Smuts’s Generals: Towards a First Portrait of the South African High Command, 1912-1948

Abstract

This paper is the first attempt to analyse the at least 61 men who held general or flag rank in the Union Defence Force (UDF) or served as section heads in the General Staff Section during this period. The difficult politico-strategic environment in which the UDF was established in 1912 is sketched first. A quantitative overview of the men considered in this study is then presented, followed by some multiple career-line analysis from which a number of prosopographical trends are painted. The evidence suggests that the South African general staff was diverse in terms of social background, education, force of origin, and combat experience. It was also far less ‘British’ than has been previously suggested. Competition, factionalism, and aggressive lobbying brought several upheavals in the corps of South African generals. Political considerations, at key times, counted for more in the selection and promotion lists than did experience and ability.