South Africa's land forces, 1912-2012
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Date
2013
Authors
Wessels, Andre
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State
Abstract
The South African (SA) Army’s history can be traced back to 1912, when South Africa’s first defence
force was established. In this article a review is provided of the development and deployment of South
Africa’s land forces in the course of a hundred years (1912-2012), with the emphasis on the role played
by these land forces in the First World War (for example in the suppression of the Afrikaner rebellion, in
the conquest of German South West Africa, the campaign in German East Africa, on the Western Front
in France and in Belgium, and in Palestine), the Second World War (for example in Abyssinia, North
Africa, Madagascar, and in Italy), in the war in the north of South West Africa (Namibia) and in Angola
(1966-1989), as well as in the efforts to keep law and order in South Africa itself. The developments
in transforming the Army of the old South African Defence Force (SADF), together with other armed
forces, into a new Army in the post-apartheid South African National Defence Force (SANDF), are also
briefly discussed. Throughout, historiographical matters are mentioned by means of references, either in
the text or in footnotes, to the most important available sources. For obvious reasons, this is merely a
broad introduction to an extensive topic.
Description
Keywords
Union Defence Force(s), South African Defence Force, South African National Defence Force, South African Army, First World War, Second World War, Border/Bush War/Namibian War of Independence, Angola
Citation
Wessels, A. (2013). South Africa's land forces, 1912-2012. Journal for Contemporary History, 38(1), 229-254.