South Africa: Apartheid to Rainbow Nation
Full and comprehensive notes like a study guide to the South Africa option for paper 2. Divided into parts as the text book is. I used these notes in my revision and got an A* overall in History.
South Africa – Apartheid to Rainbow naton (A Level History)
Pt. 1: response to Apartheid
Before 1948, discriminaton aaainst non-whites certainly existed. Under Britsh rule, whites
were not required to share power with the natie populaton of South Africa
o The electorate was all white apart from a small excepton made to black and
coloured people in the old Cape Colony if they met certain property and educatonal
requirements
Africans were completely disenfranchised in 1936
o Women were aiien the iote in South Africa in 1930
Before 1948, there was also seareaaton as most Africans in cites were forced to moie into
townships
At the iery beainnina of the 20th century the South African economy relied on the aold
mines but diiersifed durina WW2 when it became difcult to import thinas from Britain
o And with so many white men in the military, black people had to fll those jobs in
industry (led to resentment amona poor whites afer the war - poor whites were more ofen
than not Afrikaners as the Britsh tended to be more wealthy and dominated businesses)
1948 - the Natonal Party win the electon
Reasons:
1. Post WW2 insecurites of the white populaton
Fears of oostroomina contnuina into South African cites as they could compete for
jobs with whites
The moiement of Black South Africans into cites not only raised fears about them
takina white collar jobs there but also raised fears that it would create a labour shortaae for
farmers who used black South Africans on farms
There were also fears that black South Africans would haie relatonships with whites
and this would threaten the racial hierarchy that they saw.
2. The Sauer Report
Offered a system of apartheid
Seareaaton of races
White supremacy
The remoial of politcal riahts for blacks
3. The politcal situaton
Smuts had taken South Africa into WW2 as an ally of Britain. Goina into the war was
unpopular as were the eients that followed related to Smuts:
Many people didn’t want to haie aone to war because they didn’t like the
idea of fahtna for the Britsh dmpire and some had fascist sympathies as well.
The iictory aaainst fascism in Germany meant that Smuts and the United
Party played with more liberal policies and ideas, beina prepared to offer work to blacks
if it was needed etc. this was unpopular with many South Africans
In additon to the lack of popularity that the current aoiernment had, the 1st past
the post iotna system meant that the Natonal Party were able to win the electon without
haiina the majority of iotes - the Natonal Party only won 38% of the iote compared to 49%
that the United Party had.
, 4. Afrikaner Natonalism
The Broederbond
A carefully chosen aroup of Afrikaner men formed afer 1939 who were in
faiour of a Christan, natonalist and republican directon. They initated an economic
moiement to promote Afrikaner businesses as well as promotna Afrikaner culture and
politcs.
The Dutch Reformed Church
Many Afrikaners were deeply reliaious and the Dutch Reformed Church
supported the idea that God had different plans for whites and blacks. This meant that
inter-marriaaes should not happen and this was a key concern for many people iotna in
1948
The Ox Waaon Guard
An Afrikaner fascist aroup ofen compared to the Naiis which came about as
an ant-war aroup afer 1939. howeier they didntt adiocate the aenocide of other races
and tolerated some leiel of politcal oppositon.
The aroup had 300,000 members at its peak and afer WW2 many joined the
Natonal Party.
The Natonal party had not won the electon oierwhelminaly so they atempted to strenathen the
party
Race was made a priority
o Rather than makina coloured people an ally, the party reioked their politcal
riahts (they ioted oierwhelminaly for the United Party)
They did this with a simple majority in parliament despite the 2/3 majority
that was needed to make the chanae. Howeier, by putna Afrikaner judaes in the
Judiciary, the leaitmacy of the chanae wasn’t challenaed
6 new seats were brouaht into the South African Parliament
o South Africa was iniolied in Namibia and knew that the 6 consttuencies they added
to the South African Parliament would iote for the Natonal Party as they were majority
white.
Afrikaners were put into positons of power
o In the police, military and bureaucracy as this would aiie Afrikaners more power in
society.
The chanaes seemed to be workina as by 1953, the Natonal Party won
600,000 iotes compared to the 400,000 they had in 1948.
Apartheid Laws
1949 - Mixed Marriaaes Act
Banned inter-racial marriaaes
1950 - Immorality Act
Banned both marriaae and sex by whites across defned racial boundaries
In order to haie tdefned racial boundariest eieryone in South Africa was assianed one of
four races in 1950
o White
o Indian
o 9Coloured (Any mix)
o African
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