Chapter 34 Outline – Africa and Asia in the Era of Independence
VI. The Present Era (1914 – Present)
G. Africa and Asia in the Era of Independence
1. The Challenges of Independence
- To gain independence, nationalist leaders in Africa and Asia got different groups within society to
work together, often promising jobs and equality once European rulers driven out
 However, a lack of resources made these promises impossible to carry out
 When jobs and resources not available, it led to conflicts between classes and ethnic groups
 These rivalries led to political instability and leaders consumed with maintaining power and not
actually solving problems the people faced
a. The Population Bomb
- Nationalist leaders who took over in Africa and Asia once Europeans gone were focused on rapid
economic development
 Most leaders were Western educated and thought industrializing would improve economy
- Rapid population growth in these former colonies made economic advancement very difficult
 Crops from America beginning in 1600s arrived, and led to population growth
 Colonial rule led to population growth also – local warfare ended, railroads and steamships
helped end regional famines as food could be quickly shipped to areas in need
- India and Java were 2 areas that saw major population growth
 Birth rates remained same, but death rates declined
 In 1900s, better medicine, hygiene, and sewage systems, led to people living longer
- Nearly all leaders of newly independent nations in Asia and Africa faced huge population growth
 Africa has had steepest population growth because started with much less people than Asia
- Europeans did not allow for much industrialization in their colonies, so it set these colonies back
 These new countries could not produce nearly enough food and other products for the growing
populations, nor could they produce enough jobs
- In much of Africa and Asia, there is still resistance to birth control
 Cultural and religious beliefs cause many to believe in having many children
b. Parasitic Cities and Endangered Ecosystems
- As populations increased, rural areas overcrowded and people moved to cities in huge numbers
 Because not much industrialization in these developing countries, not nearly enough jobs
 Low wages because of so many extra workers, and crime soared
 Since independence, the urban poor have played a big role in political decisions as urban mobs
have often protested, and governments have attempted to appease them by keeping low price for
staple foods like bread
 Cities in developing nations have wealthy sections, but also very poor, slum areas
 As result, cities actually need food and resources from other areas rather than being able to
produce for themselves
- Rural overpopulation since independence has led to soil depletion
 High rates of deforestation in many areas (trees cut down to gain access to more farmland)
 The deforestation combined with industrial pollution have been destroying ecosystem
c. Women’s Subordination and the Nature of Feminist Struggles in the Postcolonial Era
- In many emerging African and Asian nations, new constitutions gave women many rights (right to
vote, education, and job opportunities), but women never really treated equal
 Economic and political life dominated by men
- Women in developing nations have it tougher than women in developed nations
 Developing nations usually mean early marriage and large families, no time for a career
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In India, there are less women than men b/c women expected to serve husbands and sons, then
eat the leftover, so have poor nutrition
 Religious Revivalism = return to traditional practice of religion; has led to worse conditions for
women
d. Neocolonialism, Cold War Rivalries, and Stunted Development
- Emerging nations had no capital to start industrialization, and often have to rely on selling cash crop
to raise money, but then they are dependent on world economy
 Primary products = products in high demand in industrialized economies (ex: copper, oil)
 African and Asian countries blame the legacy of colonialism on economic troubles
 Leaders of African and Asian nations also to blame as they often keep money for themselves
2. Paths to Economic Growth and Social Justice
a. Charismatic Populists and One-Party Rule
- Kwame Nkrumah = Independence leader in Ghana (1957) and became 1st prime minister
 Began ambitious programs to improve life for the people of Ghana (ex: universal education,
industrial development), but his plan ran into several problems
 Ethnic groups rival to Nkrumah caused dissent
 Nkrumah was a leftist leader, which caused Soviets to like him, but Western countries would not
help and were hostile to Ghana
 Price of cocoa, Ghana’s largest crop, fell sharply after 1957, hurting economy
 In response to these problems, Nkrumah became dictatorial, and crushed all opposition
 Nkrumah wore traditional African clothes and even named the new country Ghana (it was colony
of the Gold Coast) to try to legitimize his rule
 Gave fiery speeches and had statues of himself built (cult of personality to his rule)
 Nkrumah took prominent role in non-alignment movement during Cold War
 1966 military coup ousted Nkrumah, and Ghana was under military rule
b. Military Responses: Dictatorships and Revolutions
- Like Ghana, most African and Asian nations have at some point experienced military takeovers
 Some have been brutal and repressed civil liberties and done little to help improve people’s lives
(ex: Uganda under Idi Amin)
- Gamal Adbel Nasser = Became leader of Egypt in 1952 following military coup
 Egypt had gained independence in 1930s except British presence in Suez Canal zone
 Those in charge of Egypt I the 1930s and 1940s were largely corrupt, and did nothing to
improve standard of living of Egyptian people
- Free Officers Movement = Radical movement started by army officers, sought to overtake the
