WI: Neutral South Africa in WW2?

BlondieBC

Banned
I know that involvement in the War was a big issue in South Africa, and if things had gone the other way, what would be the effects on the war as a whole? And what butterflies would it have on South Africa?

South Africa might become a Republic during the war and leave the common wealth.

I think you'd need an earlier POD, but yes, it could be very interesting.

I wonder if the Union would fracture? For all of the Afrikaner dominance of the Union, the English speaking community was pretty powerful economically and did dominate large parts of the country. Then SA is also almost surrounded by British colonies, protectorates or misc (S Rhodesia!), all of which would be contributing to the War Effort.

I wonder if the Governor General would dissolve parliament if the Government refused to enter? Some sort of semi coup in support of Britain's interests?

Hence my thoughts that you need a stronger fracture in the 1930s to make this possible.

There were a lot of English and Afrikaner speakers who did not want the 3rd Boer War, so it would likely stay together.

I can see the UK trying a coup, but it could also backfire. More likely they accept it. The UK can still buy the resources of South Africa, but a coup risk a war with South Africa with the UK can least afford to send divisions to Africa. South Africans consider 1910 to be their year of independence, so the GG dissolving parliament just results in a Republic. SA most likely just sells to the Allies, since this is the only one they can really trade with anyway.

As to impact on the war, I think it benefits the Japanese. IMO, the UK pulls even more forces from the Indian and Pacific Ocean to make sure to keep the Suez.

An interesting question is if there were 4 few Allied division in the Pacific in 1941, how does this change the diplomatic gain. Is it possible the UK/USA decide to accept the Japanese occupation of IndoChina?
 
If South Africa goes Republic in 1939, I could see Natal going separate and staying in the Commonwealth. By the way, this is an interesting organization I found out about.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossewabrandwag

I wonder how their influence would grow or fluctuate depending on how Britain reacts to their neutrality. I also think South Africa will definitely become a destination for Nazis trying to escape from Europe.
 
If South Africa goes Republic in 1939, I could see Natal going separate and staying in the Commonwealth. By the way, this is an interesting organization I found out about.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossewabrandwag

I wonder how their influence would grow or fluctuate depending on how Britain reacts to their neutrality. I also think South Africa will definitely become a destination for Nazis trying to escape from Europe.

It is unlikely for South Africa to become a republic that quickly. The Nationalists won in 1948 in OTL and only managed to have a referendum by 1960, so it is extremely unlikely for it to become a republic that quickly.

There will still be a pro-war movement in South Africa and there will be many, many South Africans (English and Afrikaans) volunteering to fight on the side of the British.

On a sidenote, my paternal grandfather was a member of the Ossewa Brandwag, while my maternal grandfather joined the army to go and fight (he never saw action though, he spent his time in WWII in administrative roles).
 
I don't think I agree with you.

Sure, they considered themselves British, but I don't think there was any extreme pro-British feeling among English white South Africans.

The Rhodesians are probably more what you are describing here.

I would agree, the Rhodies were all afroth with King, and Empire, the Anglos would, in my estimate, grumbled into their whiskey for a while and then turned their minds to the profit to be made out of the (other peoples) war
 
Remember we are talking about the 1930s here. I don't see why the English/British South Africans would be any less King, Country or Empire than the rest of the Dominions.
 
Remember we are talking about the 1930s here. I don't see why the English/British South Africans would be any less King, Country or Empire than the rest of the Dominions.

They probably wouldn't be.

But perhaps nothing much would happen, people may accept that the country will be neutral and people would probably be free to volunteer to fight for the British or other Commonwealth armies.

Even in OTL there were a large number of South Africans in the RAF, Sailor Malan probably being the best example.

In this ATL we may see some sort of South African Volunteer Brigade or something fighting under Britsh command.
 
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