Chapter 18.2: Southeast Asian Nations Gain Independence
US and Philippines


July 4th, 1946- independence to Philippines (after WWII)- in US possession since SpanishAmerican War 1898.
o US provided money if Filipinos agreed to Bell Act- Free trade with US for 8 years.
o Also 99 year lease on military and naval bases in Philippines- US gave up in 1991.
Philippines looked to lessen its dependence on US.
Marcos Regime and Corzaon Aquino


Ferdinand Marcos: President of Philippines in 1965-1986
o Authoritarian regime
o Stole millions of dollars
o Martial law
o Chief opponent, Benigno Aquino, Jr. returned from US and was shot.
o Elections 1986: Marcos vs. Aquino’s widow, Corazon Aquino
o Aquino won, but Marcos declared himself winner
o Exile in Hawaii: 1995- $475 million recovered from Swiss Banks
o Aquino: new Constitution
 Ended US lease on military bases
1992: Fidel V. Ramos: new president- single 6 year term
British Colonies Gain Independence





Burma gained independence in 1948: renamed Myanmar in 1989 (its name in Burmese)
Japan occupied Burma during WWII
Aung San: led Burmese nationalists’ army
o Cooperated with Japanese to drive out British
o Then helped British to defeat Japanese
o Aung San and Cabinet gunned down
1962-1988: General Na Win: attempted to make Burma a socialist state- very repressive
1988: Aung San’s daughter, Aung San Sui Kyi- returned to Burma- led national League for
Democracy- under house arrest
o 1990 election: National League for Democracy won 80% of seats- govt. wouldn’t
recognize
Malaysia and Singapore





Occupied by Japan during WWII
Post-WWII: Britain tried to take control back
1957: Federation of Malaya created: Singapore, Malaya, Sarawak, and Sabah
1965: Singapore became independent city-state
Singapore ruled by Lee Kuan Yew 1959-1990: key banking and trading center.
Indonesian Gains Independence from the Dutch








Japan occupied Indonesia during WWII
After Japanese surrender, Sakarno declared Indonesia’s independence and himself President
Dutch tried to regain control
Dutch had created an underclass during their rule by preventing Indonesians from obtaining
higher education/ wanted as servants- turned over 1949
Sukarno as “President for Life”
Bloody coup in 1965: Suppressed by Suharto, then he took power- police state, upwards of one
million killed
1998 Suharto forced to resign
1999 Indonesia elected Abdurrahman Walid
Chapter 18.3: New Nations in Africa
Background to Independence



Negritude Movement: celebrate African culture, heritage, and values
Leader Leopold Senghor= 1st President of Senegal
African soldiers fought with Europeans during WWII to “defend freedom”
Ghana



British colony of Gold Coast- renamed Ghana in 1957
Led by Kwame Nekrumah: former teacher
o Organized strikes and boycotts against British
Kwame Nekrumah: first prime minister of Ghana, and then “President for Life”
o Studied Socialism/ Marxism/ Marcus Garvey
o Large economic projects/ industrialization and education
o Value of primary cash crop, cacao plummeted- funds for programs dried up
o Wanted a “United States of Africa”
 Pan-African congress
 Organization of African Unity (OAU 1963)
o 1966: Nkrumah in China: military seized power
o
“We prefer self-government with danger to servitude in tranquility.”
Kenya and the Mau Mau Rebellion






British settlers occupied prize farmland in highlands of Kenya- resisted independence for Kenya
Jomo Kenyatta: strong Kenyan nationalist leader
Mau-Mau: secret society of many Kikuyu Farmers
British granted Kenya independence: 1963
o 10,000 black Kenyans and 100 White Kenyans killed
Kenyatta: 1st President- unify country, strengthen capital of Nairobi
Successor: Daniel arap Moi- not as popular
o Ethnic conflicts in early 1990’s
The Congo

Belgians plundered Congo’s resources of rubber and copper with forced labor
Independence Brings Change









Granted independence 1960 to Congo (named Zaire 1965-1997)
Patrice Lumumba= Nation’s first Prime Minister
Southeast Province: Moise Tshombe declared independence
o Copper in Katanga’s mines= main export
Tshombe backed by Belgian mining interests
Lumumba: had communist connections, asked UN for help, then USSR
Coup led by army officer Mobutu Sese Seko- overthrew Lumumba and turned him over to
enemy, Tshombe
1965: Mobutu then overthrew Tshombe
Mobutu: ruled Zaire 32 years, country was rich in resources, but population very poor
1997: Mobutu was overthrown by Laurent Kabila who banned political parties, promised free
elections by 1999, and then reneged
Algeria







1945: One million French colonists, 9 million Arab and Berber Muslims in Algeria
France offered full rights (assimilation) to Algerians to try and maintain its power.
1945: French troops fired on Algerian nationalist demonstrators
1954: Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN)- used guerilla tactics at home, and diplomatic
tactics internationally
French sent over ½ million troops to Algeria to try and fight FLN- both sides committed atrocities
De Gaulle: Returned to power 1958
o Cease-fire March 1962- July 1962: independence
o 750,000 French settlers fled Algeria
Ahmed Ben Bella: leader of FLN: 1st Prime Minister and First President 1965



o Land reforms/ education
o Overthrown by Chief of Staff
1965-1988: modernize and industrialize, but oil prices plunged
Conflict between Muslim fundamentalists and more secular leadership
Ongoing Civil War
Angola Gains Independence









Portuguese 1st European in Africa, last to leave
Angola had no education or health facilities and littler commerce when gained its independence
Rebels in Angola: Portugal sent 50,000 troops to put down- Portuguese dictatorship toppled by
military
Portuguese withdrew from Angola 1975 without handing over power.
Communist seizure of power (MPLA) seized capital
Civil War among various rebel groups
MBLA helped by Cuba and USSR/ FNLA backed by Zaire and US/ UNITA backed by South Africa
and US
Attempt at peace negotiations in 1989- Civil War continued into 2000’s