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
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