Home > James Barry Munnik Hertzog

In the general election of 1924, his National Party defeated the South African Party of Jan Smuts and became the government. In 1934, the National Party and the South African Party merged to form the United Party.

Hertzog was a republican who believed strongly in promoting the Dominion of South Africa's independence from the British Empire. His government approved the Statute of Westminster in 1931, and in 1937Events January January 1 Anastasio Somoza becomes President of Nicaragua January 11 The first issue of Look magazine goes on sale in the United States. January 19 Howard Hughes sets a new air record by flying from Los Angeles to New York City in 7 hours, when King Edward VIII abdicated as King of the United Kingdom (and thus King of South Africa), Hertzog insisted the South African parliament "approve" this decision in a vote.

In 1939, the United Party caucus refused to accept Herzog's stance of neutrality in World War IIWorld War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. The war was fough and deposed him in favour of Smuts.