Final answer:
King Moshoeshoe's letter portrays his reasons for going to war as protective and defensive, hinting at the persistent threat of conflict over resources in Africa, the complexity of which may contradict hope for a simple resolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
King Moshoeshoe's letter to Sir George Grey reflected his perspective on the conflicts between the Basuto and European settlers, particularly the Boers. He went to war because Boer settlers attacked Basuto settlements, and this attack was a defensive action to protect his people and territory. Moshoeshoe indicated that further conflict might ensue as the struggle over resources and territory continued, and although the Basuto defeated the Boers in 1858, subsequent losses and the creation of Basutoland as a British protectorate in 1868 suggest that Moshoeshoe's hope that attacking Boer settlements would bring peace might have been optimistic. The cycles of conflict over resources, as highlighted in the wider context of African conflicts, often perpetuate violence rather than resolving underlying issues.