IB History Topic Defiance Campaign, Freedom Charter Revision Notes (SL/HL)

IB History Topic Defiance Campaign, Freedom Charter Revision Notes (SL/HL) | RevisionDojo

Defiance campaign, the Congress of the People (COP) and the Freedom Charter

The Defiance Campaign (1952)

The Defiance Campaign was the first large-scale, coordinated anti-apartheid protest led by the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Indian Congress (SAIC).
It involved non-violent civil disobedience, with thousands deliberately breaking apartheid laws, such as curfews, pass laws, and segregation rules.
The campaign mobilized mass support, marking a turning point in the struggle and laying the groundwork for future resistance movements.
It was inspired by the Youth League's Programme of Action (1949), which emphasized mass mobilization and non-violent civil disobedience.

Note

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) was a militant youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC), founded in 1944 by young activists including Anton Lembede, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Oliver Tambo.
Their Youth Programme of Action of 1949 aimed to revitalize and radicalize the ANC’s approach to fighting apartheid, pushing for more confrontational mass action over passive protest.
The Youth League promoted African nationalism and believed that Black South Africans should lead their own liberation.

Protesters

Protesters used civil disobedience by defying laws such as curfews, pass laws, and segregation rules, drawing large public support and global attention.
Some examples of the Defiance Campaign include
1. Volunteers, including Nelson Mandela, deliberately stayed in city centers after the 11 p.m. curfew imposed on Black South Africans, knowing they would be arrested.
2. Over 8,000 volunteers were arrested, intentionally overloading courts and prisons to highlight the repressive nature of apartheid.
3. Protesters entered "Whites Only" railway stations, post offices, and waiting rooms in full view of the police, violating segregation laws.
4. Activists publicly burned or damaged their pass books.
5. Protesters illegally entered White residential areas without passes or permits, directly challenging racial zoning laws like the Group Areas Act.
6. On 26 June 1952, mass rallies were held across the country to launch the campaign. Volunteers sang freedom songs, shouted slogans like “Mayibuye iAfrika!” and welcomed arrest.
7. Female activists, especially from the ANC Women’s League, participated in demonstrations and acts of defiance, such as entering restricted government buildings.

Case study

The ANC Women’s League

The ANC Women’s League was formally established in 1948 to mobilize women within the African National Congress and ensure their active participation in the anti-apartheid struggle.
It provided a structured platform for women to influence national politics, particularly on issues affecting African women under apartheid, such as pass laws and economic inequality.
The Women’s League played a central role in organizing protests, including in the Defiance Campaign (1952) and the famous 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where 20,000 women protested against the extension of pass laws to women.
Their activism was crucial in expanding the mass base of resistance and in demonstrating the power of non-violent civil disobedience.
Leaders like Lilian Ngoyi, Albertina Sisulu, and Helen Joseph emerged from the Women’s League, becoming icons of the struggle.
Their leadership inspired future generations and highlighted the importance of gender equality within the liberation movement.
The League also helped lay the groundwork for the inclusion of women in post-apartheid South African politics.

Tip

The ANC Women’s League and the extent of their impact on the fight against apartheid can work very well as a topic for Internal Assessment.

Defiance Campaign

The aim of the Defiance Campaign was to force the government to repeal apartheid laws and begin negotiations by deliberately breaking unjust laws.
In particular, the Defiance Campaign of 1952 targeted the “Six Unjust Laws”:

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Note

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Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

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Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

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Defiance campaign, the Congress of the People (COP) and the Freedom Charter

The Defiance Campaign (1952)

The Defiance Campaign was the first large-scale, coordinated anti-apartheid protest led by the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Indian Congress (SAIC).
It involved non-violent civil disobedience, with thousands deliberately breaking apartheid laws, such as curfews, pass laws, and segregation rules.
The campaign mobilized mass support, marking a turning point in the struggle and laying the groundwork for future resistance movements.
It was inspired by the Youth League's Programme of Action (1949), which emphasized mass mobilization and non-violent civil disobedience.

Note

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) was a militant youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC), founded in 1944 by young activists including Anton Lembede, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Oliver Tambo.
Their Youth Programme of Action of 1949 aimed to revitalize and radicalize the ANC’s approach to fighting apartheid, pushing for more confrontational mass action over passive protest.
The Youth League promoted African nationalism and believed that Black South Africans should lead their own liberation.

