Recent+History+of+South+Africa

The Boer War
The British annexed Bechuanaland (present day Botswana) in 1885, which spoiled President Kruger's plans to expand Afrikaner territory westward. In 1886, gold was discovered in southern Transvaal. The British and other English miners financially stimulated the mining industry where many Uitlanders, foreigners by the Afrikaners, entered Transvaal. Kruger would not grant civil equality to Uitlanders. Unfair dealings continued when Kruger taxed Uitlanders and foreign companies heavily. In 1895, a British financier, Cecil Rhodes, prime minister of the Cape Colony, urged the Uitlanders to revolt after negotiations failed between them and Kruger.

Alfred Milner became governor of the Cape Colony in 1897. After the British statesman took office, relations worsened between the Cape Colony and the two Afrikaner republics. Kruger declared war in October of 1899. This began the Boer War (also known as the South African War). For two and a half years, the British Empire was up against the Afrikaners. By mid-1900, the British occupied all major urban centers due to a staggering 500,000 British soldiers to a dismal 90,000 in the Afrikaner armies. http://www.engelfriet.net/Alie/Hans/milnerpt.jpg

Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Afrikaners continued to use guerrilla warfare, at a very costly rate, until 1902. The British used a "scorched-earth policy" toward the end of the war. The new policy burned Afrikaner farms while thousands of women and children were contained in concentration camps. More than 34,000 people died in these concentration camps during the war. Signed on May 31, 1902, the Treaty of Vereeniging declared that the Transvaal territories and the Orange River Colony became British crown colonies. In 1906 and 1907, the colonies were given constitutions to be self-governing colonies.

The South Africa Act of 1910 allowed the British Parliament to establish the dominion of the Union of South Africa with four colonies set as its provinces. The provinces towards blacks was retained and could only be changed by a two-thirds majority vote of parliament. Coloureds and a few blacks could vote in Cape Province (formerly Cape Colony). Of the four provinces, the Cape Province was the only one to offer this right to coloureds and blacks.

Development Years
General J.B.M. Hertzog founded the National Party (NP) in 1914, emphasizing Afrikaner language and culture. One of its slogans "South Africa First" appeared more strongly tied to the interests of the British Empire. Politics in South Africa continued to be dominated by two conflicting white groups during the 1920's. The National Party insisted on reconciliation between Afrikaners and British be based on equality between the two sides. This allowed for South Africa to have the right to secede from the British Empire, the adoption of a new and separate flag, not the British Union Jack, and equality of language allowing the Afrikaans language and English to be given equal status.

Equality was not instantaneous. In 1921, the leaders of the gold mining industry replaced white labor with cheaper black labor. A major uprising ensued in March of 1922 called the Rand Revolt. Order was maintained through martial law when Prime Minister Smuts used the military to contain the revolt. The full effects of the war were not felt until 1924 when the National Party, with the assistance of white labor, overthrew Smuts at the time of rising black militancy. This resulted in the protection of white workers while excluding blacks from managerial positions.

A coalition was formed between Hertzog and Smuts, dual leaders of the United Party at the time, during the economic depression of the 1930's. Britain declared war against Germany in 1939, splitting the coalition. Hertzog attempted to keep South Africa neutral while prime minister. However, he was replaced by Smuts, hence the Union declared war on Germany on September 6, 1939. This began South Africa's involvement in World War II. All members of the Union's army consisted of volunteers leading to their only battles occurring in East and North Africa and Italy.

Apartheid Instituted
Segregation and inequality between races had existed as part of the culture and practice in South Africa for decades prior to being set into law in 1948. The policy of apartheid was included in Daniel F. Malan's during his election in the Afikaner Nationalist party platform, which brought his party to power for its first time. The policy focused on white supremacy while promoting separation of races, both white from nonwhite and nonwhite from other nonwhite groups. The National Party, once in power, legalized white economic exploitation, political domination, and social privilege. Such principles were reinforced with harsh security systems, separate and unequal education, job discrimination, and residential segregation. Personal rights were violated by laws passed. An anti-Communist law was passed in 1950. Communism was seen as struggle for political, economic, or social change. This served as an excuse for the government to arrest anybody they deemed an opponent to the government.

In 1952, laws were passed limiting the blacks' access to so called "white areas". Without passes, blacks were not allowed to remain in urban areas for more than 72 hours. Otherwise, they were subject to imprisonment. Millions of blacks were arrested for such offenses. Interracial marriages were also outlawed. Not only were lifestyles dictated, where ethnic groups were allowed to live was also instated. The first of these groups to be granted any freedom where the Xhosa people. In 1963, they were granted limited self-government. Later, the people gained their independence. After this precedence, many other groups also gained self-governing abilities during the 1970's.

Up until the 1990's, little progress was made toward reform in the South African government. Resistance to apartheid was prevalent. In 1961, the nation became the Republic of South Africa after a referendum. This led to the withdraw from the Commonwealth of Nations due to the apartheid policies which remained intact. Repressive legislation continued to be implemented by the government even after minimal reform.

Repeal of Apartheid Policies
Finally, on November 13, 1993, a consensus was reached to institute a nonracial, nonsexist, unified, and democratic election. South Africa's first truly nonracial election was held on April 27, 1994. Despite apartheid legislation being repealed, the nation remained a country of extreme contradiction. The new government, under the rule of Nelson Mandela, was faced with the daunting task of restructuring the economy and redistributing economic benefits, providing housing and health care, and improving employment and educational opportunities. Now under a new regime, South Africa was ready to start anew.

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