The United Republic of South Africa
In 1906 the British Empire decided to begin merging its colonies in certain parts of the world into bigger “mega colonies.” The idea was that it’d be easier for the UK to oversee their economies due to a larger surveillance program resulting from this idea. Though many considered it impractical in the long run, Parliment chose to go through with it anyway.
Their first new territory to be formed by this was The Union of South Africa. This colony was first formed in 1910. With the unification of four previously separate colonies: the Cape, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange River colonies. The latter two of which had been former Boer Republics. Shortly after, several other British territories were absorbed into the colony. Namely, Northern and Southern Rhodesia, followed by Benuchaland, Nyasaland, Basutoland. Then later after WWI, SW Africa, a former German colony, joined.
The colonies were grouped together on the basis of their railroad track gauge of 3ft 6in gauge, as it was seen n good rail network would be vital to maintaining these colonies. The economy of the new Dominion soon boomed like never before.
Meanwhile, the Afrikaners, Dutch-descended people who had live in the Transvaal and Orange River colonies as independent people before hand, looked on in anger while the colony, and Britain, prospered. Losing their independence was bad enough, but now they also had to face the growing integration of blacks into society by the UK.
But on the bright side for the Afrikaners, they now had plenty of places they could go beyond their former republics. Perhaps with hopes of find more places to settle in the countrysides.
But another person saw how Afrikaners could seize the opportunity to gain a bigger foothold in South Africa than they did before. Rev. Geert Visser, a Dutch Reformed Minister from Bloemfontein, described in his tract, The Afrikaner Advantage, what he felt Afrikaners could do to regain more than the land they originally called their own.
In addition, they still outnumbered the British. Which led to the realization that they could win by the ballot what they lost by the bullet, applying the model of their lost nations "Unity Makes strength." As such, the National Party was formed in 1914 with the goal of uniting Afrikaners against British rule. At this point, Afrikaners were especially poor, and forced to go into the cities.
However, they were still able to be working in mines, where the idea of racial superiority paid off. But in 1921, Gold's value fell, and many whites were replaced by blacks. However, Afrikaners eventaully elected a government that created govt. monopolies to stop the British ones. The black Africans were increasingly suppressed as Afrikaner labor unions began to gain the upper hand.
Afrikaners were finally reaching the unity that would guarantee full power for them, when Hitler invaded Poland and WW2 began. South Africa was obliged to help Britain fight Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain. Therefore, South Africa immediately sent every fit male ranging in age from 18 to 60 up to the UK to help prepare for a battle against Germany.
But the Afrikaners had other ideas. For an attempted pro-Nazi revolt during World War II supported by a new generation of hardliner Afrikaners took place. The conspiracy didn't go anywhere, but it did open up the door for the formation of the National Party, who in 1948 defeated the more moderate government of Jan Smuts (who argued for the eventual dismantling of segregation). D.F. Malan became the new leader, and the Apartheid policy was formally instated and greatly expanded.
Under Malan's rule, Apartheid came into law, being mainly similar to what it was in real life. But the USA reluctantly aided them due to the threat of communism, while the UK stayed with them out of concern for those of British ethnicity in South Africa. However, the UK, USA, and South Africa did join forces to fight Robert Mugabe in the province of South Rhodesia. Mugabe’s communist forces were responsible for horrid crimes against not only white farmers, but also more moderate blacks in the region.
Despite being communist himself, Stephen Biko, the leader of the African Consciousness movement in South Africa, was absolutely appalled by Mugabe’s atrocities. He had expressed a desire to help the US and UK find a more peaceful solution to the problems South Africa had. But he himself was often under severe government watch. The good news here is that unlike OTL, he not only survived his September 1977 arrest and detainment, but also became a traditional liberal, as opposed to straight-up communist.
That said, South Africa, backed by the UK and US military, we able to defeat Mugabe. Who was eventually sentenced to the firing squad for his crimes in 1982. At that point, the black Africans began demanding more liberty, and requested that the rest of the British Commonwealth help them. Within the next few years, they managed to free many prominent anti Apartheid leaders such as Mandela. That said, it was not easy, mainly due to the aforementioned fact that Afrikaners, and whites in general, outnumbered most black African ethnicities.
Eventually, however, in 1993, F. W. De Klerk, as moderate Afrikaner, announced the coming of free elections. In the end, Mandela’s party, the African National Congress (ANC) was elected.
After Mandela stepped down. Biko decided to run for president himself, on the side of the Democratic Alliance, citing his disappointment in the socialist turn the ANC took on South Africa.
