Location
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Start Date
30-4-2015 9:00 AM
End Date
30-4-2015 10:55 AM
Project Type
Poster
Description
Apartheid continued in the Republic of South Africa until 1993, far longer than any other minority dominated government on the continent of Africa. In this paper, I analyze the reasons why Afrikaners were able to perpetuate their grip on political power far longer than any of their white colleagues around the continent. This paper is comparative; I place the South African experience in context with other minority ruled statesKenya and Mozambiquethat experienced the break down of minority rule far sooner than the South Africans. I argue that there are three main factors that ensured the that the National PartySouth Africas pro-apartheid political party sustain itself: its strong military, advanced economic system, and brutally effective state security apparatus. I argue that all three of these factors developed in part because of South Africas unique position in the Cold War context. Furthermore, I explain and develop the myriad of external forces present during the Cold War era that lead to many Western countries backing South Africa, thus perpetuating National Party rule. I rely on pervious work, as well as recently released government communications and reports to come to conclusions about how South Africa was able to sustain 18th century government policy well into the last decade of the 20th century.
Faculty Sponsor
Laura Seay
Sponsoring Department
Colby College. Government Dept.
CLAS Field of Study
Social Sciences
Event Website
http://www.colby.edu/clas
ID
972
Included in
South African Survivor: The National Party’s Survival in the Context of the Cold War
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Apartheid continued in the Republic of South Africa until 1993, far longer than any other minority dominated government on the continent of Africa. In this paper, I analyze the reasons why Afrikaners were able to perpetuate their grip on political power far longer than any of their white colleagues around the continent. This paper is comparative; I place the South African experience in context with other minority ruled statesKenya and Mozambiquethat experienced the break down of minority rule far sooner than the South Africans. I argue that there are three main factors that ensured the that the National PartySouth Africas pro-apartheid political party sustain itself: its strong military, advanced economic system, and brutally effective state security apparatus. I argue that all three of these factors developed in part because of South Africas unique position in the Cold War context. Furthermore, I explain and develop the myriad of external forces present during the Cold War era that lead to many Western countries backing South Africa, thus perpetuating National Party rule. I rely on pervious work, as well as recently released government communications and reports to come to conclusions about how South Africa was able to sustain 18th century government policy well into the last decade of the 20th century.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2015/program/173