the fact of who ultimately won.
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  Quote Sander Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-May-2010 at 07:16
 
Originally posted by Tazjet

Originally posted by Knights

The Maoris employed a tactic that would prove the downfall of the overly confident and thus misjudging British. By eluding to the British a severe lack of men and the near absence of weapons, the British marched forth only to be ambushed by the waiting Maoris. It was a crushing defeat for the British, and proved to be a huge dent in their reputation and egos.  


Only one slight problem with this theory... These overly confident British won didn't they?
 
 
Tazjet, did you  read his whole post or just a few lines?  It should be clear to anybody that , in the quoted passage,  he was talking about the Battle of Gate Pah , which was a British defeat.
 

Yes there were land wars and the British were often outmanouvered in jungle territory lacking roads or communications. Yes there were Maori tactics which from time to time got the upper hand. The original post however skates right over underlying issues and the fact of who ultimately won.
 
Question
 
I think you should  read his original post again.  It makes very  clear that the British ultimately won and NZ became a colony ( see below).
 
Originally posted by Knights

 
However, success was short lived and the Empire had extended over most of New Zealand by the end of the century. New Zealand was now a British colony, despite the heroic efforts of the numerous Maori resistance movements. Maoris still compose a large population of New Zealanders, and their traditions and culture has made New Zealand a tourism hot spot.


 
 
 
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-May-2011 at 20:32
The Maori used bunkers almost a century before European armies. Their forts comprised artillery and musket-proof earthworks with a parapet to snipe at their enemies
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-May-2011 at 19:40
And here is a picture of a Maori fort from 1864.
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-May-2011 at 19:42
Without the caption you'd think it was a sketch of the Western Front. There's the zigzag frontline trench and a support trench with underground dugouts
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Dec-2011 at 19:16

Obsolete Enfield musket of the type purchased by Maoris. This one has been converted to a breechloader
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  Quote lirelou Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Dec-2011 at 21:34
The Maoris used bunkers a century before European armies? I think you need to study a French Engineer named Vauban, or go back even further to the wars in the Spanish Netherlands.
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02-Dec-2011 at 19:20
Point taken
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25-Mar-2012 at 19:51
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  Quote Cryptic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25-Mar-2012 at 21:10
Originally posted by Nick1986

Incidents of the Maori War:
 
The Chatham Islands raid is an especially poignant part of local history.  The Chatham Islands were an isolated island chain inhabited by a non war like Polynesian people.  In 1835, a Maori raiding party was brought to the islands by the British (either government or quasi official commercial interests).
 
In either case, the Maori were amazed that the Chatham islanders would not fight back.  The lack of armed resistance led to total contempt by the Maori for the Chatham Islanders and the death or enslavement of all of them.  To quote a Maori chronicler  "We took possession... in accordance with our customs and we caught all the people. Not one escaped....."


Edited by Cryptic - 25-Mar-2012 at 21:18
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-Mar-2012 at 18:36
Proof that those who beat their swords into ploughshares end up plowing for those who don't
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