Apartheid South Africa The Natives’ Land Act was passed in Britain declared war on Nazi Germany
How Unique Was Apartheid? 1913. in 1939, South Africa joined Britain as
After the establishment of the Union of an ally and declared war on Germany.
o Apartheid laws only benefited white South Africa in 1910, the union The Allies finally won the war in 1945.
people. government intervened agriculture to During and after the war, there were
o Apartheid came to an end in 1994. benefit white farmers at the expense of many changes in South Africa.
o Apartheid means ‘apartness’ black farmers. Only white South Africans and a small
o The national party came to power in In 1923 the Natives Urban Areas Act number of coloured males were
1948 and used the slogan” Apartheid started that all black Africa men in allowed to vote.
to describe its racist policies” cities and towns had to carry permits The United Party won the general
or ‘passes’ at all times. election in 1943.
How Did Segregation Lay the Foundations for Apartheid?
In 1946, 76000 African gold miners
The Colour Bar: went on strike for higher wages and
The global pervasiveness of racism and
segregation in the 1920s and 1930s. The Native Urban Areas Act of 1923 improved living conditions. • White
Racial segregation was widely practised stipulated that African could be in the voters thought the National Party
in societies in Western Europe, North city as long as their labour ‘served the would be more likely to stop strikes
America, and Australia in the 1920s white man’s needs’. from happening in the first place.
and 1930s. In the 1920s the government passed The Indian Passive Resistance Campaign 1946:
The racial theories of Social Darwinism laws which protected white workers
were very popular in Australia. from competition with black workers. The Smuts government passes The
The American Eugenics Society agreed Asiatic Land Tenure Act in 1946. The
with the view that the wealth and Segregation Policies in the 1930s: A Broad Overview: act made Indians live in overcrowded
social position of the upper classes live in overcrowded segregated areas.
o The South African government’s policy
were justified by superior genes. Indians called the Act ‘The Ghetto Act’.
of ‘separate but equal’ development
The Natal Indian Congress organised a
Segregation After the Formation of the Union: The 1920’s and usually meant that white people
large passive resistance campaign
1930’s received preferential treatment.
which attracted worldwide attention.
o In rural areas, black farmers’ lives were
Some historians blame only the made so difficult that they often gave The Ghetto Act and Resistance”
National Party for Apartheid. up.
The migrant labour system affected the o The government also considered • Immediately after the Ghetto Bill became law, resistors
lives of all black people living in South Indians and coloureds to be ‘non- defied it by occupying municipal land at the corner of Gale
Africa. white’. Street and Umbilo Road in Durban.
During the formation of the Union of
South Africa in 1910, the constitution Segregation Policies in the 1940s: A Broad Overview: Thee Non-European Unity Movement (NEUM):
of the Union gave special privileges to
1. In 1943 the Non- European Unity
whites.
Movement was created.
, 2. It was an alliance of civic organisations, Why Did the NP Adopt the Policy of Apartheid? Legalising Apartheid and the Suppression of Opposition
trade unions, and church groups.
3. In 1948 only white men and women • There were two main reasons why the • For the labour movement, it was class that
had the vote. National Party adopted the policy of divided South African society.
Apartheid: • For the National Party, it was race.
The National Party Victory in 1948 Racism • The Council of Non-European Trade Unions was
Cheap black labour formed in 1941.
• Coloured men with a certain amount of • The National Party adopted this policy, which • In alliance with the ANC and the Communist
property and education had the vote in they considered necessary for the survival of the Party, created the African Mine Workers Union.
the Cape Province until 1956 but could Afrikaners. • The 1946 miner’s strike demonstrated the
not sit in Parliament. • The Apartheid laws introduced by the National potential power of the trade unionism.
• The NP emphasised race rather than Party government were designed to secure • Many of them voted for the NP and helped to
class. cheap labour for white farmers and industries. bring about the National Party’s victory in 1948.
What Was Apartheid? Legalising Apartheid Laws Against Multi-Racial Labour Unions:
• Division of the human race into These laws aimed to create an Apartheid state: The governments refused to recognise African
different ‘’race groups’’ and believed trade unions.
that it is acceptance to exclude or • Increase the power and improve the living The ruling class were determined to totally crush
dominate certain of these groups on standards of whites all oppression to the capitalist system.
the grounds of their ‘race’. • Increase the separation of ‘races’ They were also threatened by non-racial
• The united nations declaration of • Control the movement of black people organisations.
human rights confirms: • Crush all resistance to Apartheid SACTU was part of the mass mobilisation of the
The inherent dignity and worth of the • Apartheid laws affected every detail of the lives 1950s and worked for political as well as
human person of all South Africans economic transformation.
That we should act towards one By the mid-1960s the political and labour
another in a spirit of brotherhood The Apartheid government passed hundreds of laws. Here is
a summary of just some of them: movement had been successfully crushed by the
How Did Apartheid Differ from Segregation? Apartheid regime.
The separate amenities act
• Apartheid was similar to the racial The suppression of communism act and the Banning the Communist Party in South Africa:
segregation set up by previous white terrorism act • The Communist Party opposed Apartheid.
governments. Bantu education act • The National Party despised the Communist
• Under apartheid: Bantu self-government act Party.
Population registration act • In 1950, Parliament passed the Suppression of
➢ Laws became more rigid Passes’ laws Communism Act.
➢ The National Party promoted Afrikaner unity. Group areas act • If a person or organisation was banned, they
The prohibition of mixed marriages act were not allowed to:
➢ Apartheid ideology made Afrikaners feel racially superior to The separate representation of voter’s act Hold public office
everyone else.
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