IndexIntroductionThe Great Trek: a battle for survivalThe "poor white problem"Conclusion of the essay on Afrikaner nationalismIntroductionIn this essay, the focus will be on the rise of Afrikaner nationalism, which was then in charge of Afrikaner attitudes towards class, reactions to class issues and their deep-rooted social identity. The role of class was significant to Afrikaner nationalism, both internally, in reference to the class structure within Afrikaner culture, and externally, in relation to Afrikaners in the broader South African class structure. Mutual understanding of the importance of class structure was a key way in which Afrikaners mobilized their separate factions, banding together to fight against British imperialism and the prospect of black domination. Two major turning points in the history of South Africa that forced unity among the Afrikaner people through a common ideology towards class will be identified and explained in this essay on Afrikaner nationalism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The first turning point was the Great Trek, undertaken from 1836 to 1854. Arguably the most significant period in its history, it saw Afrikaners migrate away from the British-inhabited Cape to escape the chauvinistic foreign policy plaguing their homeland . The second turning point was known as the poor white problem that besieged the Afrikaners following their defeat in the Anglo-Boer War. This period saw the factions carefully orchestrate a planned economy that would continue to consolidate their superiority over black South Africans and fight to level their status with educated, English-speaking white immigrants. The key question to keep in mind is: how vital were the recurrent rhetoric and practices of class structure necessary to the unification of the Afrikaner people? I will now move on to analyze these turning points in Afrikaner history, focusing on the role played by that class in this history of perceived human supremacy, which led to their collective victory under the Nationalist Party in 1948. The Great Trek: a battle to surviveAfrikaner discontent vis-à-vis the British Cape Colony kingdom peaked in 1936. British evangelical principles contradicted entrenched racial assumptions held by Afrikaners (Thompson, 2000). Having suffered continuous warfare since 1815 (known as Mfecane), Afrikaners were suffering from an increasing loss of habitable land, as well as the rights they once held to the land their ancestors had claimed as home in the 18th century (Ibid). Courageous figures from the Afrikaner community lead the desire for a new life, true to Afrikaner culture and far from the reach of the English. The Great Trek refers to the ensuing migration of approximately six thousand Afrikaner men, women and children by 1840. Their destination was east of the Cape, to the fertile land that lies north of the Orange River and south of the Tugela River (Thompson, 2000). . Thompson includes in African Wars and White Invaders: Southeast Africa, 1770-1870 a statement sent to the Grahamstown Journal by Piet Retief, a key Boer leader, outlining the motivations behind the Great Afrikaner Trek: “We are determined, wherever we go, that we will support the just principles of freedom; but, while we will see that no one is held in a state of slavery, it is our determination to maintain such regulations as will suppress crime and preserve right relations between master and servant. “The motivation forpreserving the right relations between master and service is crucial to understanding the role of class in the rise of Afrikaner nationalism. Afrikaners had deeply held beliefs and assumptions about race and ethnicity that influenced their view of what a just class system should look like, in the eyes of God. The Afrikaner people claimed to have been assigned to Southern Africa by God, as chosen people to carry out God's mission (Van Jaarsveld, 1964). Van Jaarsveld highlights a clear link between this affirmation of manifest destiny, the growth of a historical legend, and national ideology. This connection solidifies the importance of the Great Trek, due to the Afrikaners' interpretation that it was their God-given mission, in increasing Afrikaner nationalism through a sense of national identity. Ingrained assumptions about race forever dictated Afrikaner attitudes toward class. These assumptions are highlighted in their views towards non-whites; Afrikaners “conceived themselves as the Lord's chosen ones to whom non-whites had been handed over as subordinates and servants” (Ibid). This dictated the obvious mission of ensuring Afrikaner superiority over black South Africans, who were considered inferior subordinates sent to be controlled by chosen Afrikaners. A clear ideological class system is defined here, with Afrikaners as the religiously motivated upper class, and non-whites beneath them, to be used as God intended them to be. If the economic class structure had reflected the racial assumptions of the Afrikaners, the problem of the poor whites of the post-Boer War era would have been avoided. The Great Trek presented many obstacles for the Afrikaners, such as the Battle of Blood River on 16 December 1838. After being attacked by a ten thousand strong Zulu army, the Afrikaner emigrants forced the Zulus to retreat. Using guns and cannons