SA Prime Minister speaks before the British Parliament

Updated: 25 Nov 2025

Featured Image: Churchill and Smuts in North Africa, 1942. The latter was a “fortifying influence” to Churchill in the pivotal changes he made there to the British military command. (Reuters)

In believing that his policies had finally been accepted by White South Africans, Prime Minister Jan Christiaan Smuts started to redirect his energy to world peace. In a somewhat moving speech to the British Parliament he called for the United States, Russia and Great Britain to take more responsibility and authority in enforcing world peace. He also called for the increase of the membership of the British Commonwealth and more effective organisation of the British Empire. However, a year later Smuts was worried at the pace in which Russia's power was expanding. He viewed this as a threat to world peace and called on Great Britain and United States to contain Russia.

How we know this

01Potgieter, D. J. (1974). Standard Encyclopedia of Southern Africa, Vol. 10, Nasou: Cape Town, p. 20.

Last updated · 25 Nov 2025

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). SA Prime Minister speaks before the British Parliament. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011650

South African History Online (2011) 'SA Prime Minister speaks before the British Parliament', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011650 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

South African History Online, SA Prime Minister speaks before the British Parliament [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011650, (accessed 6 November 2026).

"SA Prime Minister speaks before the British Parliament." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011650. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

South African History Online. "SA Prime Minister speaks before the British Parliament." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011650.