“personality is the highest form of holism”
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Jan Christiaan Smuts
Field Marshal Jan Christian Smuts, was a South African statesman, military officer and philosopher. In addition to holding various military and cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 to 1924 and 1939 to 1948.
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culture · South African statesman and military officer (1870–1950) · botanist · military officer · lawyer · politician · philosopher · writer · head of government · also Jan Christiaan Smuts, Jan Smuts, Smuts, J. C. Smuts, Jan Christian Smuts
Born 24 May 1870 · Died 11 September 1950 · Q214321
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2026· 1 entry
2006· 1 entry
It was renamed again to its current name, OR Tambo International Airport, after the ANC politician Oliver Tambo
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2004· 1 entry
Smuts was named by voters in a poll held by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) as one of the top ten Greatest South Africans of all time
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1994· 1 entry
It was renamed to Johannesburg International Airport following the fall of apartheid
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1970· 1 entry
That "in 500 years of the College's history, of all its members, past and present, three had been truly outstanding: John Milton, Charles Darwin and Jan Smuts
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1950· 2 entries
Died 1950-09-11.
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“Whatever shall we do in future? The nation that does not arm continuously is lost – as France has been lost, as Britain will be lost but for the Grace of God. In this mechanistic age where bravery and improvised organization at the last moment will not help. The only alternative is a League of the Nations or of some nations strong enough to withstand aggression ...”
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1949· 2 entries
Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer (1949).
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Smuts was bitterly opposed to the London Declaration which transformed the British Commonwealth into the Commonwealth of Nations and made it possible for republics (such as the newly independent India) to remain its memb
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1948· 4 entries
Awarded Honorary doctor of Leiden University (1948).
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Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of the African Star (1948).
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Was elected Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, becoming the first person from outside the United Kingdom to hold that position
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Went further away from his previous views on segregation when supporting the recommendations of the Fagan Commission that Africans should be recognised as permanent residents of White South Africa, and not merely as t
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1947· 3 entries
Won King Christian X's Liberty Medal (1947).
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Awarded Order of Merit (1947).
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Won James Cook Medal (1947).
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1946· 4 entries
Awarded Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Netherlands Lion (1946).
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Awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II (1946).
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Made a formal complaint in the UN concerning the legalised racial discrimination against Indians in South Africa
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The General Assembly requested the Smuts government to take measures to bring the treatment of South African Indians into line with the provisions of the United Nations Charter
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1945· 1 entry
Was mentioned by Halvdan Koht among seven candidates that were qualified for the Nobel Prize in Peace
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1944· 1 entry
And 1947 respectively, although there were differences in the level of grants paid out based on race
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1943· 2 entries
Awarded Gold Cross of Valour (1943).
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Chaim Weizmann wrote to Smuts, detailing a plan to develop Britain's African colonies to compete with the United States
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1942· 2 entries
Awarded Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi (1942).
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Won Albert Medal (1942).
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1941· 1 entry
And in 1945 signed the UN Charter, the only signer of the Treaty of Versailles to do so
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1939· 4 entries
Leading South Africa into the Second World War at the head of a pro-interventionist faction
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Career landmark: Prime Minister of South Africa (1939–1948).
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Smuts, then prime minister, wrote an essay for a commemorative work compiled for Gandhi's 70th birthday and returned the sandals with the following message: "I have worn these sandals for many a summer, even though I may
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The coalition split and Hertzog's motion to remain out of the war was defeated in Parliament by a vote of 80 to 67
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1937· 1 entry
Passed the Aliens Act that was aimed at preventing Jewish immigration to South Africa
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1934· 1 entry
Their parties subsequently merged to form the United Party
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1932· 1 entry
The kibbutz Ramat Yohanan in Israel was named after him
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1929· 1 entry
Justified the erection of separate institutions for black and white people in tones prescient of the later practice of apartheid:
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1925· 1 entry
Assessing Smuts's role in international affairs, African-American historian and Pan-Africanist W
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1924· 1 entry
And published in 1926 with the title Holism and Evolution
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1919· 3 entries
Smuts was elected prime minister, serving until a shocking defeat in 1924 at the hands of the National Party
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Smuts replaced Botha as prime minister, holding the office until the South African Party's defeat at the 1924 general election by J
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Career landmark: Prime Minister of South Africa (1919–1924).
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1918· 1 entry
Smuts was sent to Egypt to confer with Allenby and William Marshall, and prepare for major efforts in that theatre
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1917· 8 entries
Awarded Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (Belgium) (1917).
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Awarded Commander of the Legion of Honour (1917).
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Awarded Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold (1917).
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Awarded Companion of Honour (1917).
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Smuts left Africa and went to London, as he had been invited to join the Imperial War Cabinet and the War Policy Committee by David Lloyd George
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Following the German Gotha Raids, and lobbying by Viscount French, Smuts wrote a review of the British Air Services, which came to be called the Smuts Report
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Part of the M27 route in Johannesburg was renamed from Pretoria Road to Jan Smuts Avenue
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To the war cabinet in which Churchill served as Minister of Munitions
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1916· 2 entries
And the following year joined the Imperial War Cabinet in London
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General Smuts was put in charge of the conquest of German East Africa
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1914· 2 entries
A railway strike turned into a general strike
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Presented General Smuts with a pair of sandals (now held by Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History) made by Gandhi himself
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1906· 1 entry
While Smuts was leading a mission about South Africa's future to London before Churchill, then Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
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1902· 1 entry
Played a key role in negotiating the Treaty of Vereeniging, which ended the war and resulted in the annexation of the South African Republic and Orange Free State into the British Empire
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1899· 1 entry
Smuts interrogated the young Winston Churchill, who had been captured by Afrikaners during the Boer War, which was the first time they met
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1895· 2 entries
In which he analysed the personality of the famous American poet Walt Whitman
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Smuts became an advocate and supporter of Rhodes
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1891· 1 entry
With double first-class honours in Literature and Science
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1882· 1 entry
When Jan was twelve, his elder brother died, and Jan was sent to school in his place
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1870· 1 entry
Born 1870-05-24.
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