Conclusion

   In conclusion, a wide variety of pressures from foreign governments, groups and individuals were placed upon South Africa to abandon Apartheid between 1960 and 1984.  Governments imposed military and economic sanctions, as well as voiced international criticism in bodies such as the UN; businesses disinvested from South Africa and ceased to supply materials, arms and oil; individuals campaigned to raise awareness of Apartheid's crimes and draw support for its victims. 

   Despite these pressures, many factors resulted in Apartheid remaining intact.  In the Western democracies, as one government increased pressure another would be elected which took a more conciliatory approach.  Fear of Communist expansion during Cold War tensions was, perhaps, the most significant reason for Western hesitancy to effectively oppose Apartheid.  In Africa, the independent states were either too poor or too weak to provide firm opposition to Apartheid, and, because of South Africa's dominance in the region, it often went against their interests to do so. 

   However, it would be untrue to claim that foreign countries had no effect upon Apartheid policies.  The South African government increasingly considered international opinion when making decisions, which may have reigned in the more openly racist aspects in favour of those which would be more agreeable to the outside world, although no government would ever question the fundamental nature of Apartheid.  Verwoerd and Vorster never greatly deviated from the policy of Apartheid.  International pressures may have been the main reason for Botha's reforms of Apartheid, and while these reforms did contain genuine concessions, the principle of White supremacy within South Africa was not questioned.

   Overall, as significant as the pressures were, they failed to have a great effect upon Apartheid policies.  It would not be until further into the 1980s, when the threat of Communism had waned and the international community began to work in cohesion that the government, led by President De Klerk, would begin to dismantle Apartheid.