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Why was the National Party victorious in 1948? - Coggle Diagram
Why was the National Party victorious in 1948?
Voting rights
1948 - white men and women could vote
Cape - 11,000 black men could vote
elected 3 white MPs
Cape - 50,000 coloured men could vote
black and coloured men could only vote under property and educational qualifications
United Party
led by Jan Smuts (General)
in power since 1933
aligned with small, left-wing Labour Party
National Party
led by Dr Daniel Malan (Dutch reformed Church cleric)
aligned with right-wing Afrikaner Party
Election results
NP - 70 seats, 37.70% votes
UP - 65 seats, 49.18% votes
Afrikaner - 9 seats, 3.93% votes
Labour - 6 seats, 2.57% votes
Westminster System
party could win with minority vote
win small majorities in many areas
National Party tactics
campaign psalm
"Love for what is your own: Your own nation, Your own citizenship, Your own South Africa."
played on anxieties
gwaar ('black peril') and oorstrooming ('swamping')
Weakness of the United Party
Henry Gluckman (Minister of Health) suggested expanded health services to provide segregated but improved healthcare to non-whites
1947 - Smuts hosted the British royal family on tour
Afrikaner Nationalism
Calvanist Dutch reformed church
believed different races played different roles in God's plan
Ossewabrandwag (Ox Wagon Guard)
anti-war movement (300,000 members)
mass rallies and shooting associations
united volk
felt insecure over Africans in cities
1936-51 - Africans in cities 17.3%-27.2%
1940-45 - 50,000 Africans took part in strikes