Southern African History: Biographies

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Strijdom, Johannes Gerhardus

A Dictionary of Contemporary World History | 2004 | | Copyright

Strijdom, Johannes Gerhardus (b. 14 July 1893, d. 24 Aug. 1958). Prime Minister of South Africa 1954–8 Born in Klipfontein (Cape Colony), he graduated from university at Stellenbosch and Pretoria, submitting the first ever application in Afrikaans to practise law in 1918. The republican nationalist became active for the National Party (NP) in 1923 and was elected to Parliament in 1929. He joined Malan's opposition to Hertzog's alliance with Smuts in 1933, and, following the split of the NP in 1934, rebuilt the NP organization in the Transvaal. Minister of Lands and Irrigation from 1948, in 1954 the fiery orator became the first Prime Minister without direct memories of the South African War. His most lasting policies concerned the strengthening of the government's freedom of manoeuvre on apartheid, adding sympathizers to the number of Senators and high court judges so that any apartheid laws would be guaranteed a smooth passage. Under his Minister of Bantu Affairs, Verwoerd, mixed-race trade unions were abolished, racial segregation in universities was encouraged, and people of mixed race (‘Coloureds’) were disenfranchised. He died in office, having just secured the NP's biggest election victory to date.

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JAN PALMOWSKI. "Strijdom, Johannes Gerhardus." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Strijdom, Johannes Gerhardus." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-StrijdomJohannesGerhardus.html

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Strijdom, Johannes Gerhardus." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-StrijdomJohannesGerhardus.html

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Strijdom, Johannes Gerhardus

A Dictionary of World History | 2000 | Copyright

Strijdom, Johannes Gerhardus (1893–1958) South African Nationalist politician, Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa (1954–58). A White supremacist, Strijdom advocated strict apartheid and altered the composition of the senate (1955) to ensure support for his policies.

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"Strijdom, Johannes Gerhardus." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Strijdom, Johannes Gerhardus." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-StrijdomJohannesGerhardus.html

"Strijdom, Johannes Gerhardus." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-StrijdomJohannesGerhardus.html

Learn more about citation styles