In South Africa, J.B.M. "Barry" Hertzog was Prime Minister when World War II broke out. The Afrikaner, who actually had fought the British Empire in the Second Boer War, didn't want this war; but now the pro-British wing of his United Party under Field Marshall Jan Smuts rebelled. As a consequence, Hertzog was toppled, and Smuts came to power, who declared war on Nazi Germany on September 5th in 1939. He had many prominent opponents though, like Oswald Pirow, an admirer of Adolf Nazi, and John Vorster, leader of the anti-British and pro-German Ossewabrandwag. That's why the latter one and other extreme Rightists were thrown to prison preventively. Also, the Army just had somewhat more than 5,000 Soldiers when the war started, and only the white Minority was allowed to serve as Soldiers.
As a reward for his loyalty towards the Empire, Smuts became a member of the British War cabinet.
The South African Air Force carried out the first bombing raid of the East African campaign at the Kenyan border city of Moyale in June 1940, mere hours after Italy's declaration of war.
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| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | |||
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Channel Islands | Isle of Man | |||
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| The League of Nations mandates: | |||
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Iraq | Palestine | Transjordan | Togo | Tanganjika | Southwest Africa | |||
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