Zulu Dawn

In 1879, British Army officer Lord Chelmsford plots with diplomat Sir Henry Bartle Frere to annex the neighbouring Zulu Empire, which they perceive as a threat to the Cape Colony's emerging industrial economy. The British expeditionary force marches into the Zulu Empire, with Lord Chelmsford directing it towards the Zulu capital, Ulundi. Halfway to Ulundi, Lord Chelmsford orders the British force to make camp at the base of Mount Isandlwana, ignoring advice to fortify the camp and transform his supply wagons into a laager. The next day, Colonel Durnford, Col. Anthony Durnford (Burt Lancaster), dispatches scouts to reconnoiter the surrounding area before leaving the camp to personally scout the region, where one of the British scouting parties discovers a Zulu force massing at the bottom of a nearby valley, leading to their eventual defeat in the Battle of Isandlwana.