5 - The New Zealand Wars, 1845–1872

Summary

The chapter will include a brief overview of the historiography of the New Zealand Wars, as well as the devastating impact of the Musket Wars on Maori society and developments in Maori warfare in the first decades of the nineteenth century. The issues at the heart of the conflict: Maori desire to retain control of land, the concept of rangatiratanga (chiefly autonomy) and the European hunger for land and control will be set out. The chapter will outline the course of the New Zealand Wars from the Northern War of 1845–46 until the final campaigns against Te Kooti in 1869–72. It will also outline the organization, capabilities, and size of the various forces involved in the wars. Particular attention will be paid to questions relating to the use of technology and Maori and British tactics. Topics to be covered will include the Maori use of entrenchment and firearms, the effectiveness of British artillery, the logistics problems faced by the British forces and the employment of Kupapa (Maori who fought with the British and colonial forces). One of the pivotal battles on the wars, the Battle of Rangiriri in November 1863, will be the subject of more detailed analysis.