Union of South Africa

The Union of South Africa was a country in southern Africa from 1910 to 1961. It was created on May 31, 1910, when four areas joined together: the Cape, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange River. Before this, some of these areas had been independent states like the South African Republic and the Orange Free State.

During its time, the Union of South Africa was a self-governing part of the British Empire and later became a full member of the Commonwealth. After World War I, it helped create the League of Nations and was given control of South West Africa, which is now called Namibia. Although South West Africa was managed like another area of the Union, it was never officially part of it.

The Union of South Africa had a ruler from another country, represented by a governor-general. This changed in 1961 when the country became a republic and left the Commonwealth of Nations. Later, in 1994, the new Republic of South Africa joined the Commonwealth again.

Constitution

Main article: South Africa Act 1909

The Union of South Africa was one country, not a group of smaller ones. It had one parliament with two parts: the House of Assembly and the Senate. Most members were chosen by the white minority.

Pretoria was where the government worked, Cape Town was where the parliament met, and Bloemfontein was where the highest court was located.

The Union started as a self-governing part of the British Empire. In 1931, it became fully independent, and in 1934, South Africa made laws to confirm its independence. The country's leader, called the governor-general, signed laws passed by parliament.

Dutch and English were the official languages, with Dutch later also meaning Afrikaans.

In 1961, South Africa decided to become a republic and left the Commonwealth.

Previous attempts at unification

Several earlier efforts tried to bring the colonies of southern Africa together, but they did not work. Leaders tried different ways to unite them, but each plan had problems.

In the 1850s, Sir George Grey, the Governor of Cape Colony, thought uniting the states would help them stay strong. But leaders in London stopped his plans.

In the 1870s, the British government tried to force a system called confederation on southern Africa. This idea did not work well because many local leaders felt it did not understand their needs. One local plan, called the Molteno Unification Plan, suggested a way to unite the states that was more accepted locally, but it was rejected by London at the time.

The Second Boer War (1899–1902) began when tensions rose between British miners and the leaders of the Transvaal Republic and the Orange Free State. The war ended with the British taking control of these areas.

The Bhambatha Rebellion in 1906 by the Zulu people against colonial rule in Natal showed some leaders that uniting the colonies might help maintain control.

Main article: Second Boer War

Main article: Bambatha Rebellion

History of the Union of South Africa

Main article: History of South Africa (1910–1948)

National Convention

The National Convention was a meeting to create rules for a new country. It happened between 1908 and 1909 in Durban, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein. Leaders from four areas that would become South Africa met to make a plan. They created rules called the South Africa Act, which became the country’s constitution until 1961.

Union of South Africa and Southern Rhodesia

In 1922, people in Southern Rhodesia voted on whether to join the Union of South Africa. Most chose to stay separate and govern themselves instead.

Union of South Africa and South West Africa

Background

Main article: Palgrave Commission

The land that is now Namibia was not ruled by any country until the late 1800s. Leaders from local groups talked to leaders in the Cape Colony about joining them. But Britain stopped these plans. Later, Germany took control of the area, except for Walvis Bay, which stayed with the Cape.

South African occupation

When the First World War began in 1914, the Union of South Africa took over the German area called German South West Africa. After the war, South Africa was allowed to manage it. South Africa treated it almost like another part of the country, even though it was not officially a province. Later, South Africa tried to make it a full part of the country, but the United Nations said no. Still, South Africa kept managing it its own way.

Statute of Westminster

The Statute of Westminster was a law passed by Britain in 1931. It changed how South Africa was governed, giving it more control over its own matters. However, some important rules in South Africa’s constitution could not be changed easily, which led to later problems.

Military

Main article: Union Defence Force (South Africa)

The military of the Union of South Africa was called the Union Defence Force (UDF) until 1957. After that, it became the South African Defence Force (SADF).

Navy

South Africa did not have its own navy at first. It relied on the British Royal Navy for protection. During the First World War, a volunteer unit called the RNVR(SA) was formed and helped in German Southwest Africa. A true navy was created in April 1922 and was called the South African Naval Service. During the Second World War, the navy grew with help from the Royal Navy. After the war, the navy’s name changed a few times and got smaller.

Air Force

South Africa created its own air force on 1 February 1920. At first, it used planes from Britain because it did not make its own planes yet. The air force saw its first action during the Rand Rebellion in 1922. During World War II, the air force grew and used civilian planes for its needs. It took part in several campaigns, mostly in Africa. After the war, the air force helped with the Berlin Airlift and the Korean War. In 1954, South Africa got its first jet planes.

Demographics

The first census in 1911 showed that the Union of South Africa had about 5.97 million people. By 1960, this number grew to around 16 million. During these years, the group of white people were always the smallest part of the population. Also, in every count, there were more men than women.

From the mid-1930s, many people in South Africa began moving to cities to live.

Arts and culture

Athletics

In 1956, a law was passed that separated sports teams in South Africa by race. Before this law, most teams only had white athletes. For example, there were different soccer groups for black and white athletes.

South Africa joined every Summer Olympics from 1912 to 1960 and one Winter Olympics in 1960. After 1960, South Africa could not join the Olympics until 1992 because it did not include black athletes.

Film

South Africa had many film studios, such as African Film Productions and Killarney Film Studios. These studios made movies that were shown in other countries. In 1931, rules were made to check movies before they could be shown to the public. During the 1930s, most movies from South Africa told stories about the Afrikaner people. At this time, all movies were made by white people. In the late 1950s, a big movie company named 20th Century Fox bought most of South Africa's film industry.

Flags and coats of arms

Main articles: South Africa Red Ensign, Flag of South Africa (1928–1994), and Coat of arms of South Africa (1910–2000)

The Union of South Africa had many flags and coats of arms from 1910 to 1961. It first used a flag until 1912, then a red ensign from 1912 to 1951. A blue ensign was used from 1910 to 1928, and a new flag was used from 1928 to 1961. The coat of arms also changed several times during these years.