Decolonization: Asia & Africa

Motives for Independence

The influences of Allied
propaganda during WWII about
popular sovereignty & self-
determination

Southeast Asia, was

encouraged by other
nations, like Japan, in
WWII to seek
Also independence since it
education would hurt their colonial
from owners
schools.
 Mistakes

Decolonized states had began

to face dire economic
problems and disunity due to
language and ethnic
differences.
Conflicts of New States
India: After the partition of
British India, conflict ensued
due to high religious tensions.
Along with the many wars over
Kashmir began.

Congo: After independence, rival political

and ethnic groups found external allies for
the civil war to come due to the remaining
tensions. It ended in a military coup starting
a corrupt government
Remaining effects
India and Pakistan have high military and
religious tensions with conflicts over Kashmir.
Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India don’t
cooperate well together and have all ventured
down different political paths

The Dutch East Indies worked with

Japan to get rid of the Dutch, but that
allowed a dictatorship to start and
later violence began with decades of
ethnic tension & discrimination
Southeast Asia Independence
South Asian nations looked to get rid of European
control at any cost, including supporting other
dominate nations, in order to show the military and
political abilities of Asian peoples

Asian nations were under

European control for a long time
so they were able to inherit:
• good industries
• communication networks
• education systems
 African Independence: Peaceful
In some African colonies, independence
was achieved through negotiation
instead of revolution

Politicians led
nationalist movements
to get rid of foreign
African people began to worry less about the effects of rule, while public
independence due to: support for colonialism
• An expanding world economy was falling
• national support for liberation
• medical improvements allowing population growth
White Settler Resistance
Some African colonies with white settler
minorities had to gain independence
through violence due to European
resistance which slowed decolonization

Ex. In Kenya, a small group of wealthy settlers

claimed that the people weren’t ready for
independence due to a protest by Kikuyu people.

The settlers made the people appear as primitive

savages. Violence occurred between the settlers &
natives, which led to British intervention to hunt
down African leaders and ban all protests.
 -African
Colony
African Independence:
False/Restricted -France

Some European countries weren’t willing to grant full

independence and instead gave ‘empty promises’ that
offered change but not independence
Ex. France made promises in WWII to their
African colonies to give more rights which
seemed like independence but truly weren’t
and limited the amount of French aid each
colony
African Independence: Violence

Some European countries tried to keep their

colonies, which led to violent resistance from
African nationalist

Ex. France attempted to keep Algeria which

led to a brutal Algerian uprising. The Algerians
gained international support for
independence, but France their own country
and fought to the end until they were
defeated and were forced to accept Algerian
independence
Final: Critical think question

 Should European powers be held accountable for economic struggles and

ethnic tension created by rule in Africa and Asia?