Other

Causes of the National Party victory in 1948 essay plan 2F.2 South Africa A level History

0 purchase

Course
Unit 2F.2 - South Africa, 1948-94: from apartheid state to -rainbow nation\' (PH10)

Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)

How far do you agree that The Main reason that the National Party won the 1948 election was because of the electoral system Comprehensive essay plan for A level History 2F.2 South Africa: from apartheid state to rainbow nation

[Show more]

Preview 1 out of 2 pages

View example

Uploaded on December 15, 2023
Number of pages 2
Written in 2022/2023
Type Other
Person Unknown

south africa
a level
history
a level history
national party
1948 election
essay plan
essay
plan
apartheid state to rainbow nation

Study Level
A/AS Level
Examinator
PEARSON (PEARSON)
Subject
History 2015
Unit
Unit 2F.2 - South Africa, 1948-94: from apartheid state to -rainbow nation' (PH10)

$5.96

Add to cart

Save

100% satisfaction guarantee
Immediately available after payment
Both online and in PDF
No strings attached

The Main reason that the National Party won the 1948 election was because of the electoral system.
Intro:

- System = Westminster System - Malan won 38%, Smuts won 49% yet Malan = pm
- Overall, electoral system = most significant, Afrikaner nationalism + UP campaign = contributory

P1: Agree

- Electoral system = Westminster system, division of voting constituencies
- Popularity in rural areas (majority of Afrikaner population lived there)
o Migration of Boer into rural areas following 1833 British abolition of slavery
o NP appealer to Afrikaners – therefore, most NP voters in rural constituencies
- More rural constituencies – NP won 140,000 less votes than UP, but majority (79 seats vs 71)
o If constituencies weighted equally, UP would have 80 seats (vs NP 60)
- Electoral system provided technical route for NP exploitation of Afrikaner beliefs to have sufficient
effect in numbers & geographical spread of voters required for 1948 victory

However, without NP success in appealing to Afrikaners, system = irrelevant

- Hinged on NP ability to appeal to rural Afrikaner voters - Therefore, significant but not sole reason

P2: Disagee : Afrikaner Nationalism

- Proliferation of Afrikaner identity provided voting base for NP majority in rural constituencies
- Afrikaner demographic = significant
o 1.6mil people, roughly 60% of country’s voting pool
- Expansion of Afrikaner culture
o 1938 establishment of Voortrekker monument, Dutch Reformed Church, centenary of the
Great Trek, visibility through media (e.g. magazines like the Huisgenot)
o Unified Afrikaner population culturally and as a voting pool with distinct beliefs, NP appealed
- Advancement of Afrikaner interests
o Broederbond (Afrikaner organisation)
 politicians following Afrikaner ideologies gained more political power
o WW2 - ‘poor white problem’, returning soldiers unemployment
- NP appealed to Afrikaner interests
o Traditional Christian values, segregation, Afrikaner pride, separation from British
o NP opposed ‘oorstrooming’  Afrikaner rural farmers threatened by black migration to
urban areas
o NP opposed racial integration  Afrikaners believed God’s plan = division of whites + blacks
o 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer war tensions exploited  NP supported anti-war movements, e.g.
‘Ossewabrandwag’ (peaked at 300,000 members)
 Can argue isolated British voters & increased NP victory dependence on
Westminster system as failed to raise support in urban areas

P3: disagree, United Party policies

- Smuts = pragmatist, understood need for black workers
- NP exploited fears of ‘oorstrooming’ and ‘swart gevaar’, claimed Smuts sympathetic to blacks
- Afrikaners believed Smuts had sold out to capitalist imperialism by siding with Britain in 2 World wars
and supporting mining industry vs white workers
o However, Afrikaner beliefs = polarising, NP successful in exploitation due to Westminster
system (rural constituencies) – if not for this, would not have won majority

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller miakadyan255. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for $5.96. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

66184 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 15 years now

Start selling