Johan Hendrik Breytenbach

Johan Hendrik Breytenbach (1917 – 3 January 1994) was the official South African state historian for the Second Boer War.

In 1959 the Minister of Education, Arts and Science appointed Breytenbach state historian for the Second Boer War, supervised by the Department of History of the University of Pretoria.

Using Breytenbach's notes, the State Archives finalised and published Volume 6 posthumously in 1996, concluding with a treatment of the Battle of Bergendal (21-27 August 1900).

Many of which are propaganda...Breytenbach justified Boer general Piet Cronjé's controversial surrender to the British at the Battle of Paardeberg on 27 February 1900: (Translation from Afrikaans) That general Piet Cronjé surrendered on Majuba Day was not his fault, and the small group of women and children in his encampment had nothing to do with it.

In order to understand his capitulation, it is essential to grasp two things well: the first is that his approximately 4,000 infantry who had only 5 cannons, were trapped by a superior force of approximately 40,000 soldiers with 100 cannons, and that he was also cut off from De Wet's burghers outside the British encirclement line by a completely unfordable river.Breytenbach's publications, all in Afrikaans, include:[4][5][6]

J. H. Breytenbach: Die Boere-offensief, Okt. – Nov. 1899 (1969) . Frontispiece and title page of Volume I of Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899–1902 .
Book spines of J.H. Breytenbach: Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899–1902 , 1969–1996.
Signature of J.H. Breytenbach.