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S2E4

Day of the Zulu

Premiere: 7/17/2001

In January 1879, one of the worst defeats of the Victorian era befell the British Army at Isandlwana in South Africa. Almost an entire battalion — 1,300 soldiers — were massacred by the Zulu. Now a team of experts has been assembled to tackle the mystery of how a so-called "primitive" tribe of warriors could defeat a highly-trained modern army.

About the Episode

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CASE FILE: Day of the Zulu
THE SCENE: South Africa
LEAD DETECTIVE: Historian Ian Knight

It seems most unlikely that a group of tribal warriors in 19th century Africa could defeat and virtually wipe out an entire battalion of the powerful British army, but it did in fact happen. Day of the Zulu is a battlefield investigation of the loss of 1,300 British soldiers during an 1879 invasion of Zululand in South Africa. Studying the possible reasons for this massacre, historians and battlefield archeologists assess the roles of a solar eclipse and the surprising tribal use of “battle drugs,” including potent cannabis, natural painkillers, and hallucinogenic mushrooms that impart remarkable physical strength to those who ingest it. Day of the Zulu reflects the sophisticated battle techniques of the Zulus and captures the turmoil of a battle that was the last stand before a century of subordination.

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