approximately three thousand Zulus were left dead near the laager (Thompson, 2000). The Afrikaners interpreted this victory as a sign that the Lord cared for their people. They were chosen to fulfill a mission: to create a free nation, detached from British authority and “safeguarded from non-whites” (Van Jaarsveld, 1964). This lopsided victory demonstrated, in their eyes, their superiority over non-whites. The Great Trek unified Afrikaners under their perceived right. They were struggling to maintain their identity under increasing British colonization, while also attempting to assert their role as educators of the pagans (Van Jaarsveld, 1964). They were in an anomalous situation, taking positions as both oppressors (of non-whites) and oppressed (by English-speaking whites). In the century following the Great Trek, Afrikaners knew that to fulfill their duty as a chosen people they must unite and assert their dominance as a culture above non-whites. The poor white problem that preceded the Boer War created a climate of desperation, in which Afrikaners found themselves anchored in an internal class structure, while at the same time wanting to create a broader systematic class structure that would assert their dominance. -Boer War, the underlying purpose of which, according to Thompson, was “the maintenance of the fruits of the Great Trek and the continuation of that movement”, the Afrikaners found themselves in a detrimental position. I disagree with Thompson regarding the motivations behind the Anglo-Boer War. The Great Trek went some way to unifying Afrikaners under a common struggle, however the motivation for fighting the British for the maintenance of the Afrikaner republics was not, in my opinion, to promote the fruits of the GreatTrek, but a fight for a unified community. South Africa which intrinsically supported the Calvinist legacy of white rule away from the British kingdom. The Anglo-Boer War, through false promises made by the British to both black and colored South Africans, further exacerbated the racial divide (Giliomee, 2009). Afrikaners found themselves with little arable land, a lack of basic education among the population, a lack of qualifications to participate in skilled labor, as well as speaking Afrikaans in a society that now prided itself on white, skilled, English-speaking workers. Giliomee argues in chapter 8 that blacks and coloreds were alone in the struggle to prevent South Africa from becoming a “white man's land”. In chapter 10, John X. Merriman confirms this: "The white population was a minority... and if their brothers should sink into the mire, as they saw them do, it would be impossible to maintain their dominion." This point is extremely crucial to understanding how Afrikaners were able to take advantage of the common struggle of white settlers to maintain the upper class of South African society, only in race and level of civilization. However, in the early 20th century, it became increasingly difficult for Afrikaners to unite due to the problem of poor whites. Faced with increasing immigration from Europe, Afrikaners found that “skilled and semi-skilled jobs, professions and civil service positions were already filled by local English speakers or immigrants” (Giliomee, 2009). By 1936 there was a 47% increase in the urbanization of Afrikaners compared to 1890, as they sought work in industrializing cities. However, to maintain their superior status over non-whites, Afrikaners had to unite and fight to create a planned economy that met their needs as a people. class structure intrinsic to the Afrikaner population itself. Working-class Afrikaners pledged allegiance to the Labor Party, which promised to stand with South Africa's workers along class lines. On the other hand, the Afrikaans-speaking urban lower middle class followed the lead of the Nationalist Party, and the Broederbond, founded in 1918, gained the support of other urban lower middle classes, such as Afrikaner teachers and railway workers. If Afrikaner nationalism was to thrive and result in the Afrikaner leadership of South Africa, all factions of the Afrikaans-speaking population had to unite along ethnic and linguistic lines, as opposed to the economic class allegiance that separated them as a people. Many actions were taken in an attempt to elevate the position of poor, uneducated Afrikaans-speaking whites, in order to create a more united Afrikaner people. The Broederbond helped create the first Afrikaner building society in 1934, bringing Afrikaner culture into the business world for the first time (O'Meara, 2001). Afrikaners took advantage of the advantage that all white workers had the right to vote and used this to pressure the government to implement job reservations. An example of how this favored the position of Afrikaners was the Apprenticeship Act of 1922, which provided for the regulation of vocational training by trade unions, excluding Africans for at least half a century from multiple trades. Afrikaners knew that to create a unified, educated and skilled people, they had to exploit racial tensions in South Africa and push unskilled black workers further to the margins to strengthen themselves in the economy. The Broederbond continued to promote Afrikaner nationalism by leading the push to further place Afrikaner culture in the public sphere. Before.