A plan was in place to turn southern Africa into a confederation similar to what had taken place in Canada but before this could happen, the British would have to defeat both the South African Republic and the Kingdom of Zululand. Having thousands of soldiers and ample provisions, it was assumed that the defeat of the Zulus was achievable. Sir Henry Bartle Frere was appointed as High Commissioner for Southern Africa and took it upon himself to advance this scheme. Without the knowledge or approval of the Crown, Frere issued a set of demands that he knew the Zulus would never accept and when his deadline was passed a month later, Frere initiated the war.The massacre of the British troops at Isandlwana put an end to plans for confederation and greatly stirred British sentiments, resulting in a second campaign that defeated the Zulus and forced Cetshwayo into exile and eventually to England, where he stayed for a while before returning. Sometime after his return, Cetshwayo's compound was attacked and he fled into a forest. Afterwards, he lived in peace, dying of a presumed heart attack in his late fifties.

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