The 1948 National Party Victory and the Formalising of Apartheid
The Story of South Africa: Empire, Apartheid, and Transformation — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
In 1948, South Africa's white voters went to the polls and elected a government that would entrench racial segregation for nearly half a century. This episode unpacks the shock victory of the National Party over Jan Smuts's United Party, the role of Afrikaner nationalism, the Sauer Commission's blueprint for apartheid, and the immediate impact on black South Africans. We follow D.F. Malan's rise, the 'Black Peril' campaign, and the legislative avalanche that followed — from the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act to the Population Registration Act. How did a narrow election win lead to one of the 20th century's most brutal systems? And what did it mean for the anti-apartheid struggle already taking shape? #1948Election #NationalParty #DFMalan #JanSmuts #Apartheid #SauerCommission #AfrikanerNationalism #ProhibitionOfMixedMarriagesAct #PopulationRegistrationAct #SouthAfrica #UnitedParty #BlackPeril #WhiteSupremacy #SupremeCourt #CapeTown #Pretoria #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
