South Africa, 1948-94: from Apartheid State to ‘Rainbow Nation’ | Edexcel A-Level History (9HI0)

South Africa, 1948-94: from Apartheid State to ‘Rainbow Nation’

160 questions
16 subtopics
Paper 2: the depth study, one option of sixteen
Paper 2

A Paper 2 depth study of South Africa from the National Party victory to the first democratic election, covering the construction of apartheid in law, the changing forms of resistance from the Defiance Campaign to the townships revolt, the international pressures on the regime, and the negotiated settlement of 1990 to 1994..

It covers life in South Africa c1948, national Party victory 1948, codifying and implementing apartheid, 1948–59, african nationalism, 1948–59, resistance and government reaction, 1960-61, creating a republic, 1960–61, african nationalist radicalisation, 1961–68, strengthening ‘separate development’, 1961–68, black Consciousness and the Soweto uprising, the ANC re-strengthened, domestic challenges to National Party power, 1974–83, external pressures on National Party power, 1974–83, revolt in the townships, 1984–87, botha’s decision to negotiate, 1985–89, negotiation and compromise, 1989–91 and a new political settlement, 1992–94.

Sample questions from South Africa, 1948-94: from Apartheid State to ‘Rainbow Nation’

Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

Life in South Africa c1948

How did the Second World War change South African society?

Show the answer
Wartime industry drew hundreds of thousands of Africans into the cities, where they took skilled jobs and organised in unions, alarming white workers.
Codifying and implementing apartheid, 1948–59

What laws controlled the movement of Black South Africans?

Show the answer
The pass laws.
Resistance and government reaction, 1960-61

What was the 1956 women's march?

Show the answer
Some 20,000 women of all races marched on the Union Buildings against extending passes to women, a landmark of non-violent protest.
African nationalist radicalisation, 1961–68

What sentence did Mandela receive?

Show the answer
Life imprisonment.
Black Consciousness and the Soweto uprising

What happened to Steve Biko in 1977?

Show the answer
He died in police custody.
Domestic challenges to National Party power, 1974–83

How did the trade unions grow after 1979?

Show the answer
African unions were legalised, membership grew rapidly, and COSATU, founded in 1985, became a powerful political as well as industrial force.
Revolt in the townships, 1984–87

What protest strategies were used in the townships?

Show the answer
Rent and consumer boycotts, school boycotts, stayaways, and the creation of street committees and people's courts to replace state administration.
Negotiation and compromise, 1989–91

What did de Klerk announce in February 1990?

Show the answer
The unbanning of the ANC, PAC and Communist Party, the release of political prisoners, and Mandela's release, opening the way to negotiation.

The 16 subtopics

One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.

Subtopic	What it covers	Questions
Life in South Africa c1948	Recall questions on segregation before 1948, the mining economy and migrant labour, wartime urbanisation, the Fagan Report, the poor white problem, and early opposition.	10
National Party victory 1948	Recall questions on why the party won without the popular vote, Afrikaner nationalism and the Broederbond, the Sauer Report, and what apartheid promised white voters.	10
Codifying and implementing apartheid, 1948–59	Recall questions on the Population Registration and Group Areas Acts, Bantu Education, the Suppression of Communism Act, pass laws, and the Tomlinson Report.	10
African nationalism, 1948–59	Recall questions on the ANC Youth League and the Programme of Action, the Defiance Campaign, the Freedom Charter, the PAC breakaway, and the Treason Trial.	10
Resistance and government reaction, 1960-61	Recall questions on peaceful protest and the 1956 women's march, Sharpeville and Langa, the international reaction, and the banning of the ANC and PAC.	10
Creating a republic, 1960–61	Recall questions on Verwoerd's aims, the wind of change speech, the whites-only referendum, and why South Africa left the Commonwealth.	10
African nationalist radicalisation, 1961–68	Recall questions on the turn to armed struggle, Umkhonto we Sizwe and its sabotage strategy, the Rivonia raid and trial, and how little the campaign achieved.	10
Strengthening ‘separate development’, 1961–68	Recall questions on the homelands and why none was recognised, the economic boom and returning investment, and the contradiction at the heart of the policy.	10
Black Consciousness and the Soweto uprising	Recall questions on Biko and SASO, the Afrikaans language decree, the events and death toll of 1976, the international response, and Biko's death in custody.	10
The ANC re-strengthened	Recall questions on the decline of the early 1970s, Tambo's rebuilding in exile, the recruits who left after Soweto, external legitimacy, and the limits of armed struggle.	10
Domestic challenges to National Party power, 1974–83	Recall questions on continuous unrest, the failure of the Bantustans, the legalisation of African unions and COSATU, Botha's reforms, and the Conservative Party split.	10
External pressures on National Party power, 1974–83	Recall questions on the loss of the buffer states, the debt crisis of 1985, sanctions and disinvestment, and the effect of sporting isolation.	10
Revolt in the townships, 1984–87	Recall questions on the United Democratic Front, rent and consumer boycotts, ungovernability, necklacing, the states of emergency, and third force violence.	10
Botha’s decision to negotiate, 1985–89	Recall questions on total strategy and why it failed, the Rubicon speech, Cuito Cuanavale, the secret talks with Mandela, and the end of the Cold War.	10
Negotiation and compromise, 1989–91	Recall questions on de Klerk's February 1990 announcement, why he changed course, Mandela's release, the repeal of the apartheid laws, and the 1992 referendum.	10
A new political settlement, 1992–94	Recall questions on CODESA and its breakdown, the Record of Understanding, the sunset clause, the effect of Hani's assassination, and the election of 1994.	10

South Africa, 1948-94: from Apartheid State to ‘Rainbow Nation’ is 160 of the 6,832 questions in the guide.Get the guide, £9

How the guide is worked

Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.

Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.

Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.