Apartheid 1948-59 Flashcards
Why was apartheid brought in
To define racial and ethnic categories more aggressively
Who were Africans in South Africa?
How many people did they have in 1951?
Original inhabitants aka Khoikhoi
Multiple kingdoms eg Zulu
8.5 million population 1951
Who were the Afrikaner people?
These were descendants of Dutch French and Germans who migrated after colonising the cape in 1652
Who were the British
These were the descendants of British colonialists arriving after 1806 colonisation of the cape
What was the influence of 1886 discovery of Gold in the rand South Africa
transformed Johannesburg to provide services to mines (100.000 1900) , eg African mine workers
Led to Industrial Revolution (e.g. diversifying into textiles , machinery , chemicals )
How was the population distributed in South Africa , what problem did this lead to ?
Majority of Africans lived in countryside whereas whites lived in towns and cities
—> poor white problem arised as poor white people believed they should be superior to poor black people (with votes , appealed to national party views )
Why were townships introduced? Give one sample of ome
Government before 1948 was determined to keep Africans out of cities
HOWEVER
Migrant problem increased
So townships introduced to house black migrants just outside of city e.g Soweto
These were known for poor health care and sanitation
what % of land was owned by whites in 1948 and how’d this lead to a hierarchy
80%
White and blacks lived side by side on these farmlands but black worked as labourers and tenants and whites did not usually do manual labour
Where did most African rural communities live
Reserves or white owned farms
When was the boer war and why did it start
British wanted a share of these gold mines so offered to unite territories
British sent 10,000 troops to the areas
1899-1902 with Britain winning
3 impacts of the boer war (for boers)
7,000 boer dead
Boer put into conc. camps (94% died)
Union of South Africa 1910
What was the treaty of vereeniging
This was signed may 1902 ending the war
And it bright Boer republics under British rule (with promise of eventual self-govt.)
The promise of the Transvaal and orange free state to Boer
What was the great trek of the 1830’s
20,000 afrikaners left the cape colony to establish independent republics eg Transvaal and OFS
Union of South Africa 1910
4 colonies joined together to create this union
Which was a self governing dominion in the British empire (Westminster style government)
What were the 2 main political parties before 1948
The national party which led by DF Malan
South African party aka united party led by Hertzog
Name 3 ways in which Afrikaner nationalism increased in the 1920/30’s
1938 centenary of the great trek commemorated by re-enactment
Afrikaan literacy eg bible , newspapers became popular
Afrikaners created new communities in suburbs speaking mainly their language
How did Britain influence South Africa 1948 eg British population + system
Brought about a Westminster system
40% of white population
Dominated mines and industries (economy)
—> these provoked strong reactions among some afrikaners who were attracted by own govt
Name the 3 most important reasons why the NP was victorious in 1948
Influence of Britain
Growth of Afrikaner nationalism international context ( discrimination common eg Jim Crow laws , but emphasis on universal human rights post ww2 , USA superpower influenced)
What was the “Broederbond”
A society of Afrikaner white men who provided a nationalist outlook eg an economic movement to promote Afrikaner businesses
How did Christianity shape nationalism
Black and white people played different parts in god plan
—> therefore boundaries had to be maintained to avoid racial impurity
How did Afrikaner resentment to British shape nationalism and what was the anti war movement called
Many opposed to fight for Britain in ww2
—> some having fascist sympathies)
eg the Ossewabrandwag had 300,000 members had uniformed militias that staged mass rallies against the war , compared with nazis
What was the main reasons why nationalists sympathised with apartheid
The idea of “oorstrooming” of African people into cities to compete with jobs
Sexual relations across the colour line
Labour shortage for farmers as Africans migrated near cities
How much of the vote did the national party win? Why didn’t the united party win?
38% of the vote
United party had 49% but due to FPTP system (with malan winning many rural constituencies)
Why was apartheid relatively easy to implement from the outset of np victory
Many legislation upon which the national party could build upon
Eg removing blacks from franchise , limitations on land
Commissions were formed to investigate best way to advance the apartheid agenda
