The rise, fall, and legacy of apartheid

In this accessible narrative, Louw effectively tells the story of 20th-century South Africa by examining three political periods: British Hegemony (1900-1948), the Afrikaner Nationalist Period (1948-1993), and the post-1994 Black Nationalist Period.

He argues that apartheid was premised upon the notion of "political partition" and not "white supremacy." Apartheid was a political strategy, constructed by the ethnic minority in order to retain political power.

However, the partition plan failed, causing an era of conflict.

With apartheid now formally over, Louw presents a comprehensive overview of this important 20th-century phenomenon.

Topics covered include: The roots and causes of apartheid; What was apartheid?

The struggle against apartheid; Why did Afrikaner Nationalists negotiate their own demise in the 1990s?

The impact of apartheid in contemporary South Africa.