 He did much to redefine the relationship between Britain and the Dominions and Colonies, leading to the formation of the British Commonwealth.This article is about Jan Smuts' rise from obscurity to high office, from his return to South Africa in 1894 until the outbreak of the Second Boer War in 1899.After setting up a law practice in Cape Town, the Anglophile Smuts was drawn to the charismatic Cecil Rhodes.