The Impact of World War II on South Africa and the Rise of Apartheid

In this episode of Mr. Hutchings History, we explore how World War II reshaped South Africa and set the stage for apartheid. Learn how wartime labor shortages forced temporary relaxations of racial barriers, empowering Black workers and sparking greater political activism. From the rise of Afrikaner nationalism to the strategic campaign of the National Party in 1948, we unpack the key forces that led to the formalization of apartheid. Discover how organizations like the African National Congress (ANC) began gaining momentum during the 1940s and why Afrikaner fears of Black empowerment played into the hands of D.F. Malan’s National Party. We’ll also explore the broader social and political consequences of wartime changes and how they paved the way for South Africa’s most oppressive system of racial segregation. #IBHistory #ApartheidSouthAfrica #WWIIImpact #1948Election #NationalParty #ANC #AfrikanerNationalism #SouthAfricanHistory #LaborMarket #CivilRights Works Cited Beinart, William. Twentieth-Century South Africa. Oxford UP, 2001. Dubow, Saul. Apartheid, 1948-1994. Oxford UP, 2014. Worden, Nigel. The Making of Modern South Africa. Blackwell, 2007.