Struggle for Freedom: The Rise Against Apartheid in South Africa



Africa is a continent full of resources which attracted the great powers of Europe that competed with each other desperately wanting to expand. In the 20th century these african countries were ruled by strict dictatorships from the white minority against the local black population. This is called apartheid and it is the worst form of racism.

The National Party gained power in South Africa in 1948, approximately 30 years after its founding. Originally, the National Party was created as a new, opposing political party to the ruling South African Party in 1913-14. Louis Botha, the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa, and leader of the South African Party, was a great leader for the English-speaking white South Africans. Members of the National Party believed in political freedom from Britain, whom South Africa was directly connected to as a Union, cultural superiority of Africans, and complete nationalism.





After the National Party's white-only government established apartheid, a system of racism, Mandela and the ANC committed themselves to its overthrow. He was appointed president of the ANC, rising to power for his involvement in the 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People. He was repeatedly arrested for anti-racist activities and was unsuccessfully prosecuted in the 1956 Treason Trial. Influenced by Marxism, he secretly joined the banned South African Communist Party.


Mandela was executed by the whites in 2013. Still, some years after his death the goverment was overthrowed and apartheid was finally prohibited by the international community.


          
 

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