Protesters

Protesters used civil disobedience by defying laws such as curfews, pass laws, and segregation rules, drawing large public support and global attention.
Some examples of the Defiance Campaign include
1. Volunteers, including Nelson Mandela, deliberately stayed in city centers after the 11 p.m. curfew imposed on Black South Africans, knowing they would be arrested.
2. Over 8,000 volunteers were arrested, intentionally overloading courts and prisons to highlight the repressive nature of apartheid.
3. Protesters entered "Whites Only" railway stations, post offices, and waiting rooms in full view of the police, violating segregation laws.
4. Activists publicly burned or damaged their pass books.
5. Protesters illegally entered White residential areas without passes or permits, directly challenging racial zoning laws like the Group Areas Act.
6. On 26 June 1952, mass rallies were held across the country to launch the campaign. Volunteers sang freedom songs, shouted slogans like “Mayibuye iAfrika!” and welcomed arrest.
7. Female activists, especially from the ANC Women’s League, participated in demonstrations and acts of defiance, such as entering restricted government buildings.

Case study

The ANC Women’s League

The ANC Women’s League was formally established in 1948 to mobilize women within the African National Congress and ensure their active participation in the anti-apartheid struggle.
It provided a structured platform for women to influence national politics, particularly on issues affecting African women under apartheid, such as pass laws and economic inequality.
The Women’s League played a central role in organizing protests, including in the Defiance Campaign (1952) and the famous 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where 20,000 women protested against the extension of pass laws to women.
Their activism was crucial in expanding the mass base of resistance and in demonstrating the power of non-violent civil disobedience.
Leaders like Lilian Ngoyi, Albertina Sisulu, and Helen Joseph emerged from the Women’s League, becoming icons of the struggle.
Their leadership inspired future generations and highlighted the importance of gender equality within the liberation movement.
The League also helped lay the groundwork for the inclusion of women in post-apartheid South African politics.

Tip

The ANC Women’s League and the extent of their impact on the fight against apartheid can work very well as a topic for Internal Assessment.

Defiance Campaign

The aim of the Defiance Campaign was to force the government to repeal apartheid laws and begin negotiations by deliberately breaking unjust laws.
In particular, the Defiance Campaign of 1952 targeted the “Six Unjust Laws”:

Definition

Paywall

(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

Paper 1 - The Move to Global War6 subtopics

Paper 1 - Rights and Protest6 subtopics

Paper 1 - Conflict and Intervention6 subtopics

Paper 2 - Independence Movements5 subtopics

Paper 2 - Emergence and Development of Democratic States5 subtopics

Paper 2 - Authoritarian States7 subtopics

Paper 2 - Causes and Effects of 20th Century Wars4 subtopics

Paper 2 - The Cold War: Superpower Tensions and Rivalries4 subtopics

Paper 3 - History of Europe18 subtopics

Paper 3 - History of the Americas18 subtopics

Paper 3 - History of Asia and Oceania18 subtopics

IB History Defiance Campaign, Freedom Charter Notes

Paper 1 - The Move to Global War6 subtopics

Paper 1 - Rights and Protest6 subtopics

Paper 1 - Conflict and Intervention6 subtopics

Paper 2 - Independence Movements5 subtopics

Paper 2 - Emergence and Development of Democratic States5 subtopics

Paper 2 - Authoritarian States7 subtopics

Paper 2 - Causes and Effects of 20th Century Wars4 subtopics

Paper 2 - The Cold War: Superpower Tensions and Rivalries4 subtopics

Paper 3 - History of Europe18 subtopics

Paper 3 - History of the Americas18 subtopics

Paper 3 - History of Asia and Oceania18 subtopics

Defiance campaign, the Congress of the People (COP) and the Freedom Charter

The Defiance Campaign (1952)

Protesters

The ANC Women’s League

Defiance Campaign

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account

Defiance campaign, the Congress of the People (COP) and the Freedom Charter

The Defiance Campaign (1952)

Protesters

The ANC Women’s League

Defiance Campaign

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account