DECOLONIZATION NOTES

Decolonization• Independence and

nationalist movements began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

• After WWII, Europe was not strong enough to maintain empires

• Most nationalist movements achieved independence peacefully

• Exceptions in white settler colonies (Algeria, South Africa, Kenya)

Decolonization• Common goals: modernization, stable governments,

economic development• Political issues: most attempted democracy, but

revolutions & civil wars led to authoritarian rulers in many former colonies

• Social issues: Western-educated elites dominated govt & economy; – majority remained poor, rural, and uneducated– Rapid population growth offset econ. growth

• Economic issues: economically dependent on former colonial powers & still rely on cash-crops– Difficult to raise $$ for building infrastructure &

industry– Many resources still controlled by Western

businesses– Many nations borrowed $$ & amassed large debts

•In 1947, the British freed India.

•Muslims demanded a separate state—Pakistan

•Partition occurred in 1947•led to mass migration &

violence.•Mohandas Gandhi, who had

always advocated nonviolent resistance, was killed by Hindu extremists--

this discredited them, putting an end to the worst violence.

Independence & Partition in India

disputed area(Kashmir)

west Pakistan

east Pakistan

Bengali Muslims

Punjabi Muslims

Hindus & Sikhs

Notable Indians• Mohandas Gandhi —

called for nonviolent resistance against the British

• Muhammad Ali Jinnah– Indian Muslim leader who strongly advocated for a separate Pakistan

• Indira Gandhi —India’s first woman prime minister; known for accelerating India’s nuclear program & the Green Revolution, which ended India’s food shortages.

• Mother Teresa –organized order of Calcutta known as Missionaries of Charity, which provides medical care and supplies for thousands across the world

Changes in the Middle East

• Between WWI & WWII, much of the Middle East was under the “Mandate System” (Brit. & Fr. control)

• Nationalist leaders led brief struggles for independence in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, & Jordan to end mandates

• Some interference from Cold War superpowers (demand for oil!)

• However, biggest concerns post-WWII surround the creation of Israel (in Palestine)

The Creation of Israel• Arabs & Jews had competing claims

over Palestine• 1947—the British w/drew from

Palestine & turned the region over to the United Nations

• Nov. 29, 1947—UN proposes division of Palestine into 2 states (Palestine for Arabs & Israel for Jews)

• Nov., 1947-May, 1948—Civil war! (w/ surrounding Arab states joining to support Palestinians)

• May 1948—Jews proclaim victory over a larger Israeli territory

• 100,000+ Palestinian refugees fled Israel for Palestinian-held territories & neighboring Arab states

• Many Arab leaders have vowed to rid region of Israel’s presence ever since

Egypt & “Pan-Arab” Nationalism• 1952—Gamal Abdel Nasser led

a bloodless coup to overthrow monarchy & est. a military government in Egypt

• Sparked a “Pan-Arab” nationalist mvmt.

• Nasser kept Egypt non-aligned in Cold War, exploiting aid from US & USSR

• Vowed to rid Mid. East & N. Africa of imperialism (incl. eradication of Israel)

• Suez Crisis (1956)—Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal (to redirect profits toward building Aswan Dam on the Nile)

• Led to military conflict w/ Israel, Britain, & France—which Egypt triumphed in

Islamism in Iran (& Beyond)• Nationalism in the Mid. East led to

corresponding rise in “Islamism” (to combat new secular govt. policies)

• Fueled by idea of “jihad” (struggle to defend Islam & Muslims)

• 1979—Revolution in Iran btwn. the govt. of the Shah (backed by US) & Islamists, led by the Ayatollah Khomeini

• The Shah fled Iran, & a new Shi’ite govt. was est. under the Ayatollah

• US support of the Shah led to strong anti-US feelings in Iran’s new regime

• Nov. 1979—hostage crisis! (69 US hostages captured from US embassy in Tehran)

• Changes in Iran also led to Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), due to Sunni-Shi’ite tension in the region

the Colonial Legacy in Africa• Economic

– Europeans introduced new crops, technology, & new forms of transportation, but not industry

– Most of these improvements were designed to profit European businesses

– Even after decolonization, $$ tended to flow out of Africa due to the costs of modernization

the Colonial Legacy in Africa• Political

– Europeans had drawn colonial borders to suit their own interests

– Many nations had hostile groups within them

– Other times, national groups would be split between two or three colonies

– Many nations underwent civil wars after independence (ex: Angola, Rwanda, Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia-Eritrea, etc.)

Post-WWII Political Climate• Colonial powers were tired

of fighting after WWII, & agreed to grant reforms.

• India’s independence, gained in 1947, made some African leaders impatient for independence.

• Most African independence leaders were well-educated & were inspired by Gandhi & the Civil Rights Movement in the US to use passive resistance (though not all colonies gained their independence bloodlessly).

South Africa• former British

colony• also inhabited by

Boers (white settlers of Dutch descent) (sometimes called Afrikaaners)

• won self-rule in 1910, but only whites had freedom

• Boers won a majority in whites-only Parliament & created apartheid—the separation of the races

Protests• African National

Congress—called for peaceful resistance

• ANC protestors were gunned down in 1960 at Sharpsville

• Nelson Mandela, a leader of the ANC, was imprisoned for conspiracy for 27 years

Independence Gained• 1980s—intense pressure

from outside world to end apartheid

• Bishop Desmond Tutu also encouraged the use of passive resistance (boycotts, peaceful protest) to end apartheid

• In 1989, South African president FW de Klerk repealed apartheid.

• Nelson Mandela was elected president in 1994 in the first multiracial election in South Africa.

Other African Independence Leaders

• Kwame Nkrumah—Ghana

• Jomo Kenyatta—Kenya

• Habib Bourguiba—Tunisia