1918-1939 History of Southern Africa 1948-1961





The Union of South Africa, 1939-1948



Since 1933/1934 the coalition of Hertzog and Smuts and their United Party had been in government. When World War II broke out in 1939, Hertzog advocated a policy of strict neutrality, Smuts alliance with the British. The coalition broke apart of the issue; Smuts succeeded Hertzog as Prime Minister.
South African troops were shipped to the East African front, where they occupied Italian East Africa in 1941, then proceeding to the Egyptian front, where they participated in the British victory at El Alamein etc.
The downfall of the Hertzog government had created a split in the United Party, as many conservative Afrikaners still resented the British and regarded neutrality the better policy. Radicals even wanted to support Nazi Germany.
The PURIFIED NATIONAL PARTY, founded by DANIEL F. MALAN in 1934 as he did not want to accept the merger of National and South African Party, gained membership and support among those who were disappointed about Hertzog's failure and downfall. In 1948, the election was won by Malan's National Party.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		German P.O.W.s held in South Africa, from Kriegsgefangen.de, text in German
DOCUMENTS Flag of South Africa 1910-1994, from FOTW
UN General Assembly 1946 Resolution No.34, Admission of Afghanistan, Iceland and Sweden
UN General Assembly 1946 Resolution No.44, Treatment of Indians in South Africa
REFERENCE Robert Ross, A Concise History of South Africa, Cambridge Concise Histories, 1999, 219 pp.
South Africa's Part in this War, in : Jasper H. Stembridge, The Oxford War Atlas Volume II, 1 September 1941 to 1 January 1943, Oxford : UP 1943 [G]
Article : South Africa, The Union Of, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1944 pp.650-652, 1945 pp.650-651, 1946 pp.688-689, 1947 pp.709-710, 1948 pp.687-688, 1949 pp.594-596 [G]
Article : Union of South Africa, in : Americana Annual 1943 pp.669-671, 1944 pp.644-646, 1945 pp.658-660, 1946 pp.680-683, 1947 pp.657-659 [G]
Article : Union of South Africa, in : Statesman's Year Book 1943 pp.433-459 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on June 17th 2008

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