5 sept. 1939 - South Africa Declares War on Germany

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After Britain declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939, the United Party of South Africa split. The current prime minister Hertzog wanted South Africa to remain neutral while others were calling for joining the British war effort. In the following debate, Hertzog was voted out of office and Jan Smuts was the new prime minister and he promptly declared war on Germany. This was a major contribution to the Allies: 205,000 South Africans went to fight, they gave valuable resources (platinum, uranium, and steel), and Durban and Cape Town convoyed many British ships while the Mediterranean Sea was closed to Allies. The war also helped South Africans in return, providing a huge boost to their eceonomy now that the Allies relied on them for a number of resources.