DECOLONIZATION
ESSENTIAL IDEA
After World War II, colonies
obtained independence
through means such as
diplomacy and armed struggle.
INDIA
Background:
Britain rules for
almost 2 centuries
Resistance from the
beginning,
intensifies in 1951
 In part, because
Britain committed
Indian troops to WWII
INTERNAL STRUGGLES
Hindus
Congress Party -India’s
national political party,
mostly Hindus
Muslims
Muslim League- founded in
1906 to protect Muslim
interests
PARTITION
The Problem: After
WWII, Britain
considering granting
independence to India
but who should governHindus or Muslims
The Solution: Partition
India – Hindus
Pakistan- Muslims
PHILIPPINES
One of the world’s first
colonies to gain
independence after
WWII
U.S. GivesIndependence
U.S. Gets- Military and
Naval base
AFRICA
LINGERING EFFECTS OF COLONIALSIMS
Problem #1: Old colonial boundaries become borders of newly
independent states
= Ethnic and cultural conflicts
= Sense of national identity hard to establish
Problem #2: Economic polices of colonialism left nations with
unbalanced economies and small middle classes
= Instability
Problem #3: European rule disrupted family and community life
= Lack of a skilled, literate workforce
RESULT WHEN EUROPE LEAVES?
Fragile
democracies
Ethnic violence
PROBLEMS WITH INDEPENDENCE
Colonies under indirect rule: easier transition to independence
Colonies under direct rule: harder transition to to independence
ALL: had problems creating government, establishing
economies, and issues with ethnic strife
Decolonization Crash Course
DIFFERENT PATHS TO INDEPENDENCE
Peaceful: Ghana
 First African colony to achieve independence (1957)
Armed Struggle:
 Kenya (1963)
 British resisted because of valued farmland
 Strong nationalist leader + group of guerilla fighters
 Troubles with ethnic conflicts after independence
 Algeria (1962)
 Population included French colonists, Arabs, and Berber Muslims
 Both France and the Algerian National Liberation Front committed
atrocities in the fight for independence
 Power struggles after independence led to a civil war that is still
being fought today
SOUTH AFRICA
Background:
 Became an
independent member
of the British
Commonwealth in
1931
 Constitution gave
whites power and
denied blacks the
majority of its rights
SOUTH AFRICA
Apartheid: complete
segregation of the races
Homelands Policy:
Blacks forbidden from
living in white areas
unless they worked as
servants or laborers for
whites
 Blacks made up 75% of
the population but only
13% of the land was set
aside for them
Apartheid Explained
SOUTH AFRICA
Blacks Protest:
African National
Congress (1912)organized strikes
and boycotts
Government banned
the ANC and
imprisoned many
members
SOUTH AFRICA
Nelson Mandela:
Leader of ANC
Served 27 years in
prison
Becomes South
Africa’s first black
president in 1994
SOUTH AFRICA
Struggle for Democracy:
 Violence escalates
 International pressure mounts, isolating South Africa from the
rest of the world
Change:
 1989- election of F.W. de Klerk
 His Goal: transform South African and end isolation
 His Actions: Legalize ANC and free Nelson Mandela
 This marks the beginning of a new era in South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa’s first
universal elections,
1994:
Mandela as
president
ANC 63% of the vote
New constitution
(1996)