South Africa pre-1948 Flashcards
includes populations in 1951 (start of Apartheid)
What was the first group to inhabit SA?
the San people
When did farming practices start in SA?
Around 2000 years ago
What was the new tribal identity of San people who adopted these farming practices
the Khoikhoi people
What tribal group became the largest in SA and when?
the Zulus, from 1800-1850
When was the war between the UK and Zulus and what was the outcome?
1878-1885, UK conquered Zulus
What were the two dominant white groups in SA?
Afrikaner and British Descent
Who were the Afrikaner people descended from and what centuries did they arrive in SA?
Descended from mostly Dutch people, and some French and Germans, in the 1600s and 1700s
Who made up the Coloured population
Anyone not classified as white, African or Indian. This included slaves brought from Indonesia and descendants of the San and Khoikhoi people
Which African groups were not classed as African
San and Khoikhoi people, counted as Coloured
Why did most Indians arrive to SA
Mostly hired to work on plantations
When did Britain hand SA self-government and why was this significant
1910, significant as they didn’t require white people to share power with African people, making most of government White
When did White Women gain the vote
1930
When did Africans completely lose the right to vote and became disenfranchised?
1936
Before 1948 where were most Africans forced to live?
Townships
What was the first city to completely urbanise in SA?
Johannesburg
What was the population of Johannesburg in the following years:
1886:
1900:
1948:
1886: 3,000
1900: 100,000
1948: 1,000,000
Why did Johannesburg urbanise so quickly?
Gold was discovered nearby, and the city rapidly grew to service miners who moved there for work
2 reasons why Africans benefitted out of WW2
- South African Industry expanded to export to UK in WW2
- 180,000 White Men fought in WW2 providing more job opportunities for Africans at the time
What was the largest township in SA?
Soweto
By 1948 White people owned what % of land in the country
80%
What is the staple crop of South Africa?
Maize
When was the Boer War?
1899-1902
What was the impact of the Boer War?
It left tensions between the White British population and the Afrikaner population
Name a politician in the 1910s who aimed to ease tensions after the Boer War
Jan Smuts
What was the goal of Jan Smuts in the 1910s and 20s?
To unify the white population of SA back together
Who succeeded Jan Smuts for the first time, what year and what party
J.B.M Hertzog, leader of the Afrikaner National Party, 1924
What three changes did Hertzog make for SA from 1924-34
- Bilingualism in National Civil Service
- Afrikaans a National Language alongside English
- Afrikaans teaching in schools mandatory as well as English
What was the United Party, when and why was it formed
A unity between Hertzog and Smut’s parties into one United Party in order to fight the Great Depression. Formed 1934
Who formed the NP and when
D.F Malan in 1934
What was there a large increase of in during the 1920s and 1930s regarding nationality
Afrikaner Pride
What major Afrikaner event took place in 1938 sparking celebrations and national pride
Centenary of the Great Trek
Why was the Afrikaner vote significant by 1948
The Afrikaner population gained a sense of identity of pride of themselves as a ‘volk’ or people, so they voted in unison which was a lot in the national vote
What was the Broederbond
A secret society of upper-class Afrikaners who shared a Christian, Nationalist, Republican ideology
What was the main church of Afrikaners
Calvinist Dutch Reformed Church
Why did the Calvinist Dutch Reformed Church support segregation
They believed that God had a different plan for black people and white people so black people should be segregated to maintian this
Who did most Afrikaners support in WW2
Nazis
What is an example of a fascist-leaning group formed by Afrikaners who opposed fighting Germany?
Ossewabrandwag
At its peak, how many Ossewabrandwag members were there
300,000
How did Ossewabrandwag influence the 1948 elections
Opposed Britain as they were fighting Nazis, and Smuts had strong UK relations
How did WW2 affect global perception on racial discrimination in SA
Before the war, many countries had some form of racism employed, but after the Holocaust shocked so many, a push towards equal rights for all took place, making SA’s racism less okay with others
Who gave SA sympathy before 1948 regarding racial views and 2 reasons why
The USA, as segregation was still supported in many places and the SA was staunchly anti-communist
Why were White people very against Smuts in the 1948 elections
He flirted with some more liberal ideas, and people thought this would threaten White Rule
Name one policy Smuts wanted introduced which scared White people
A rapid expansion of healthcare across the country, serving both Black and White people
What was the Afrikaner phrase for the threat of African power
swart gevaar (black danger)
What was the Afrikaner phrase for the flooding of Africans into cities
oorstrooming (flooding)
What particular change did White people think would occur under the UP
Interracial Sex and Marriage
What % of votes did Smuts get in the 1948 elections
49%
What % of votes did Malan get in the 1948 elections
37%
Despite getting less votes, how did Malan win
The voting system depended on how many constituencies won, rather than how many people voted. Malan won more constituencies, although these were often rural and unpopulated, while Smuts got less constituencies, but the ones he won were the most populated and won him most votes
How many Africans in the 1951 census
8.5 million
How many White people in the 1951 census (and how many Afrikaner, how many British)
2.6 million, made up of 1.6 million Afrikaners and 1 million British
How many Coloured people in the 1951 census
1.1 million
How many Indian people in the 1951 census
400,000
