13. Expansion in the Mediterranean and Africa followed the Napoleonic era – triggering warfare for decades to come.
After the Napoleonic wars ended in 1815, Great Britain added the Ionian Islands and Malta to its territorial holdings, and further expanded its empire in the Caribbean. The Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope was taken by Great Britain during the Napoleonic wars and the British retained it when the conflict ended. In 1820, Great Britain began to colonize the area, leading to the displacement of Dutch settlers who began to resettle further inland, creating the Boer colonies of Transvaal and the Orange Free State. This created the conditions of resentment which eventually led to open warfare decades later. It also led to armed conflict with the natives, who did not welcome either the Dutch or the British.