Chapter 30 Striving for
Independence
Indian Independence Movement
• 1900-1941, India’s population
increased dramatically
• Environmental pressure,
deforestation-declining farm land
• Society divided into classes:
peasants, wealthy property
owners, urban craftspeople,
traders, workers
• Many languages; English common
medium of communication of
Western-educated middle class
• Majority practiced Hinduism
• Muslims about one-quarter of
the population-majority in
northwest & in eastern Bengal
British Rule & Indian Nationalism
• Colonial India ruled by viceroy &
administered by Indian Civil Service
• Technology managed to mitigate
dangers of industrialization,
prevent development of radical
politics, & maximize benefits to
Britain & Civil Service
• At turn of century, most Indians
accepted British rule, but racism &
discrimination inspired group of
Hindus to establish Indian National
Congress -1885
• Muslims, fearful of Hindu
dominance, founded All-India
Muslim League in 1906
• Two independence movements
British Rule & Indian Nationalism
• British resisted India’s efforts
to industrialize
• India’s first steel mill
established in 1911
• symbol of national pride
• 1918-1919, tensions increased
between Brits & Indians
• promises of self-government
were vague
• Amritsar Massacre-British
general ordered troops to fire
into a crowd of 10,000
demonstrators
Mahatma Gandhi & Militant Nonviolence
• English educated lawyerpracticed in South Africa
then returned to India &
joined Indian National
Congress
• Political ideas included
ahimsa (nonviolence) &
satyagraha (search for
truth)
• Moved political efforts
from elite to masses
India Moves Toward Independence
• In 1920s, Indians controlled
education, economy, &
public works
• Business people looked to
Gandhi’s successor
Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–
1964)—for leadership
• World War II divided the
Indian people; Indians
contributed heavily to war
effort, but Indian National
Congress opposed war, &
minority of Indians joined
Japanese side
Partition & Independence
• In 1940, Muslim League’s leader
Muhammad Ali Jinnah,
demanded country for Muslims
• After World War II, Britain’s new
Labour Party government
prepared for independence
• Mutual animosity between Indian
National Congress & Muslim
League led to partition of India
into two states: India & Pakistan
• Violence & massive disruption
followed as Hindus left
predominantly Muslim areas &
Muslims left predominantly
Hindu areas
Sub-Saharan Africa, 1900–1945
Colonial Africa: Economic & Social Changes
• Outside Algeria, Kenya, & South
Africa, few Europeans lived in
Africa
• Africa exported raw materials-few
Africans benefitted
• Africans forced to work in
European-owned mines &
plantations under harsh
conditions for little or no pay
• Colonialism provided little
modern health care
• Colonial policies worsened public
health, undermined African
family, & gave rise to large cities
& racial discrimination.
Religious & Political Changes
• During colonial period, many
Africans turned to
Christianity or Islam
• Missionaries introduced
Christianity (except in
Ethiopia, where it was
indigenous)
• Islam spread through
influence & example of
African traders
• Contrast between liberal
ideas imparted by Western
education & realities of racial
discrimination contributed to
rise of nationalism
Background to Revolution: Mexico in 1910
• Independence-1821- Mexican
society deeply divided-few
wealthy families-majority poor
peasants
• Concentration of land
ownership increased after
independence
• In 1910, General Porfirio Diaz
ruled for thirty-four years
• Mexico City modernized
showplace
• brought wealth to few
businessmen
• discrimination against nonwhite
majority & average Mexican’s
standard of living declined
Revolution and Civil War in Mexico, 1911–1920
• Mexican Revolution
haphazard social revolution
• Leaders represented
different segments of
society
• Madero overthrew Diaz in
1911, then overthrown by
Huerta in 1913
• Constitutionalists Carranza
& Obregon led disaffected
middle class & industrial
workers
• Organized armies that
overthrew Huerta in 1914
Mexican Revolution
• Zapata led peasant revolt
• Pancho Villa organized
army in northern Mexico
• Neither able to lead
national revolution
• Zapata defeated & killed
by Constitutionalists in
1919
• Villa assassinated in 1923
Revolution and Civil War in Mexico, 1911–1920
