Decolonization
Empires Fall
End of WWI
Promise of self-determination
Separatist nationalism, and resistance to it, had been a cause of war
How does this image represent the idea of separatist nationalism?
Self-determination was granted to people who wanted their own governments, but only in countries on the losing side of WWI
In Austria-Hungary, where the trouble had started, some new countries were formed which more closely resembled nation states.
-Austria, Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia
Ottoman Empire
An Independent Turkey was carved out of the Ottoman Empire, and the Red Sea Coast was returned to Saudi Arabia, while other countries fell under Allied control.
Most of former Ottoman Empire divided into new “mandates” under the control of Britain and France, so self-determination was limited even in defeated countries.
Germany
In places under German control (Africa) no one was granted independence. All of the territory changed hands.
In general….
The people making the rules after WW1 (U.S., England, France) had no interest in granting freedom to people desiring independence within their own empires.
Note how French, English, Belgian, and Italian colonies have no change.
Interwar
Resentment about false hopes/false promises fueled independence movements in the interwar years.
End of WWII
Disaster in England
+Disaster in France
+Weakened military
+High need ($)
________________
Opportunity
Decolonization
Colonized people in Africa and Asia, and other places begin to demand independence.
Continues through 1950’s, 1960’s 1970’s, beyond
Independence!
Especially 1960
Decolonization
We call this “decolonization” because it is reversing colonization, reversing imperialism.
Do map activity.
Theme 1: Timing
Theme 2: Influence of Enlightenment Ideas
As had been the case in Latin America, intentional cultural diffusion of European ideas about human equality, liberal values, had unintended consequences.
How are the causes of revolution in Vietnam similar the causes of revolution in Haiti, based on these documents?
“The Declaration of the French Revolution made in 1791 on the Rights of Man and the Citizen also states: ‘All men are born free and with equal rights, and must always remain free and have equal rights.’
“Nevertheless for more than eighty years, the French imperialists, abusing the standard of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, have violated our Fatherland and oppressed our fellow-citizens. They have acted contrary to the ideals of humanity and justice.”
-Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam, 1945
“ …it is not enough...the specter (ghost) of liberty that France dangled before you.”
-Haitian Declaration of Independence
Theme 3: Nationalism
These movements had a common thread of growing nationalism.
Recall, nationalism is...
*Pride in your country, its culture, language, national history, etc.
*A sense of personal identity relating to your country
*Belief in the idea of the nation-state
Theme 3: Nationalism
What factors might make people disagree about whether to revolt?
How might these factors lead to conflict during and after independence movements?
A photograph depicting Nigerian rulers appointed through British systems of indirect rule in Nigeria.
Given the Cold War context, what kind of governments will these new nations be drawn to? Who will compete to influence /aid them?
Theme 4: Domestic disagreements in emerging independent countries turn into Cold War proxy wars.
Ex: Vietnam
French Indo-China successfully broke away from France.
However, as Vietnamese people were drawn into the Communist and Capitalist spheres of influence, a civil war broke out over their vision for a new, independent Vietnam.
Because the U.S. had pledged to back up anyone resisting communism with the Truman doctrine, and the Soviets had done the same, this Vietnamese civil war evolved into a Cold War proxy war or “hot war”
What other forms of power might rise, in the absence of the military/industrial power of the Western powers?
Theme 5: Rise of new governments that are equally guilty of human rights abuses.
Gnassingbé Eyadema, Togo Siad Barre, Somalia Muammar Gaddafi, Libya
Coup d’etats led by military leaders established military dictatorships.
Throughout Gaddafi's rule, international non-governmental organizations routinely characterized Libya's human rights situation as poor, citing systematic abuses such as political repression, restrictions on political freedoms and civil liberties, and arbitrary imprisonment…Gaddafi also publicly bragged about sending hit squads to assassinate exiled dissidents, and Libyan state media openly announced bounties on the heads of political opponents. Civilians were routinely executed publicly by hanging for simply speaking out against the regime.There was even an annual festival Gaddafi had created titled "The hanging festival", where civilians would be hanged publicly every year on April 7th.
-Wikipedia on “Human Rights in Libya
Scanning the sources, do the governments created by military coup seem to be better to live under than previous European regimes?
What does the crescent moon symbolize on the flags of Mauritania and Pakistan?
In other countries, imperial powers were replaced with theocracies.
Which Enlightenment ideas about natural rights are violated by the actions of the Pakistani government summarized here?
Theme 6: Domestic factors and internal divisions cause conflict during and after wars of independence.
India and Pakistan
Became independent from Britain, but disagreements about appropriate borders during “Indian partition” causes violence between Hindus and Muslims and forced/compelled relocations.
Speculate: What historical patterns in the period 1450-1750 might have contributed to lasting tensions between different African tribes?
Note the particular concentration of ethnic (tribal) conflict in these locations:
Additionally, the borders of the former colonies grouped together ethnic groups that didn’t always want to be part of the same country together.
Consider that the borders of African colonies were determined based on which imperial power won out in competition for material resources during the “Scramble for Africa”. These borders did not take into account the language, culture, ethnicity, tribal affiliations, etc. of indigenous African people.
Theme 7: At the same time, international movements promote supporting each other across international borders.
Based on our explorations of the words “pantheon”, and “pandemic”, speculate about what is meant by a “Pan-African” movement or a “Pan-Islamic” movement.
Given what we know about ethnic/tribal tensions in Africa, why do you think so many African people were called to Pan-African movements?
Why do you think many African Americans were attracted to Pan-African ideology, even as early as the 1920s? Why might this interest among African Americans have increased in the 1950s and 1960s?
Given what we know about Islamic history, what type of new government might a Pan-Islamic movement desire to create after imperial powers are ousted?
Clockwise from left, the crest of the Muslim Brotherhood, an early Pan-Islamic organization, map of the Caliphates of Early Islamic history, the Muslim Brotherhood’s founder, Hassan-al Bana.
Decolonization Recap
Colonized people in Africa and Asia, and other places begin to demand independence after WWII.
Continues through 1950’s, 1960’s 1970’s, beyond
Especially 1960
Decolonization
We call this “decolonization” because it is reversing colonization, reversing imperialism.
Decolonization was not always quick,
Not always democratic,
Not usually peaceful,
Not always guaranteed to increase standard of living
But...
The appeal of the idea of freedom, throughout history, is tremendously powerful.
What areas of the world were most impacted by the “New Imperialism” of the 19th and early 20th centuries? What areas of the world are most impacted by decolonization movements in the 2nd half of the 20th century?