Episode 48 - Boer emissaries find it cold in Russia while de Wet scrambles up the Magaliesberg

This episode is dominated by a failed attempt by the Boers at international diplomacy, the continued zig zagging of General Christiaan de Wet, and Lord Roberts setting out his stall to attack Louis Botha in the Transvaal. So it was then that on the afternoon of Wednesday 15th August 1900, a train pulled into Moscow Station in Russia. It was carrying Boer emissaries led by Willem Leyds, who had been criss-crossing the world trying to drum up support for the Boers in their battle against the British. We’re heard in earlier podcasts how Leyds failed in both the USA and Holland - despite sympathies and even citizens of both countries fighting for the Boers. However the political situation was not in their favour. So Leyds and three other Boer emissaries, Fischer, Wessels and Wolmarans were on board the train in Moscow and looked out of their carriage. They were gratified to see hundreds of Russians cheering their arrival. But that was the only really warm welcome they received. It was quickly clear to these Boer emissaries that the Russian authorities regarded them as uninvited guests. Russian newspaper editors were ordered by the Tsar’s officials to avoid writing stories about the Boers arrival, or even interview the men. At the same time, Leyd’s was informed that the Tsar was unavailable. He was apparently on a tour of his military bases and had been gone for weeks. The Boers said they’d wait. While public coverage was limited and the Russian formal welcome was lukewarm, Leyds did eventually manage to secure a meeting with the Tsar along with Russian Foreign Minister, Count VN Lamsdorff. The meeting was accorded full diplomatic honours without Fischer, Wolmarans and Wessels. Count Lamsdorff made it clear that Leyds was the only real Boer diplomat and that the other three were not welcome. This was a bitter pill to swallow. The team had travelled the globe and now made the long trip to Mosco only to be told Fischer, Wolmarans and Wessels were persona’s non grata. In the meantime the ever resourceful Leyds printed 100 copies of the letter he’d received from the Russian government and had them distributed to media across the world.