Chapter 18/19Decolonization

During WWII, Africans and Asians fought for their colonial rulers

The war brought soldiers from different colonies together

This helped to spur ideas for independence

Independence for colonies

Colonized nations see their chance to take action as result of WWII

WWII Weakens Colonial Empires

Recap Amritsar Massacre in 1920 sparked the

Indian resistance movement Gandhi emerged as a nationalist leader After WWII, the stage was set for a transfer

of power back to India What were the lingering problems with

permitting independence?

India

Religious hatreds between Hindus and Muslims led to many devastating riots

Last viceroy of India suggests partitioning India because of the religious tensions

Divided India into Pakistan (Muslims) and India (Hindus)

Partition of India

Partition of India and Pakistan

Division of civil service, military Actual movement of Hindus and Muslims to

different territories 10 million on the move One million died in violence on trains Death of Gandhi

Logistical problems of partition

Jawaharlal Nehru – first prime minister Dealt with lingering religious tensions over the

territory of Kashmir War with Pakistan over this territory United Nations arranged a cease fire in 1949 During the Cold War – India and other new nations

adopted a policy of neutrality in the Cold War 1964 – Nehru’s daughter – Indira Gandhi – chosen

prime minister Gunned down over a dispute with Sikhs Rajiv Gandhi will take over

Largest democracy in the world

Pakistan and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) achieve independence

Both countries will also suffer from religious and ethnic tensions

Formation of Bangladesh out of East Pakistan due to tensions

Pakistan

Muhammad Jinnah will die shortly after independence

Pakistan will face a series of military coups Military coups and civil wars leads to

unstable leadership for Pakistan

Leadership of Pakistan

¾ of Sri Lankans are Buddhists 1/5 are Tamils (Hindus) Militant group of Tamils have called for a

separate Tamil nation Civil war Article reading

Sri Lanka

..\activities\New Nations Informational Booklet2009.doc

Decolonization Assignment

First of the world’s colonies to achieve independence

US granted them independence in 1946 US promised to pay Philippines $600 million

in war damages in return for a free trade agreement with America

America also demanded a 99 year lease (given up in 1991)

Philippines

Ferdinand Marcos elected president in 1965 and rules until 1986

Authoritarian, stole millions from country, imposed martial law on country

Corazon Aquino will win an election against him in 1986 (Marcos killed her husband)

Aquino will get to lead, and they recover the 400 million plus dollars stolen

Government

Became a sovereign republic in 1948 – Myanmar

Aung San – nationalist leader who pressed for freedom from Japanese and the British

1962 – General Ne Win set up a military state

1988 Aung Sang Suu Kyi – daughter of nationalist leader – pressed for democratic reforms

Was placed under house arrest until 1995 Won the Nobel Peace Prize

Burma

During WWII the Japanese conquered the Malay peninsula, taking it out of the hands of the British

British return after WWII and try to organize Malaya into one state

Ethnic differences make this impossible 1957 – Federation of Malaya created from

Singapore, Malaya, Sarawak, and Sabah 1965 – Singapore separated Singapore remains one of the strongest

economic powers in the world

Malaysia and Singapore

Japanese occupied this area during WWII Sukarno, nationalist independence leader,

proclaimed Indonesian independence after Japanese are defeated

Dutch tried to maintain their colony Dutch will lose in1949 13,600 islands, 300 different ethnic groups,

250 languages, most of the world’s major religions, contains the world’s largest Islamic population

Indonesia gains independence from the Dutch

Sukarno declared himself president for life 1965 army officers attempted a coup that

was suppressed by general Suharto Suharto seized power for himself 500,000 to one million will die Suharto officially named president in 1965,

turned Indonesia into a police state Will be forced to resign in 19998

Military Coups

After WWII, African colonies refuse domination

Had to deal with the division of the continent (artificial borders that separated and united different ethnic groups)

New Nations in Africa

First African colony of the Sahara to achieve independence

Demanded “freedom now” Nationalist leader – Kwame Nkrumah – worked

to liberate, organized strikes and boycotts Nkrumah becomes the first prime minister Spent money building the economic and

educational infrastructure of his country – nearly bankrupted the govt

On a visit to China in 1966 – army and police seized power

Ghana

British farmers established home here / took prized farmland from Kikuyu

Jomo Kenyatta – Kenyan Nationalist leader Mau Mau – secret society made up of ethnic

Kikuyu farmers forced of the highlands by the British

Mau Mau’s wanted to frighten white farmers out of the highlands

Death of 10,000 black Kenyans and 100 white Kenyans

Kenya

Tried to unite the various ethnic groups Kenyatta died in 1978 New govt was corrupt and somewhat

undemocratic

Kenyatta President

Belgium grants independence to this nation in 1960

Patrice Lumumba becomes first prime minister

In the mineral rich southeastern province of Katanga, a leader named Moise Tshombe declared that region’s independence

Copper from Katanga was nation’s primary export

Congo

Belgians supported Tshombe Communists appealed to the United Nations

and then to the Soviet Union Military Coup by Mobutu Sese Seko –

overthrows Lumumba and turned him over to his enemy Tshombe where he will die

Mobutu will come to power for 32 years – he ruled over the wealthiest country in Africa and stole all of its money