Under the leadership of Biko, who is now in his early 70s, South Africa has developed into a true superpower, and is a major player in the British Commonwealth. With a wide variety of material being used with in and abroad. People of both white and black races enjoy one of the highest standards of living in Africa, and in the Southern Hemisphere.
Their first new territory to be formed by this was The Union of South Africa. This colony was first formed in 1910. With the unification of four previously separate colonies: the Cape, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange River colonies. The latter two of which had been former Boer Republics. Shortly after, several other British territories were absorbed into the colony. Namely, Northern and Southern Rhodesia, followed by Benuchaland, Nyasaland, Basutoland. Then later after WWI, SW Africa, a former German colony, joined.
The colonies were grouped together on the basis of their railroad track gauge of 3ft 6in gauge, as it was seen n good rail network would be vital to maintaining these colonies. The economy of the new Dominion soon boomed like never before.
Meanwhile, the Afrikaners, Dutch-descended people who had live in the Transvaal and Orange River colonies as independent people before hand, looked on in anger while the colony, and Britain, prospered. Losing their independence was bad enough, but now they also had to face the growing integration of blacks into society by the UK.
But on the bright side for the Afrikaners, they now had plenty of places they could go beyond their former republics. Perhaps with hopes of find more places to settle in the countrysides.
But another person saw how Afrikaners could seize the opportunity to gain a bigger foothold in South Africa than they did before. Rev. Geert Visser, a Dutch Reformed Minister from Bloemfontein, described in his tract, The Afrikaner Advantage, what he felt Afrikaners could do to regain more than the land they originally called their own.
In addition, they still outnumbered the British. Which led to the realization that they could win by the ballot what they lost by the bullet, applying the model of their lost nations "Unity Makes strength." As such, the National Party was formed in 1914 with the goal of uniting Afrikaners against British rule. At this point, Afrikaners were especially poor, and forced to go into the cities.
Afrikaners were finally reaching the unity that would guarantee full power for them, when Hitler invaded Poland and WW2 began. South Africa was obliged to help Britain fight Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain. Therefore, South Africa immediately sent every fit male ranging in age from 18 to 60 up to the UK to help prepare for a battle against Germany.
But the Afrikaners had other ideas. For an attempted pro-Nazi revolt during World War II supported by a new generation of hardliner Afrikaners took place. The conspiracy didn't go anywhere, but it did open up the door for the formation of the National Party, who in 1948 defeated the more moderate government of Jan Smuts (who argued for the eventual dismantling of segregation). D.F. Malan became the new leader, and the Apartheid policy was formally instated and greatly expanded.
Under Malan's rule, Apartheid came into law, being mainly similar to what it was in real life. But the USA reluctantly aided them due to the threat of communism, while the UK stayed with them out of concern for those of British ethnicity in South Africa. However, the UK, USA, and South Africa did join forces to fight Robert Mugabe in the province of South Rhodesia. Mugabe’s communist forces were responsible for horrid crimes against not only white farmers, but also more moderate blacks in the region.
Despite being communist himself, Stephen Biko, the leader of the African Consciousness movement in South Africa, was absolutely appalled by Mugabe’s atrocities. He had expressed a desire to help the US and UK find a more peaceful solution to the problems South Africa had. But he himself was often under severe government watch. The good news here is that unlike OTL, he not only survived his September 1977 arrest and detainment, but also became a traditional liberal, as opposed to straight-up communist.
That said, South Africa, backed by the UK and US military, we able to defeat Mugabe. Who was eventually sentenced to the firing squad for his crimes in 1982. At that point, the black Africans began demanding more liberty, and requested that the rest of the British Commonwealth help them. Within the next few years, they managed to free many prominent anti Apartheid leaders such as Mandela. That said, it was not easy, mainly due to the aforementioned fact that Afrikaners, and whites in general, outnumbered most black African ethnicities.
Eventually, however, in 1993, F. W. De Klerk, as moderate Afrikaner, announced the coming of free elections. In the end, Mandela’s party, the African National Congress (ANC) was elected.
After Mandela stepped down. Biko decided to run for president himself, on the side of the Democratic Alliance, citing his disappointment in the socialist turn the ANC took on South Africa.
Under the leadership of Biko, who is now in his early 70s, South Africa has developed into a true superpower, and is a major player in the British Commonwealth. With a wide variety of material being used with in and abroad. People of both white and black races enjoy one of the highest standards of living in Africa, and in the Southern Hemisphere.
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