Reasons for the National party victory 1948 Flashcards
How did UN sanctions help the national party to gain power
-South Africa was a key ally to the western countries during the cold war, so no powerful countries would try and stop them
How did the cold war help the national party gain power
-South Africa was a key ally to the western countries during the cold war, so no powerful countries would try and stop them
How did the British empire help the national party gain power
-it would be seen as hypocritical for the British empire to condemn the actions of South Africa even though they shared similar beliefs about superiority
How did the weighing of the constituencies help the national party come to power
-Rural areas (where Afrikaners lived) votes would be weighed more than the urban areas were black Africans lived.
How did Jan Smutz help the national party come to power
-was seen as od tired and out of touch
-Afrikaners felt his party polices on race relations were too weak
-he wanted young healthy black Africans to work as he viewed them as sources if cheap labour
-125,000 extra workers employed after the war (25 percent white)
How did relaxations of pass laws help the national party gain power
meant that more black Africans could work in urban areas which lead to xenophobia
How did the Dutch reformed church help the national party gain power
-preached ideas of Afrikaner superiority and emphasised the need for apartheid
-strengthened their justification to fight for the land by any means necessary due to the belief of them being chosen by God
How did voortrekker monument help the national party gain power
Fleshed out nationalist and patriotic sentiments cementing the common history they all shared creating unity
How did black African labour in factories during the war help the national party come to power
More black Africans were getting jobs that were usually reserved for whites during the war which led to an increase in xenophobia
What were the strengths of the nationalist party (LAAGER mentality)
-hostility of English (LAAGER mentality) =most businesses and government industries are owned by the British.
Afrikaners always had to unite against external threats
Reasons why nationalism is why the party came to power
-Dutch reform church
-Great trek (move away from British so they could build the community God wanted them to)
-Covenant from God/blood river
-Voortrekker monument
-Great depression
-LAAGER mentality
Reasons why WW2 is why the party came to power
-Nazi support
-urban migration (more blacks lived in urban towns than whites)
-relaxation of pass laws
-black wages increasing due to whites being at war
-Afrikaners against war with Germany due to hereditary links
-competition for jobs
Reasons why the united party’s weakness is why the national party came to power
-Smutz (free school meals for blacks, education and relaxation of pass laws)
the poor white south Afrikaners saw Smutz policy as giving preferential treatment for the majority even though that was grossly untrue as it was to exploit them for cheap labour to enhance the whites economy
How did the ‘poor white problem, help the national party come to power
Working class Afrikaners who had experienced huge problems with unemployment in recent history were drawn to the sense of unity and belonging
-jobs were scarce
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How did support for the Nazis help the national party gain power
-shared many of the same ideals on superiority
-Afrikaners had German heritage
-grey shirt movements had 250,000 members by 1939, some went as far to broadcast and publish pro-Nazi material
