Date formed 5 September 1939 Head of government Jan Smuts | Date dissolved 1948 Head of state George VI | |
Member party United Party
Dominion Party
Labour Party Opposition party Purified National Party (1939–1940)
Herenigde Nasionale Party (1940–1948) | ||
First Smuts Cabinet
The 1938 general election was won by the United Party, giving J. B. M. Hertzog a fourth consecutive term. In September 1939, the United Party was divided between supporters of J. B. M. Hertzog and those of his Justice Minister Jan Smuts. The split resulted from differences between supporters of neutrality in World War II and those who wanted South Africa follow the United Kingdom and declared war on Nazi Germany. Finally, Hertzog was outvoted within the United Party and Parliament. He resigned and left his place of Prime Minister to Jan Smuts forming a government with the Dominion Party and Labour Party
References
Second Jan Smuts government Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA