Decolonization

1. Decolonization The Independence of Asia and Africa

2. Decolonization • Decolonization is the movement away from imperialism and goals of obtaining colonies • After seeing the aggressive ambitions of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, imperialist beliefs were discredited • It was hard to fight for democracy in Europe and deny it to colonies in Africa and Asia

3. Apply it! • Why did popular opinion most likely shift away from imperialism following WWII?

4. The Indian Nationalist Movement • Formed in 1885, the Indian National Congress was the main organization dedicated to Indian independence • Mohandas Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, sought to resist the British by using a non-violent approach • He believed this would help the British realize the wrongfulness of their actions

5. India’s Struggle for Independence • Non-Violence • Gandhi was a pacifist—a person opposed to using violence to settle disputes • He developed a policy of non-violent resistance in which Indians passively suffered British beatings and violence without fighting back

6. India’s Struggle for Independence • Civil Disobedience • Gandhi urged Indians to disobey unjust British laws • In 1930, he led a Salt March to protest a British salt tax • Gandhi’s followers also conducted fasts and refused to work for the British • As a result, Indians were jailed in ever-increasing numbers

7. India’s Struggle for Independence • Cottage Industries • Gandhi encouraged Indians to boycott (refuse to buy) British made cotton goods, and to buy cotton goods that were homespun in India instead • Gandhi hoped to rebuild India’s cottage industries to raise living standards

8. India’s Struggle for Independence • Despite Gandhi’s opposition, many Indian soldiers fought on the British side during WWII • After WWII, British leaders recognized that they could no longer resist Indian demands and in 1947, the British agreed to the independence of the subcontinent

9. Apply it! • Why did Gandhi’s methods work? • What American civil rights leader followed Gandhi’s methods?

10. The Partition of India and Pakistan (1947) • One reason the British hesitated to grant independence to India was the fear of violence between Hindus and Muslims • Muslim leaders, led by Mohammed Ali Jinnah, told the British they wanted a separate Muslim state • Thus, when independence was granted, a separate Muslim state was created—Pakistan • Because the boundaries were not perfect, many people had to migrate—causing mass riots

11. Independence in Southeast Asia • Before WWII, Southeast Asia was ruled by the Dutch, British and France • But during the war, the Japanese took over most of these islands and drove out the European powers • After the war, nationalist leaders expected to achieve their independence

12. Independence of Southeast Asia • The Philippines are a group of islands in the Pacific • The United States had held them since the defeat of the Spanish in the Spanish-American War • The US granted independence of the Philippines in 1946

13. Independence of Southeast Asia • Indonesia • Indonesian leaders declared independence in 1945, but had to fight Dutch troops until 1949, when the Netherlands at last recognized Indonesian Independence

14. Independence of Southeast Asia • Burma and Malaysia • Great Britain granted both Burma (Myanmar) and Malaysia their independence in 1948

15. Independence of Southeast Asia • Vietnam • Guerillas, led by Ho Chi Minh, began a war against the French and won their independence in 1954 • At an international conference, Vietnam was divided in two: • 1) The north, a Communist state, led by Ho Chi Minh • 2) The south, a pro-Western state

16. Independence in the Middle East and North Africa • The British granted Egypt independence in 1922 but kept troops there to protect the Suez Canal and the Egyptian King was little more than a British puppet • Gamal Nasser, an Arab nationalist, overthrew the King of Egypt in 1952 • Saudi Arabia also became independent at this time • After WWII, the French granted independence to Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya in North Africa and to Lebanon and Syria in the Middle East

17. Apply it! • Why would the British want to put in a puppet king for Egypt?

18. Independence in the Middle East and North Africa • A violent struggle for independence waged between Algeria and the French • France finally recognized Algerian independence in 1962 • Many French settlers fled the country

19. Independence in the Middle East and North Africa • The thorny problem of Palestine under British Rule • In 1917, the British had promised to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine but also limited Jewish emigration to Palestine to prevent uprisings • After the Holocaust, many Jews wanted to migrate to their historic homeland in Palestine • The British feared full scale civil war between the Jews and Arabs and so brought the problem to the United Nations

20. Independence of Sub Saharan Africa • European colonies in Africa often educated the natives there to train them for self-government • Members of this small educated African elite became the new leaders of the nationalist movements

21. Independence of Sub Saharan Africa • Kwame Nkrumah followed the example of Gandhi by staging demonstrations in his homeland, the British colony known as the Gold Cost • He was able to obtain independence and the colony changed its name to Ghana after the historic West African kingdom • Ghana was the first black African colony to win its independence but many others followed (although somewhat violently)

22. Continuing Conflicts in the Post-Colonial World • Instability in Africa • Single-party states often led to dictatorships • Tribalism, due to colonies formed with arbitrary boundaries, often led to civil wars • African nations struggled to improve agriculture, industry and public services to raise standards of living

23. Apartheid in South Africa • In 1948, the white minority of mostly Dutch-speaking Afrikaners introduced the policy of apartheid—racial separation • (no intermarriage, lived separately) • Many black Africans resisted apartheid and demonstrated throughout the 1960s • Sharpesville Massacre and Soweto Uprising

24. Apartheid in South Africa • Nelson Mandela was a leader of the anti-apartheid African National Congress • He was imprisoned in 1962 • The US and other Western countries refused to do business with South Africa • Finally, in 1989, South Africans elected F.W. de Klerk as president • He ended apartheid, released anti-apartheid leaders (including Mandela) from Prison and a new constitution was written which called for new multi-racial elections • Mandela was elected as the country’s first black president • He skillfully kept the country together under new conditions

25. Conflicts in South Asia • Tensions continued between Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India • They disagreed over control of Kashmir, a province in the north of India • Shortly after achieving independence, Mohandas Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu extremist • His death led to rioting and violence

26. Conflicts in South Asia • In 1947, Jawaharla Nehru became India’s first prime minister • Nehru’s daughter, Indira Gandhi, followed him as Prime Minister for 15 years • She was one of the first women to serve as the head of state of a major country • Both she and her son Rajiv Gandhi were later assassinated by political extremists

27. Conflicts in South Asia • Pakistan originally consisted of West and East Pakistan • In 1971, East Pakistan broke away to form the independent nation of Bangladesh • Bitter fighting occurred…Bangladesh emerged independent but one of the poorest countries in the world

28. Apply it! • With all these newly independent countries forming, what are the big powers going to want to do? (think about what is coming up next) • Why is it going to be important?