Ricardolindo
Well-known member
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Is it possible to prevent Southern Rhodesia from being granted self-government in 1923, with it remaining under British direct rule? If so, could this prevent a white minority ruled state after World War II?
@Sulemain
Is it possible to prevent Southern Rhodesia from being granted self-government in 1923, with it remaining under British direct rule? If so, could this prevent a white minority ruled state after World War II?
@Sulemain
South Africa wanted to annex it in that time period, so that's a possibility. Likely the British would also offload Botswana later on too, which has interesting ramifications; I could see the National Party losing 1948 for example.
There were actually proposals for bits of Botawana to be annexed by Southern Rhodesia in OTL.
The two options presented in 1922 were really the only two left. Company Rule was unsustainable and Direct Rule from London impossible.
As for 1948 that's true but that leaves the door open for a broader based white supremacist party to come to power without the NP's more unique cultural and ethnic peculiarities.
There were actually proposals for bits of Botawana to be annexed by Southern Rhodesia in OTL.
The two options presented in 1922 were really the only two left. Company Rule was unsustainable and Direct Rule from London impossible.
As for 1948 that's true but that leaves the door open for a broader based white supremacist party to come to power without the NP's more unique cultural and ethnic peculiarities.
I think you mean the United Party, the Liberal Party was a relatively minor party which opposed apartheid in the 1950s and 1960s. Alan Paton was a prominent member. The party dissolved when it refused to adhere to apartheid laws and restrict membership of the party to a single race.Yeah, that's what I was alluding to. Also, South Africa was looking to purchase much of Mozambique at this time; all of OTL Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and most of Mozambique in South Africa would be an interesting timeline. As for 1948, probably, but still better than OTL Apartheid because the Liberal Party (at least is my understanding) would've left the Coloured and Asian franchises alone. More European immigration would've been done without Boer ethno-nationalism preventing it, which would be good for South Africa by bringing in a large flow of skilled labor; it might also lay the seeds for earlier reforms, given more recent immigrants might be more amendable to such and sooner too.
Was that purely financial or for other reasons?… and direct rule from London [was] impossible.
Was that purely financial or for other reasons?
It appears his death was attributable to the very high workload he'd assumed under Smuts's leadership. How would an NP victory in 48 fix this? Did he have some sort of breakdown historically when they fell out of power?I also wonder if SR joining the Union and thus weakening the NP electorally butterflies away Jan Hofmeyr's death in 1948.
By the standards of the day he was very progressive, especially for a white South African, and was firmly liberal in his political views. No NP win, and Hofmeyr surviving means he certainly succeeds Smuts as PM with a much better outcome for black, coloured, and Indian South Africans - indeed all South Africans.
Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr (1894–1948) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
It appears his death was attributable to the very high workload he'd assumed under Smuts's leadership. How would an NP victory in 48 fix this? Did he have some sort of breakdown historically when they fell out of power?
I think you mean the United Party, the Liberal Party was a relatively minor party which opposed apartheid in the 1950s and 1960s. Alan Paton was a prominent member. The party dissolved when it refused to adhere to apartheid laws and restrict membership of the party to a single race.
I also wonder if SR joining the Union and thus weakening the NP electorally butterflies away Jan Hofmeyr's death in 1948.
By the standards of the day he was very progressive, especially for a white South African, and was firmly liberal in his political views. No NP win, and Hofmeyr surviving means he certainly succeeds Smuts as PM with a much better outcome for black, coloured, and Indian South Africans - indeed all South Africans.
Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr (1894–1948) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
I ran the numbers on this, and after some corrections here, the 48 election would still be quite tight, unless there's redistricting. Smuts and the UP won the "popular" vote, but lost on constituenciesSouth Africa wanted to annex it in that time period, so that's a possibility. Likely the British would also offload Botswana later on too, which has interesting ramifications; I could see the National Party losing 1948 for example.
If I use the Wikipedia figures I have
Using 1948 figures for southern Rhodesia
- United - United 78
- HNP - Afrikaner - Liberal 91
- Labour - Labour - Labour 11
- United - United 79
- HNP - Liberal - Afrikaner 84
- Labour - Labour 7
As for 1948 that's true but that leaves the door open for a broader based white supremacist party to come to power without the NP's more unique cultural and ethnic peculiarities
You would probably see the dominant party in SA be the SAP, with the Nats and a pro-Empire Party (with its support base mainly in Natal and SR) vying for second place. Labour will also get some support.
I also wonder if SR joining the Union and thus weakening the NP electorally butterflies away Jan Hofmeyr's death in 1948.
By the standards of the day he was very progressive, especially for a white South African, and was firmly liberal in his political views. No NP win, and Hofmeyr surviving means he certainly succeeds Smuts as PM with a much better outcome for black, coloured, and Indian South Africans - indeed all South Africans.
Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr (1894–1948) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
What's your impression of De Villiers Graaff?One thing about I've noticed is that the early deaths of Hofmeyr and Adolph Malan left a talent gap in South African liberalism thay left the United Party without a meaningful program or leadership to counter the NP for too long.
What's your impression of De Villiers Graaff?