Military history of South Africa (One of them, John Vorster, was to become future Prime Minister of South Africa.) (See Jan Smuts during World War II.) Prime Minister Jan Smuts was the only important non-British general whose advice was constantly sought by Britain's war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Smuts was invited to the Imperial War Cabinet in 1939 as the most senior South African in favour of war. On 28 May 1941, Smuts was appointed a Field Marshal of the British Army, becoming the first South African to hold that rank. Ultimately, Smuts would pay a steep political price for his closeness to the British
Spouse of the Prime Minister of Canada Harper and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau both used their birth surnames prior to their husbands becoming prime ministers, both opted to minimize any controversy by using their husband's surname once they were elevated to the public role of a prime minister's spouse. Grégoire Trudeau did, however, become the first spouse of a prime minister to hyphenate her husband's surname with her own. (*) The Trudeaus separated in 1977 but did not obtain a divorce until April 2, 1984. Trudeau left office in June 1984, two months after his divorce was finalized. Spouse of the Prime Minister of Canada The Spouse of