The appeal of the National Party

• The National Party formed in 1914, set out to win the support of all Afrikaners (rich, poor, farmers, and businessmen) - in 1948 the leader was Dr Daniel Malan
• They exploited the surge in Afrikaner unity in publishing; History of Afrikaners published in Afrikaans and popular magazine (Die Tuisgenoot) was intended to reach ordinary Afrikaners and give them a sense of unity
• They exploited the surge in Afrikaner unity using Church; a Dutch-reformed church, biblical support for Afrikaners’ racial views and schools set up to teach kids in Afrikaans
• They exploited the surge of Afrikaner unity in a secret society: Broederbond (founded 1918, Johannesburg), aimed to unite Afrikaners (sought the influential), it had 500 members by 1930; they used secret handshakes and covered a British flag with a South African one in ceremonies
• They exploited the surge of Afrikaner unity with finances; In 1918, wealthier Afrikaners helped to set up Afrikaner insurance and saving companies - the aim was to help Afrikaners set up businesses without any reliance on British banks
• They played on 1940s white fears and grievances: Economic struggles and peacetime conditions led to white workers angry at the black people in 'their' jobs and at black wages rising from 1/5th to 25% of their wagesr
• They played on 1940s white fears and grievances: White farmers resisted low food prices and black workers' migration to cities for better wages (wanted cheap labour) and black protests shocked them, leading to fear of black resistance
• They played on 1940s white fears and grievances: Smuts' open-mindedness and relaxed segregation sparked distrust, especially since the UN's policies criticised their racist views, they said he “unable to keep the black man under control”
• Malan promised white South Africa the complete removal of blacks from the church (for Nationalists, intellectuals, teachers, clerics, and the Broederbond) and an end to the 'black threat' to jobs, law, order, and housing (for workers)
• Malan promised flexible apartheid with temporary black leave for (cheap) city work ( for industrialists) and a supply of cheap black labour (for farmers)