Military Culture and the South African armed forces

An historical perspective

Ian van der WaagDepartment of Military History, Stellenbosch University / Military Academy

http://sun.academia.edu/IanvanderWaag

Introduction: identities, cultures, peoples

• South Africa a unique case?– Three processes within one

century1912

1st amalgam

Transformation

Military culture

19482nd amalgam

Transformation

Military culture

19943rd amalgam

Transformation

Military culture

Introduction: identities, cultures, peoples

• South Africa a unique case?• What is military culture?

Williamson Murray (1996)‘Military culture might best be described as the sum of the intellectual, professional, and traditional values of an officer corps; it plays a central role in how that officer corps assesses the external environment and how it analyzes the possible response that it might make to “the threat”.’

Introduction: identities, cultures, peoples

• South Africa a unique case?• What is military culture?• Contestation• Transfer of British culture?• Multiple identities, cultures• Weight of history• Interdisciplinary approaches

Smuts, the UDF, and the British Empire

•Creation of the UDF

1912

• First World War

1914-1918 • Interwar period

1919-1939

• Second World War

1939-1945 •Nationalist hegemony

1948

• “The Border War”

1975-1989 •Creation of the SANDF

1994

21st century

Union 1910

Union Defence Forces

Boer commandos

Transvaal Volunteers

Natal MilitiaBritish instructors

Cape Colonial Forces

Those left out

First Amalgam

Strategic landscape• South Africa’s fault lines– Race– Language– Class– Province

• Military geography– Threat perception(s)– Going to war?

Background, views

Strategic thinkingThreat perceptionsPlanningForce designForce preparation

Strategic landscape• South Africa’s fault lines• Military geography• Anti-military sentiment• The “British

connection” and all that

Boonzaaier’s take on the nature of British militarism [1912]

Boonzaaier’s image of Lukin on the Western Front [1916]

• Military culture• Politics of integration

– Meeting on an equal basis?– Balancing of language and

sectarian interested– Divided command - Union

Defence Forces• Permanent Force (Lukin)• Citizen Force (Beyers)• Cadets (Beves)

– Defence Council– General staff

Factors affecting the nature and standing of the UDF

Boer

Colonial

British

UDF

1912-20 1920-30 1930-40 1940-50

English 8 2 4 17

Afrikaans 11 3 1 15

1

3

5

7

9

11

13

15

17

General and senior offices in the UDF, 1912-50n = 61 (English-speaking = 31; Afrikaans = 30)

Career point and force of origin

Career Point

Boer Colonial British US Army

UDF Civil Service

1912-20 11 9 (7) (2)1920-30 2 11930-40 2 1 21940-50 1 3 5 1 17 6Total 14 14 7 1 19 6

• Military culture• Politics of integration• Appointment of the high

command• Local British commands• Stark economic

environment• Participation in the two

world wars

Several factors affected the nature and standing of the UDF

Nomenclature First World War

‘The European Crisis’ [clerks in the Defence Department]

‘The German South West Expedition’ [clerks in the PM’s office]

‘Die Brits-Duitse-oorlog’ [FS Malan, member of Botha cabinet]

Cartoon Second World War

Erasmus, the Afrikaner and the SADF

•Creation of the UDF

1912

• First World War

1914-1918 • Interwar period

1919-1939

• Second World War

1939-1945 •Nationalist hegemony

1948

• “The Border War”

1975-1989 •Creation of the SANDF

1994

21st century

Republic1961

Second Amalgam

SADF

UDF

OBAB

Those left out

Pieter Voltelin Graham van der Byl 1889-Smuts government, Minister of Native Affairs 1943-8

Pieter Voltelin van der Byl 1851-1925, farmer Fairfield, Caledon; m. 1881 Adelaide Taylor

Johannes Albertus van der Byl 1825-73, farmer Fairfield, Caledon; m. 1850 Hester Anna Myburgh, of Elsenburg

Pieter Voltelin van der Byl 1798-1849, farmer Welmoed, Lynedoch MLC Cape Colonym. 1818 Johanna Isabella van Breda 1797-1874

Pieter Gerhard van der Byl 1753-1831, farmer Welmoed, Lynedoch; m.(2) 1792 Hester Elisabeth de Wet +1817

Elisabeth Grové m. 1745 Gerrit van der Byl 1704-67, farmer De Leeuwenhoek, 24 Rivieren, Drakenstein & Vredenburg, Stellenbosch

Anna Maria van der Byl 1839-94; m.1855 Christiaan Frederik Beyers 1839-1886, farmer Zorgvliet, Banghoek

Christiaan Frederik Beyers 1868-1914 Commandant General of the SA Citizen Forces 1912-14, drowned in the Afrikaner Rebellion

Andries Christoffel van der Byl 1825-86, farmer Schoongezicht, Jonkershoekm. 1847 Gezina Wilhelmina Constantia Marais

Pieter Gerhard van der Byl 1848-1919, farmer Kellerfontein, Boshoffm. Hester Groenewald

Brig Gen Hendrik Johannes van der Byl 1887-1948 Director General of War Supplies

Pieter Gerhard van der Byl 1788-1849, farmer Paardevallei, Somerset West & Schoongezicht, Jonkershoekm. 1821 Anna Maria Brink 1796-1874

