In 1918 the British Priby Council ruled that Rhodesian land belonged tothe crown and not the British South African Company. With this ruling the company lost interest in continuing administration of Rhodesia. From 1918 to 1922 negotiations between the company, Rhodesian settlers, and the Union of South Africa were held that would determine the fate of Rhodesia. In October of 1922 the white populous of Rhodesia elected to have Rhodesia integrated into the British Empire instead of in a union with South Africa. The vote was 8,774 in favor of integration into the Empire and 5,989 in favor of a union with South Africa. So what might happen if the Rhodesian voters hadn't been so worried that unlimited white immigration from South Africa would lead to the growth of a poor Afrikaner community and South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts not using such excessive force to crush the Rand Rebellion, and Rhodesia votes to join South Africa?How does this shape the politics of South Africa? How does this effect the inevitable Bush War?
WI: Rhodesia joins the Union of South Africa in 1922?
- Thread starter GeneralInTheShell
- Start date
The bigger union would face even clearer numerical superiority of blacks, and those will have a clear bastion in the North. I'd say that Apartheid falls earlier, or more probably never emerges as IOTL.
What could be possible is a strong movement to attract more white settlers into the North.
Furthermore I think that the Union of South Africa has a clear interest in owning Botswana.
In any case, South Africa becomes even more of a behemoth in the South of the continent.
What could be possible is a strong movement to attract more white settlers into the North.
Furthermore I think that the Union of South Africa has a clear interest in owning Botswana.
In any case, South Africa becomes even more of a behemoth in the South of the continent.
Well most likely it means no HNP victory in 1948. The Rhodesian was very pro-British and that was a very close election. An extra 70,000 british Rhodesian votes most likely would put Smuts government back in power. Which most likely means no pro-Afrikanner restrictions on post-war European immigration. Which might mean a much larger white community. And no formal apartheid system.
Well, it may well mean no National party victory in 1924 either, and we will have the South African Party, with Smuts at the helm, win against the National-Labour alliance in that year. The admittance of Rhodesia into the union may be enough to increase Smuts's tally of seats in that year (he won the popular vote comfortably but lost by seats quite badly), letting him, with the addition of the Rhodesian seats, win that election.
But anyway, the Union may also take on a more federal character, and South Africa as a whole is more likely to be pro-British and pro-Empire.
There probably will be no apartheid, and a larger white population.
The country may also be more unstable, with a larger border to police. There will be some big butterflies in southern Africa, that's for sure.
But anyway, the Union may also take on a more federal character, and South Africa as a whole is more likely to be pro-British and pro-Empire.
There probably will be no apartheid, and a larger white population.
The country may also be more unstable, with a larger border to police. There will be some big butterflies in southern Africa, that's for sure.
Alex Richards
Donor
South Africa may retain Namibia in this situation as it would actually border Rhodesia (is this just Southern, or both BTW).
Botswana is definately a economic and political satellite of South Africa here, but like Lesotho and Swaziland may still stay out of the union.
Botswana is definately a economic and political satellite of South Africa here, but like Lesotho and Swaziland may still stay out of the union.
This is just Southern Rhodesia, so it barely borders Namibia to be honest.
This scenario has been discussed here before. Someone wrote a TL where uber-SA was an economic powerhouse and the black population was gradually enfranchised based on education.
It was probably TheMann.
but I have seen this scenario done in other places too.
With Rhodesia part of the union, it is likely more pro-British parties and leaders will be in power. Part of the reason Lesotho, Swaziland, and Botswana were never given to SA was because of fears about the black population being mistreated. Under Smuts the British may be slightly more willing to give those territories to Pretoria (not that black people would be treated much better).
I would think by the time the POD sails around, British public opinion would not allow Lesotho, Swaziland or Botswana to be given. That being said, that is just a feeling. I don't recall seeing any firm British policy on this post WW1.
The thing to remember of course, is that the Union, as a design feature (perhaps not the original intent of the British admittedly), is designed to preserve the Afrikaner majority in parliament, as a whole. This was achieved by looking at whole communities (iirc) for the purposes of ascertaining electoral boundaries, not just Adult White Men (the principal voters of the pre Great War Era).
What did the nationalist dominated Afrikaner parties think about this early proposal for union with Rhodesia? Anyone recall?
Constituencies could also have less voters in rural areas, which advantaged the Afrikaners over the English-speaking Saffas, as most Afrikaners lived on farms and the like, while English-speakers were pretty urbanised.
I wonder how hard it would be, pre Union, to alter this slightly, so this kind of mild preference was less pronounced.
Fearless Leader
Donor
With the incorporation of Rhodesia in TTL and it's large African majority, might TTL's South Africa adopt a more liberal immigration policy? A large number of European Refugees would certainly throw an interesting mix into this Alt-South African Behemoth...
Definitely. Under Smuts there were plans to encourage greater European immigration, but when the NP won in 1948, these plans were shelved, and immigration policy became more restricted.
Of course, this began to change in the 1960s, when the apartheid regime realised that there simply were not enough white people in the country to run it and supply all the skills necessary, and began to encourage European immigration.
For example, a friend of mine's parents are Franco-Mauritian. They were planning to emigrate from Mauritius and were deciding between SA and Australia. They decided to choose SA because my friend's dad was given a job and a house, and everything was done to encourage him and his family to move to SA. And they definitely boosted SA's white population. Being from a Catholic family, my friend is the youngest of six
