(i) The relations between the two British colonies of Natal and Cape Colony and the two independent Boer states of Transvaal and the Orange Free State had long been unfriendly.
(ii) The discovery of gold in Transvaal, in 1886, led to large numbers of British miners settling in and around Johannesburg.
(iii) The Boers hated these people whom they referred to as Uitlanders (foreigners). The Boers taxed them heavily and denied political rights to them.
(iv) So the question was whether the British or the Boers were to be supreme in South Africa.
(v) Fearing attacks from the British, the Boers armed themselves and decided to attack.
(vi) The Boer War lasted for three years, from 1899 to 1902. Initially, the Boers were successful.
(vii) But by the first half of 1900, the Boer army was defeated. Pretoria was occupied.
(viii) In retaliation, the British destroyed farms and crops. They set up internment camps for Boer women and children.
(ix) Shortage of food, medical and sanitary facilities caused the death of 26,000 people.
(x) The British annexed the two Boer states. Boers were however promised self-government in due course.
(xi) In 1907 full responsible government was given to the Transvaal and the Orange Free State.
(xii) The four states formed into a union and the South Africa Act passed by the British parliament in 1909 provided for a Union Parliament at Cape Town.
(xiii) In May 1910 the Union of South Africa came into being.

a) There were two main political parties: The Unionist Party which was mainly British and the South Africa Party which had largely Afrikaners (Boers).
b) The first Prime Minister, Botha belonged to the South Africa Party ruled in cooperation with the British.
c) But a militant section of the South Africa Party formed the National Party under Herzog.
d) In 1920 elections, the National Party got 44 seats and the South Africa Party secured 41 seats.
e) At this juncture the British-dominated Unionist Party merged with the South Africa Party.
f) This gave Smuts a majority over the militant Afrikaner controlled National Party.

Origin of German Fascism:
a) The origin of German fascism goes back to 1919 when a group of seven men met in Munich and founded the National Socialist German Workers' Party. Nazi party one of them was Adolf Hitler.
b) During World War I, he served in the Bavarian army.
Hitler's attempt to capture power:
a) In 1923 Hitler attempted to capture power in Bavaria.
b) He was arrested and sent to jail. During his time in prison he wrote "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle), an autobiographical book containing his political ideas.
Presidential election:
a) In the Presidential election of 1932, the Communist Party polled about 6,000,000 votes. Alarmed capitalists and property owners tilted towards supporting fascism. Hitler exploited this opportunity to usurp powers.
b) Republican government fell, as the Communists refused to collaborate with the Social Democrats. Industrialists, bankers and Junkers prevailed upon President Von Hindenburg to designate Hitler as Chancellor in 1933.
Hitler's Third Reich:
a) The Nazi state of Hitler, known as Third Reich brought an end to the parliamentary democracy. Germany was converted into a highly centralised state.
b) All political parties except the Nazi party were declared illegal.
c) The army of brown-shirted and jack-booted storm-troopers was expanded.
d) The Hitler Youth was created, and the Labour Front set up.
e) Trade unions were abolished, their leaders were arrested. Strikes were made illegal, wages were fixed by the government.
Hitler became the President:
In August 1934 Hindenburg died and Hitler became both President and Commander in Chief of the armed forces.

(i) The African National Congress founded in 1912 fought the practice of racism.
(ii) Repression was let loose against the leader of the Congress.
(iii) The ANC was banned and its leader Nelson Mandela was put behind bars. Mounting pressure at the global level helped to end the racist regime in South Africa.
(iv) In 1990 the ban on ANC was lifted and Mandela was freed after 27 years.
(v) In the elections held subsequently, the Africans were allowed to vote and ANC won the election and Mandela became the first black president of South Africa.

(i) Along with the repressive measures, Hitler's government followed a policy of repressing Jewish people.
(ii) The Jews were removed from government positions, excluded from the universities and deprived of citizenship.
(iii) Jewish businesses were closed down, and their establishments were attacked.
(iv) Later they were turned into extermination camps where industrial means of murder such as gas chambers were used to kill Jews.

Gold Standard is a monetary system where a country's currency or paper money carried a value directly linked to gold.

The defensive measures adopted by various nations to safeguard its economic interests led to an unprecedented decline in world economic activity. As its effect was deep and prolonged economists and historians call it the Great Depression.

(i) Smuts believed that a coalition government was required to solve the country's economic problems.
(ii) Therefore the South Africa party and the National party united in 1934 to form the United South Africa's National Party or United Party for short.
(iii) In spite of misunderstandings and disagreements, the smuts - Herzog alliance lasted until 1939.

i) The Monroe Doctrine was developed in 1815, by the President of the USA, Monroe.
ii) It declared that if Europeans interfered anywhere in America, north or south, it would amount to waging a war against the United States.
iii) Due to this threat, by 1830 the whole of South America was free from European domination.