Andries Christoffel van der Byl 1749-1830, farmer Kromme Rhee and Spier, Stellenboschm. 1769 Anne Grové

Pieter Gerhardus Beyers

Lt Gen Leonard Beyers Chief of the SA General Staff 1948-50

Anna Grové bap.1735m. 1761 Daniel van Ryneveld, Landdrost of Swellendam & Stellenbosch

Andreas Grové arrived at the Cape as a soldier in 1719, free burgher 1722, farmer at Klapmuts, later Paardenburg, member of the Burgher Council 1745, acting governor of the Cape; m. 1721 Anna Nel

Sophia Grové bap.1722m.(1) 1738 Andries Brink, remarried 1749 Alida de Waal

Stephanus Grové bap.1724Heemraad van Drakenstein

Lt Gen Sir Pierre van Ryneveld 1891-1972Chief of the General Staff 1933-49

Lt Gen George Edwin Brink 1889-1971 Director of Army Organisation and Training 1937-8, Deputy Chief of the General Staff 1938-40, commander of 1 SA Division, Director General of Demobilisation 1945-8

Maj Gen A.J.E. Brink, 1877-1947Secretary for Defence 1922-37, Chief of the General Staff 1920-33

Colonel Carolus Brink, 1879-1956Quartermaster General 1921-37

Johan Godlieb Brink 1857-1916m. Magdalena Hartogh

Jan Godlieb Brink bap.1741m. Susanna Maria de Kock

Petrus Gerhardus Brink 1826-m. Johanna Jacobs

Jan Godlieb Brink 1788-1840m. Johanna Catharina Ahlers

Andries Brink 1765-1848m. Hendrina Wium

Andries Jacob Brinkm. 1874 Catherina Anna Margaretha Frieslich

Willem Stephanus van Ryneveld 1765-1812 Chief Justice of the Cape Colony & President of the Council of Justice

Daniel Johannes van Ryneveld, Landdrost of Stellenbosch

Willem Stephanus van Ryneveld 1821-

Daniel Johannes van Ryneveld 1845-

Jan Brink 1753-m.(2) 1787 Susanna Justina Faure

Andries Brink 1792-1873m. 1820 Sophia Eksteen

Jacob Eksteen Brink 1843-

Anna Elisabeth van der Byl 1746-97; m.1769 Jacob Eksteen 1750-1822, remarried 1799 Anna Aletta Malan

The SANDF

•Creation of the UDF

1912

• First World War

1914-1918 • Interwar period

1919-1939

• Second World War

1939-1945 •Nationalist hegemony

1948

• “The Border War”

1975-1989 •Creation of the SANDF

1994

21st century

New South Africa 1994

Third Amalgam:The SA National Defence Force

SANDF

SADF

Bophuthatswana Defence

Force

Venda Defence Force

Ciskei Defence Force

Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK)

Azanian Peoples

Liberation Army (APLA)

Transkei Defence Force

KwaZulu Self-Protection

Force

Those left out?

CDF

BDF

VDF

TDF

KZSPF

Government of South Africa

TBVC “States”

South African Defence Force

Transkei Defence Force (1976)

Bophuthatswana Defence Force (1977)

Venda Defence Force (1979)

Ciskei Defence Force (1981)

Non-statutory forces

Homeland paramilitary forces

Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) - ANC

Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA) - PAC

KwaZulu Self-Protection Force (KZSPF)

MK

Racial profile of the SANDF and RSA compared

Race SANDF 1994 post-integration

Defence Review targets

SANDF 2009

Africans (blacks) 39,2 64,5 70,0

Coloureds 12,6 13,0 13,0

Asians 1,3 1,3 1,0

Whites 46,8 24,4 16,0

Heinecken 2009

Language profile of the SANDF and RSA compared

Language IsiZulu IsiXhosa Afrikaans Sepedi English Setswana Sesotho Xitsonga SiSwati Tshivenda IsiNdebele

Population (RSA)

23,8 17,6 13,3 9,4 8,2 8,2 7,9 4,4 2,7 2,3 1,6

SANDF 8,3 9,0 23,6 7,5 10,3 8,3 5,7 1,6 2,1 3,0 0,5

Heinecken 2009

Composition of the general staff of the SANDF in terms of former force: 1997 and 2007 (percentages)

Former force 1997

Rank profile Brig-Gen to Gen

Former force 2007

Rank profile Brig-Gen to Gen

MK 15 14 13 37APLA 5 1 6 9TBVC 11 4 7 7SADF 58 81 32 47SANDF 11 0 42 0% 100 100 100 100

Heinecken 2009

History, military culture and the South African military

British (1795)

Colonial (1688)

Dutch (1652)

Boer (1715)

East Bloc UDF (1912)

SANDF (1994)

TBVC

SADF (1948/1957)MK (1961) APLA

African way of war Western way of war

OB (1938)

[German]

Cyclical periods of change

•Creation of the UDF

1912

• First World War

1914-1918 • Interwar period

1919-1939

• Second World War

1939-1945 •Nationalist hegemony

1948

• “The Border War”

1975-1989 •Creation of the SANDF

1994

21st century

Integration Differentiation Fragmentation

?

Union 1910

Republic1961 New South

Africa 1994

Unified military for the colonial

state

The search for an “Afrikaner” character

for the military

Unified military for the “New South Africa”