Afrikaner Nationalism was a political movement that was born out of a strong spirit of togetherness and solidarity brought on by the difficult working and living conditions of early Afrikaners living in South Africa’s Cape Colony.
It was a unique blend of ideological and religious beliefs that provided a sense of national identity and purpose for Afrikaners who had become scattered and displaced after the Second Boer War.
To some, Afrikaner Nationalism was a way to fight back against British rule while, to others, it served as an avenue to protect their cultural and religious heritage.
Afrikaner Nationalism was bred out of the group’s need to restore their people and their culture while regaining some measure of autonomy.
The ideology of Afrikaner Nationalism was based on the notion that the Afrikaner community was a separate people, with its own language, culture, and identity, that deserved special consideration in the government of South Africa.
Its proponents believed that the Afrikaners were a nation within a nation and deserved to be the ones who determined their own destiny, independent of any colonial power.
As the movement expanded, many Afrikaner nationalists wanted to give the Afrikaners an independent homeland within South Africa that could be called the ‘Volksrepubliek’ where their unique culture, language and religious beliefs could be protected and preserved.
Despite the vision of many Afrikaner nationalists, their quest for self-determination and an independent homeland never came to fruition. Nevertheless, Afrikaner Nationalism had a profound influence on South African politics and society in the early 20th century and laid the foundation for much of the cultural and political divisions that persist today.