khedives running the country
 Allied with Muslim Brotherhood for a while, another radical group against the khedives
- Brotherhood founded by Hasan al-Banna, who had contempt for wealthy minority of Egyptians
who flourished despite the masses in extreme poverty
- Muslim Brotherhood (founded 1928) was dedicated to a revivalist approach to Islam, but focused
on social reforms
 Promoted trade unions, built medical clinics, pushed for land reform
 Brotherhood became more political by the 1940s and organized strikes and riots against the
ruling Khedive Farouk (Farouk had al-Banna assassinated in 1949 but movement went on)
- In 1952, a military coup ousted the khedive Farouk
 Egypt had lost war with Israel (1948) and Suez occupation another reason for anger
- Nasser became the leader of Egypt
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By 1954, all political parties disbanded, including the Muslim Brotherhood which clashed with
Nasser and the military
- Nasser pushed through programs to help the long oppressed Egyptian people
 Land reform, limits on how much one person could own, state financed education, government
became Egypt’s main employer, state controlled economy
- Strict restrictions on foreign investment
 1956 – Nasser able to oust British and French from Suez Canal
 Got backing of U.S. and U.S.S.R. for it
- Many of Nasser’s initiatives did not work
 Aswan Dam, a cornerstone of Nasser’s economic development, failed miserably
 Foreign affairs were disaster, especially failed Six Day War against Israel in 1967
- Nasser’s successor was Anwar Sadat dismantled the large state apparatus Nasser created
 Favored private business, and middle class rose
 Sadat became friendlier with U.S. and turned away from Soviets
c. The Indian Alternative: Development for Some of the People
- India has developed differently than Egypt since independence
 Indians have been able to preserve civilian rule since independence
 India came to independence with larger industrial and scientific sector, and better
communication system, more skilled middle class than any nation in Africa or Asia
- Early leaders of India, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, were committed to economic development and
civil rights and democracy
 Indian National Congress Party has ruled India pretty much from the beginning of
independence to today
 India has maintained freedoms vigorously
 When Nehru daughter, and successor, Indira Gandhi, came to power she acted some as
dictator, and curtailed civil liberties in mid-1970s
 That led to rare defeat for the Congress Party
- Nehru encouraged state some state intervention in economy, but also pushed for foreign
investments from both sides in the Cold War (non-aligned nation)
 As result, India’s economy has remained strong
 Farmers advanced, leading the Green Revolution
- Despite success, India has faced problems all developing nations face
 Population so big, can’t raise the living standards for everyone
 Middle class has grown as fast as any postcolonial nation
 Many affluent neighborhoods
 Bollywood industry (the Hollywood of India)
- Landlords continue to dominate the many landless peasants
 India’s literacy rate well below China
 Larger portion of India remains malnourished
d. Iran: Religious Revivalism and the Rejection of the West
- Ayatollah Khomeini = Led revolution in Iran in 1979
 Had similarities to Mahdist revolution in the Sudan in the 1800s (Mahdis revolted against
Egyptian and British rule)
 Both promised to restore Islamic rule and rid society of Western influence
- Iran was never formally colonized by Europeans, but Britain and Russia each had sphere of interest
 Because never formally colonized, no Western educated middle class emerged
 Modernization came rapidly under the leadership of the Pahlevi family
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Shah Reza Pahlevi was a dictator of Iran in 1970s
 Shah very welcoming to foreign investors, angering many Iranians
 Shah was not a devout religious observant, upsetting the religious leaders
 Economic slump in 1978 b/c of falling oil prices helped lead to revolution
 Shah fled Iran and Ayatollah took over without a fight
- Ayatollah Khomeini carried through on radical changes he promised
 Constitutional and leftist leaders were crushed
 Moderate leaders replaced with religious figures
 Iran purged itself of Western influence, as well as atheist communists
 Islamic law replaced secular laws (ex: veiling)
- Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, soon invaded Iran trying to take advantage of the turmoil
 War lasted about 10 years, and Iran suffered greatly to the better military technology of the
Iraqis, and when Iran finally agreed to give in, the country was in shambles
e. South Africa: The Apartheid State and Its Demise
- Nationalist Party (party of the Dutch-descended Afrikaners) had control over South Africa since
1948
 Apartheid = System that segregated south Africa with white domination over blacks
 Extreme segregation laws were passed, and blacks had to carry pass books and live in poor
areas (called homelands)
 A police state was built to enforce apartheid
 African National Congress = Political group fighting for equal rights for blacks, banned by
white government until the 1990s
 Nelson Mandela = Leader against apartheid, put in jail for protesting
- While it looked like there would a violent upheaval between the white minority and the black
majority, in the late 1980s, things began to change
 International boycott in protest to apartheid hurt South African economy
 F.W. De Klerk = moderate, white, Afrikaner leader, pushed to begin ending apartheid
 Freed Nelson Mandela in 1990, and he was elected president in 1994 and apartheid over
 Still major problems in South Africa, including major disparities in wealth
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