1930
* Huge British Empire before WWI
* Canada was part of British Empire (1867 free)
* 1939
* After WWII became independent, African countries
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
NATURE OF THE APARTHIED (NELSON MANDELA)
NATIONAL PARTY
* Before 1948, failed to make a real Afrikaner government.
* The Nationalists won the general election May 1948
* Majority over United Party (Jan Smits)
* Dr Daniel Malan became prime minister
* Appointed a cabinet made up of Afrikaners.
* Nationalists promised to bring in the apartheid.
* Plans in Sauer Report:
* Blacks would live in reserves, completely separate from whites. Jobs in white areas would be classed as visitors
* Colored people lived separately and would lose their political rights
* Indians sent back to India
* Whites would rule, blacks in “control”.
RISE OF THE AFRIKANERS
* Afrikaners formed majority of whites in SA
* They were individualists / no sense of unity as a people
* After 1902, defeated in the SA war, deaths of family led to forging of an Afrikaner identity
* The chose and racial superiority was common with the Nazi government in Germany.
* Some Afrikaners supporters of Nazis (Dr Verwoerd & John Vorster, former Prime ministers of SW)
* 1938 celebrated centenary of the Battle of Blood River.
WHITE GRIEVANCES
* Afrikaners felt un easy after WWII
* Economy was in difficulties. Jobs were scarce
* Black wages went up by 1/5 of white wages to a quarter.
* White farmers resented policy of keeping food prices low
* Resented flood of black workers in cities
* Farmers wanted cheap black labor
* Shocked at black protests and strikes
* Hates and feared black resistance