Bloemfontein Conference between Kruger and Milner fails

Background. Milner was appointed Governor of the Cape Colony and High Commissioner for Southern Africa in April 1897 by Joseph Chamberlain. After Kruger's landslide February 1898 election victory, Milner concluded that the Pretoria government would never redress Uitlander grievances on its own initiative. In early 1899 Milner forwarded a petition with 21,000 signatures from English residents of Johannesburg to Chamberlain. The conference was proposed by Afrikaner Jan Hofmeyr on 9 May 1899.

The Conference. The meeting took place at the Bloemfontein railway station, the capital of the Orange Free State. President Steyn acted as mediator, advising Kruger to make concessions on the franchise issue. Steyn argued that a 14-year residence requirement for voting rights conflicted with republican principles, urging compromise to avoid conflict.

Aftermath. In September 1899 Chamberlain issued an ultimatum insisting on five years without conditions, else the British would formulate their own proposals for a final settlement. The British government considered the conditions impossible and informed Kruger of this on 11 October 1899. When the Second Boer War broke out in October 1899, Milner supported and advised the British military efforts.