Jan was quiet and delicate, as a child he was strongly inclined toward solitary pursuits. At age 16 in 1 886, he moved on to Victoria College, Statelessness. Smuts learned high Dutch, German, ancient Greek, and continued to take an interest in literature. At the university he met his future wife Isis Krieger the daughter of a leading local farmer. In October 18 86, he decided to travel to Cambridge University. After his return to South Africa in 1895 he was known as an advocate in Cape Town. He began to practice law and then diverted his time t o journalism and politics.
When Cecil Rhodes launched the Jameson raid in the summer of 1 895 Smuts was in full rage. Smuts felt betrayed and resigned from De Beers. He then became the SST ate attorney. On October 1 1, 1899 the British invaded the Boer, beginning the second Boer war During this time, Smuts handled propaganda, logistics, communications with general and diplomats, and anything else that was required. He served under Kooks De La Ray who commanded 500 commandos in the western Transvaal. Smuts excelled at hit and run warfare and the unit evaded and harassed British Army. To end the conflict Smuts targeted a copper mining town of Keep with full ammunition.
Although the attack failed he had proven his point that he would stop at nothing to defeat his enemies. On May 31, 1902 the peace treat y was signed. Years later Smuts was announced as colonial secretary and opposed a movement f or equal rights for south Asian workers led by Gandhi. The union of South Africa was born and the e Afrikaners had the political power. Smuts was the second most powerful man in the country and he was soon criticized for his power, and was overthrown by the Old Boers. During World War 1 Jan Smuts armed the union defense force and was promoted to temporary lieutenant g mineral on Feb. 18, 1916.
In 1 917, Jan Smuts went to London and joined the Imperial War Cabinet and t he war policy committee. He played an important role in the drafting of the League O f Nations. Following the death of Both, Smuts became Prime Minister of South Africa a ND he attended the peace conference in Paris. His proposal of holism was defined as “the tendency y in nature to form wholes that are greater than the sum of the parts through creative evolution. ” In 1933, Jan became Prime Minister and Minister of Justice under Heritor which led to the orientation of the United Party in 1934.