Apartheid South Africa, 1948-1980 makes available British government files from the Foreign, Colonial, Dominion and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices spanning the period 1948 to 1980. It is an essential resource for the study of the apartheid era in Southern Africa. It provides analysis of South African politics, trade relations, international opinion and humanitarian dilemmas against a backdrop of waning colonialism and mounting world condemnation.
The content spans 30 years, from the election of the National Party in 1948 through to 1980; a period in which South Africa faced increasing international resistance and boycotts, internal strikes and violent demonstrations.
Previously restricted letters, diplomatic dispatches, reports, trial papers, activist biographies and first-hand accounts allow students and researchers to explore in detail the changing relationship of the South African government with its own people and with the wider international community.
The database is in three sections: 1948-1966, 1967-1975 and 1976-1980.
Part of the Archives Direct Portal, a suite of collections sourced from The National Archives, Kew, the official archive of the United Kingdom.
Provider: Adam Matthew
Coverage: 1948-1980