BOTHA, SMUTS AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR

309pp., illus., paperback, Wolverhampton Military Studies Series No. 40, First SA Edition, Johannesburg, 2024

First published in the UK in 2023.

Antonio Garcia and Ian van der Waag on the wartime roles of Prime Minister Louis Botha and his deputy, Jan Smuts.

"The authors, by placing the South African experience into the wider context of the war effort of the British Empire, have written a book that is relevant to global as well as national history. While much has been written about Smuts, and, to a lesser extent, on Botha, producing a joint military/political study of the two men during the First World War is largely innovative. So is placing the study of Smuts and Botha into the modern context of culture wars ... the authors’ moving beyond the White population to include Black, Indian and Coloured perspectives; the reassessment of Smuts’ period of command in East Africa, and South African manpower problems, particularly the difficulty of keeping the Brigade in France up to strength; and the creation of the South African intelligence service." Professor Gary Sheffield, University of Wolverhampton, Kings College London, University of Buckingham

Antonio Garcia is a research fellow at Stellenbosch University, visiting lecturer at Durham University, and tutor at the Open University.

Ian van der Waag is Professor in Defense and Security at Rabdan Academy and Zayed Military University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.