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Constitutionalists took over Mexico after
years of fighting, 2 million casualties, &
tremendous damage
Adopted agrarian reforms – proposed
social programs designed to appeal to
workers & middle class
Mexican Revolution lost momentum in
1920s
In 1928, National Revolutionary Party
founded
Cardenas, removed generals from
government, redistributed land, replaced
church-run schools with government
schools, & expropriated foreign-owned oil
companies
When Cardenas’s term ended in 1940,
Mexico still land of poor farmers-small
industrial base
Mexican Revolution established stable
political system, tamed military & Catholic
Church, & laid foundations for later
industrialization of Mexico
Revolution sparked new creativity in arts
Transformation of Argentina
• At end of 19th century,
railroads & refrigerators
allowed Argentina to become
major exporter of meat
• Pampas transformed into great
producer of meat & wheat
• Government represented
interests of oligarquia, small
group of wealthy landowners
• Only cared about farming
• Foreign companies built
railroads, processing plants &
public utilities
• Exported agricultural goods
• Imported manufactured goods
Brazil & Argentina, to 1929
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Brazil’s elite coffee & cacao planters & rubber
exporters resembled Argentine elite
– used wealth to support lavish lifestyle
– allowed British to build railroads, harbors
– imported all manufactured goods
Both Argentina & Brazil had small but
outspoken middle classes-demanded share in
government-looked to Europe as model
Disruption of European industry & world trade
in World War I weakened land-owning classes in
Argentina & Brazil
Urban middle class & wealthy landowners
shared power at expense of landless peasants &
urban workers
During 1920s, peace & high prices for
agricultural exports allowed both Argentina &
Brazil to industrialize
introduction of new technologies left them
dependent on advanced industrial countries
Aviation & radio communications introduced
during 1920s, but European & U.S. companies
dominated both sectors
The Depression & Vargas Regime in Brazil
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Depression hit Latin America very hardsignificant turning point for region
As value of exports plummeted & economies
collapsed, Argentina & Brazil, turned to
authoritarian regimes
In Brazil, Vargas staged a coup & followed a
policy that increased import duties & promoted
national firms & state-owned enterprises
Industrialization brought usual environmental
consequences: mines, urbanization, slums,
conversion of scrubland to pasture, &
deforestation
Vargas instituted reforms that benefited urban
workers-did nothing to help landless peasants
Economic recovery was unequally distributed
In 1938, Vargas staged a second coup, abolished
constitution, made Brazil a fascist state &
created precedence of political violence
Overthrown in a military coup in 1954
Argentina After 1930
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Depression hurt Argentina-political
consequences delayed for years
In 1930, General Jose Uriburu overthrew
popularly elected president & initiated
thirteen years of rule by generals &
oligarquia
In 1943, Colonel Juan Peron led another
coup-modeled government on Germany’s
Nazi regime
As World War II turned against Nazis,
Peron & his wife Eva Duarte Peron
appealed to urban workers
Created new base of support-allowed
Peron to win presidency & established
populist dictatorship
Sponsored rapid industrialization-spent
lavishly on social welfare projects
Peron unable to create stable
government-after his wife died in 1952overthrown in military coup
Conclusion
Politics and Economics under Imperialism
• Peoples of sub-Saharan Africa & India remained
under colonial rule after war
• Elites worked toward independence-ordinary people
wanted social justice
• Though politically independent, Mexico, Argentina,
& Brazil economically tied to industrializing nations
• Argentina & Brazil moved toward economic
independence but fell victim to social unrest,
militarism & dictatorship in the process
Conclusion:
The Problems of Independence
• India gained
independence from
colonial rule, but
was torn apart by
ethnic conflict
• Desire for
independence did
not always unite
people against
colonial rulers
because of social,
ethnic, & religious
divisions within their
populations