Decolonization and Independence Movements

Warm up

After World War II- what do you think should have happened to Europe’s old colonies?

What problems do you think the colonies had?

India

Steps to Independence 1919 Amritsar massacre where British kill Indians 1920 Gandhi launches nonviolent campaign Congress Party- Indian political party (majority Hindus) Muslim League- Indian political party (mostly Muslims)

Led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah Wanted to separate Muslim and Hindu India into separate countries

“Quit India” campaign- started in 1942, purpose to get rid of British from India

Strong Asian nationalism European defeat showed that the Europeans were weaker than

they thought Britain couldn’t pay to keep the colony any more

Partition of India

India Gets Independence

1947- British accept the idea of partition and give independence to India (Hindu) and Pakistan (Muslim)

Summer 1947- violence between Hindus and Muslims

January 1948 Gandhi killed

Modern India

Jawarharlal Nehru- India’s first prime minister Promoted democracy, economic growth, unity Problems:

Kashmir- Hindus and Muslims live there and both India and Pakistan claim it as their own

1966 Indira Gandhi (Nehru’s daughter) becomes Prime Minister Killed by Sikh bodyguards in retaliation for an attack

on a Sikh temple

Problems in India Today

Social inequality High populationReligious fanaticismSeparatist groups

Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Pakistan Divided at independence into East and West Pakistan 1971 East Pakistan becomes Bangladesh Muhammad Ali Jinnah first ruler of Pakistan Ali Bhutto took over 1958 General Zia took power in 1977 Benazir Bhutto

Sri Lanka Civil war since independence in 1948 between the Tamils

(Hindus) and Sri Lankans (mostly Buddhist)

Steps to Independence

Negritude movement- a movement to celebrate African heritage and values (Leopold Senghor leader of movement)

U. N. charter- right to self-determination After WWII Europeans ready to give up African

colonies

New Nations in Africa

Negritude movement- movement to celebrate African culture and heritage

After WW2 many European countries were ready to grant independence

Ghana – 1957 first African nation to get independence

Kwame Nkrumah used nonviolent protest to gain independence and became prime minister and then president

When he faced opposition after weak economic growth, he became dictatorial and was eventually overthrown in a military coup

Kenya

British colony but the British settlers didn’t want to give the Kenyans independence

Jomo Kenyatta- nationalist educated in London

Mau Mau rebellion- farmers trying to force the British out

By 1963 when Kenya became independent more than 10,000 black Kenyans and 100 white Kenyans had been killed

Kenyatta became the president of the new nation

Congo

Belgian colony which did not prepare its people for independence

1960 granted independence but a lot of internal strife because part of the country tried to declare its own independence and they had the valuable mineral resources

1965 Mobutu Sese Seko comes to power- renames country to Zaire- very corrupt government

1997 overthrown by Laurent Kabila

Algeria

French colonyAfter WWII French didn’t want to give it up FLN- 1954- group to fight for independenceCharles de Gualle returns to power in France

in 1958 and gives up colonies1962 Algeria gets independenceAhmed Ben Bella- leader of FLN- became

prime ministerProblems- economy dependent on oil,

government and Islamic militants fighting

South Africa

South Africa gets independence from British in 1960 but the Afrikaners (white settlers)- had controlled the country through the Nationalist party since 1948o set up a system of Apartheid, a series of harsh racial

policies, where the white minority kept political and economic power (segregation huge)

o police state funded by rich mineral revenueso protest prohibitedo African National Congress illegalo Walter Sisulu and Nelson Mandela in jailo Steve Biko killed

Reformers: Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk

Change in South Africa

• 1980s weak economy due to international boycott• black liberation movements in neighboring countries strong• F.W. de Klerk- moderate Afrikaner leader pushed for

reform• 1990 Mandela released from jail• 1994 free elections lead to ANC to come to power under

the leadership of Mandela, who becomes president Persisting problems• interethnic rivalries between Zulus and Xhosas• white supremacist organizations• redistribution of wealth

1994 Election of Nelson Mandela

The Middle East

After WWI- mandate system established The mandate system established territories that the

League of Nations would control until those places were ready for independence

Zionist movement in 1800s and 1900s- wanted a homeland for the Jews

1917- Balfour Declaration- declares that there should be a Jewish section in the area of Palestine but this was unrealistic because the two sides couldn’t get along , so Britain wanted to create two separate countries there

Creation of Israel

After WWII, the U.N. called for a Jewish state called Israel and another one called Palestine and Jerusalem would be an international city

1948 Israel created and David Ben Gurion becomes first leader

Many early wars between Muslims and Jews but the Zionists proved stronger than others thought and won most of them

Series of Crises

1956 Suez crisis- Egypt takes control of canal from British, British retaliate using Jewish forces, ends with Egypt taking back control

1967 Six-day War- Egypt prepares for attack but Israel surprises them and wins. The result is Israeli occupation of Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights and the West Bank

1973 War- Anwar Sadat (Egypt’s new ruler) launches surprise attack. Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir has counterattack and the two sides sign a truce

Uneasy Peace Deal

Camp David Accords- 1979- Egypt recognizes Israel as a legitimate state and Israel returns the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt- ends 30 years of hostility

Palestine and Israel

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)- led by Yasir Arafat- used military wing to conduct violence against Jews

Intifada- peaceful demonstrations lead to world sympathy and a call for Israel to back down a bit

1991 the two sides meet for peace talks1993 Oslo Peace Agreement- Declaration of

Principles- Israel would allow self-rule for Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and West Bank