 Global Events Leading Up to Decolonization

-Imperialism
-Growing Nationalism: Led by small but important intelligentsia,
-World War I
-World War II
-Cold War

 WWI’s influence
 Economic crisis and WWII helped decoloniziation bc:
-Increased nationalist uprisings following WWI
-Costs of empire
-Atlantic Charter (1941) “right of all people to
choose the form of government under which
they live”
Cold War
 Provided inspiration a blend of capitalist
and socialist economies and agendas.
 Provided arms to those who sided with
one or the other (proxy wars and arms
races).
 Encouraged violent recourse for some
as a result of the power politics
of cold war competition.
Decolonization causes
 Growing strength of nationalism in the colonies
 NEW EU IDEOLOGY: White Man’s Burden” stripped away and no more feeling
of governing others
 United Nations clearly anti-colonial
 Atlantic Charter
 Big superpowers opposed to colonialist(US-russia)
 They preferred to focus on Europe rather than in
the colonies
 Neo-colonialism

Military causes
  Metropolis maintained armies in the colonies
to safeguard peace
 Some states established bases in the old
Colonies

ONU:
 It made easier the creation of the ONU,
that determined The right to auto determination
 The equality between countries
It legitimated the decolonization
process
INDIA INDIPENDENCE HOW
 Western-educated minorities organized politically to bring about the end of
modification of colonial regimes.
 Civil disobedience campaigns
 Indian National Congress directed by Gandhi
 Independence granted in 1947
 Immediate result: civil war between Hindus and Muslims
 Two new states emerged – India and Pakistan
 They are hostile to present day: frequent border disputes, nuclear near-
confrontation

FRANCE IN AFRICA
 Initially more resistant
 Encouraged closer French ties- assimilation, not autonomy.
 Not willing to go far enough in granting rights.
 With exception of Algeria
 Result of unsuccessful wars in Vietnam, Algeria
 Charles DeGaulle became president – most colonies independent within 4
years

There were several conflicts such as:

 The Congo War independence from Belgium on 30 June 1960 
 The Algerian War
ALGERIA 54-62
 Led by the guerrillas of FLN
 Indochina’s Independence set the precedent
 Bloody random massacres by Muslim Algerians
 French population asked for government intervention
 French army’s intervention: Argel
 Independence

GHANA: 1957, Gold Coast (renamed Ghana) independence, led by western-

educated, Kwame Nkrumah.
3RD WORLD COUNTRIES:
POLITICALLY:
 Small elite controls access to power, wealth
 Roots go back to colonial privileged few
 Army or single party rules, often with dictatorial power
 Large landholders dominate politics
INTERNATIONALLY
 Used to be satellite territories
 Not much saying nowadays
SOCIALLY:
 Overpopulation problem severe and growing
 Males still have control over females
 Education is highly desired, but not available to most people
 Clan or extended family