SOUTH AFRICA UNVIEL NEW MILITARY UNITS IN DURBAN
April 22 1936
1st SA Infantry Division on Parade in Durban
Minister for Defence, Jan Smuts, has today unveiled the first new units
in a sweeping modernization of the South African Army. The 1st SA
Infantry Division and 2nd SA Infantry Division represent a change in
policy for the Government. Until now the defence of our great nation had
fallen to Boer War veterans turned farmers with rifles left over from
The Great War.
"Our hands were forced into this," Smuts explained "Italian aggressions against the Ethopian Empire caused us to review our military policy. We found it to be lacking somewhat. The eventual annexation of Ethiopia into The Kingdom of Italy proves we were right to invest in our army."
Smuts also announced a change in conscription laws moving away from a voluntary army enacting a 'Two-year Draft'. "Its not ideal" The minister explained "but we need the officers. We will be returning to a volunteer force as soon as possible."
This policy shift, towards militarization, reflects a growing trend around the world today. Already this year two major wars have been fought - the 2nd Second Italo-Abyssinian War and the Spanish Civil War.
What had started as a civil war between Spanish
Republicans and Nationalists soon became a proxy war between the German
Reich and the U.S.S.R. If this was any signal of how a potential future
conflict between these two great powers would go: it does not look for
for Hitler and the National Socailist Party.
The Republicans won the civil war. First blood goes to Stalin.
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