Overthrown in 1997 Military rule

Outside intervention

Under the leadership of the Portugese who had no intentions of leaving

Three revolutionary groups emerged in Angola Portugal sent 50,000 troops to put them down The cost of the conflict amounted to almost half

of Portugal’s National budget Portugese withdrew from Angola in 1975

without formally handing power over to anyone Communists took over This lead to a prolonged civil war – with different

groups getting help from outsiders

Angola

Communist vs Capitalist – funding from United States and Soviet Union

1988 US and USSR pressed for a settlement and a cease fire was enacted in 1989

Civil war

Angola

Division of Palestine ordered to accommodate Israel

Middle East

Jews claim their homeland in this area going back 3,000 years

Palestinians (Christians and Muslims) claim that the land has belonged to them since the Jews were driven out in A.D. 135

Arabs say that the land has belonged to them since their conquest in the area in the 7th century

Couple this with the holocaust, Oil in the Middle East, and the results of imperialism === Conflict

Whose homeland is it?

People who favor a Jewish homeland in Palestine

They had settled in this region in the 1800’s and 1900’s

Ottoman empire owned this area until WWI After WWI, the British was asked by the

League of Nations to oversee Palestine until it was ready for independence

Zionists, Ottoman Empire, WWI

Palestinians feared that an increasing number of Jewish immigrants would result in hardships for them

Jews wanted a Jewish nation carved out of Palestine

Promises to Jews and Palestinians?

Britain’s “promise” to be amenable to a Jewish homeland and to be respectful to existing population

Two sides could not work together – Jews and Palestinians

Britain called for a partition of the country and then left the matter to the United Nations

The UN, in 1947, called for a partition of Palestine into a Palestinian state and a Jewish state

Balfour Declaration

1947 partition

All of the Islamic countries voted against partition and the Palestinians rejected it outright

Palestine said that the UN did not have the right to partition a country without considering the wishes of the majority

Do they have a point?

Hostility

Terms were very favorable to them They got 55% of the territory even though

they made up only 34% of the population United States and Europe favored the

partition May 14, 1968 - done

Jews Welcome the Proposal

The day after it proclaimed itself to be a state – six Arab nations invaded – Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria

Israel depended on American support Full scale war will break out in 1956, 1967

and 1973

Conflict - Immediately

Israel seized half of the land in the 1948-49 fighting

Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip Jordan annexed the West Bank

Palestinian state never came into existence

West Bank and Gaza Strip

1965 Suez Crisis Egypt seized Suez canal in 1956 Britain, France and Israel fight back and win control US asks that Israel give up and withdraw from Egypt Egypt was left in control of Suez Canal 1967 Six Day War Egyptian president Nasser, with backing from Soviets,

threatened war Israelis preemptively strike Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Syria Won Old Jerusalem, Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights, West

Bank Palestinians who lived in Jerusalem could become

Jordanian or Israeli / some in other parts became stateless

War, War, War

1973 war Anwar Sadat (successor of Nasser) planned

a joint Arab attack on Yom Kippur Golda Meir, Israeli Prime Minister, launched

a counter attack

War, War, War

Four years after the Yom Kippur war, Anwar Saddat (Egyptian President), officially recognized Israel as a state

In return for peace, Israel was supposed to recognize the rights of Palestinians and withdraw from territory seized in 1967

Camp David Accords: Jimmy Carter arranged a meeting with Sadat and Begin. Israel gave back Sinai Peninsula

1981 – Sadat was assassinated by Muslim extremists

Cooperation

PLO – Palestinian Liberation Organization, lead by Yassar Arafat

During the 70’s and 80’s, military wing of the PLO conducted a campaign of armed struggle

Israel fought back by bombing Palestinian strongholds in Lebanon

1987 – Intifada – program of civil disobedience by the Palestinians - boycotts, demonstrations, attacks with rocks on Israeli soldiers

Led to 1991 peace talks

Palestinians and Israelis

1993 – secret talks in Oslo led to an agreement – agreed to give Palestinians

Prime Minister Rabin – assassinated by a Jewish Extremist

Netanyahu made efforts – peace has been complicated since them

Declaration of Principles

Racial conflict was the result of colonial rule From its beginnings under Dutch and British

rule, South Africa was racially divided A small white minority ruled a large black

majority 1910 – gained self rule as a dominion 1931 – became an independent member of

the commonwealth

South Africa

1948 – National Party came to power in South Africa

Promoted the Afrikaner, or Dutch South African, nationalism

Instituted a policy of apartheid – a complete separation of the races

Established segregated schools, hospitals and neighborhoods – best facilities for whites

Blacks also got only 13% land access – they were not allowed to live in white areas

Apartheid

1912 – formation of African National Congress – organized strikes, boycotts

During one demonstration in 1960 – police killed 69 people

Govt banned the ANC and jailed many of its members – including Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela and Protest

1980’s Bishop Tutu led an economic campaign against apartheid

Asked foreign nations to NOT do business with S. Africa

They were also banned from the Olympic games

1984 – Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize

Desmond Tutu

Elected in 1989 1990 – legalized the ANC and freed Nelson

Mandela First elections voted by all races happened

in 1994 Nelson Mandela was elected president

F.W de Klerk