17. Baden Powell’s Deceptions Worked
Deceptions such as the fake super landmines and imaginary barbed wire helped immensely with the defense of Mafeking. Between such sneaky ruses, and a heavy dose of stubborn and bloody resistance when the situation warranted, Baden-Powell fought off the vastly more numerous Boers and held on.
Against all odds, he and his men withstood the siege for 217 days. Baden-Powel held on to Mafeking until he was finally relieved by the arrival of a British army that chased off the Boers and lifted the siege.