Military history of South Africa during World War II Westminster with its head of state being the British king, the South African Prime Minister on 1 September 1939 was J.B.M. Hertzog – the leader of the pro-Afrikaner and anti-British National Party. The National Party had joined in a unity government with the pro-British South African Party of Jan Smuts in 1934 as the United Party. Hertzog's problem was that South Africa was constitutionally obligated to support Great Britain against Nazi Germany. The Polish-British Common Defence Pact obligated Britain, and in turn its dominions, to help Poland if attacked by the Nazis. When Adolf Hitler's forces attacked Poland on 1
Prime Minister of Barbados November 1966, the office was renamed "Prime Minister." Despite the renaming, the functions of the office were not significantly changed, and the table below therefore counts Sir Grantley's term as Premier as part of the Prime Ministerial overview. There have been 3 premiers and 8 post-independence Prime Ministers. The current living former Prime Ministers of Barbados are the Rt Hon. Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, the Rt Hon. Owen Arthur, and the Rt Hon. Freundel Stuart. The Prime Minister advises the crown, appoints ministers, controls a majority in the House of Assembly, and appoints 12 senators. Although the Prime Minister is appointed