Background to the 1948 election

Impact of the second world war on the economy

There was some discourse about the social ratios of the war effort: during the war, laws were relaxed concerning African workers. 125 000 extra workers were employed within manufacturing and only 25% were white South Africans.

Afrikaners feared that Africans would take their jobs after the war, despite Africans receiving less pay than the white workers.

The Growth of Afrikaner nationalism and Nazi support

Despite many South Africans striving for an Allied victory outcome from the war, many Afrikaners favored the axis powers- specifically the Nazis. There was even broadcasted and publishing pro-Nazi material within the country with the future PM, Hendrik Verwoerd being the editor of ‘Die Transvaaler’. This led to an increase in Afrikaner’s ingesting pro-Nazi ideals and subsequently anti-Semitic views.

Another growing movement was the Greyshirt movement, openly fascist with around 25 000 members by 1939- members also supported the Oxwagon Sentinel formed after the Battle of Blood river in 1838.

In regards to Afrikaner nationalism, Afrikaner groups held common political interest during and after the war:

  • They didn’t trust English speaking parties

  • The 1938 Voortrekker monument intensified values of Afrikaner identity

  • There was more support offered to Afrikaner business

  • Increase in Dutch Reformed Church activity and relativity

Weighing of the constituencies

Arguably the main reason as to why the National Party won the election was technical; the representation of rural constituencies proved more valuable in the election.

Many of the National Party’s supporters lived in said rural areas, and with the rural areas outnumbering the urban ones by 15% (despite the party gaining 10% less in votes) the party won leading with 79 seats in comparison to the United Party’s 71.

Smuts’ decrease in popularity

Smuts had already devalued his popularity come WWII, as he had prevented both the Indian population and Afrikaners from buying land around Natal. He had also ignored campaigns against the pass laws- resulting in his forces crushing a miner’s strike in 1946, with 6 miners killed from it.

Smuts had actually developed a working relationship with Stalin during WWII, even remarking himself to ‘doff his cap to Stalin’; the National Party had exploited this, stating this as evidence to Smuts’ apparently concealed Communist tendencies.

Smuts’ implementation of an immigration programme with numerous British immigrants moving into the nation in addition to a load made to Britain of 4 million ounces of gold allowed his government to be blamed for the ‘neglect’ of Afrikaner issues.

Aligned with Smuts’ growing unpopularity, the National Party were skillful at exploiting white fear in proclaiming a United Party government would lead to a black government as well as subsequently linking black power with communism.