Europe & the World: Decolonization

What is Decolonization? • Decolonization:• Becoming free

(from colonial rule)

• Between WWI & WWII, several movements began throughout Africa and Asia

• Empires were reluctant to let go of their colonies; however, their colonial domination seemed at odds with Allied goals during WWII

• Between 1947 and 1962, virtually every colony achieved independence and statehood

• BITTER & DIFFICULT process• Ended the era of western

domination

What is Decolonization?

Decolonization: India

• World War I • India provided troops

to the British army

• Promised Indian self-rule in return• World War II Ends • Self-rule was NOT GRANTED• As a result, nationalism & demands for

independence increased

Decolonization: India

Decolonization: India • 1920s• Mohandas Gandhi

emerged as a leader of the independence movement

• Urged Indians to use non-violent tactics in order to achieve their goals

• Civil disobedience, peaceful protest, etc.

Decolonization: India • 1935• Great Britain granted India

limited self-rule, but not total independence

• Self-rule created tensions between the Hindu majority & the Muslim minority

Decolonization: India • World War II• Britain committed Indian

troops to the war effort• Did not seek permission

from India’s self-governing assembly

• Led to an increasing number of protests and renewed calls for independence

• World War II Ends

• Great Britain weak, in debt & ready to grant India its freedom

• Problem? • Violence between Hindus and Muslims made

granting independence difficult• Possible solution?

Decolonization: India

Decolonization: India • 1947• Great Britain agreed to a

partition of India• Granted independence to

two nations: INDIA & PAKISTAN

• During the partition– 10 million people relocated– Widespread violence

(1 million dead)– Gandhi was assassinated in 1949

Decolonization: India • At this point, India

became the world’s LARGEST democratic nation

• First Prime Minister• Jawaharlal Nehru • Emphasized democracy,

unity & modernization

Decolonization: Africa

Decolonization: West Africa • World War II Ends• Colonial rule in Africa would have to

end• Unfortunately, little had been done to

prepare the colonies for self-rule• 1950s & 1960s• African colonies experienced

decolonization and gained independence

• After World War II, Great Britain allowed Africans on the Gold Coast to participate in local self-government

• DID NOT grant independence

Decolonization: West Africa

Decolonization: Africa • 1947• Kwame Nkrumah used

Gandhi’s non-violent strategies to pressure Great Britain for independence

• Nkrumah supported Pan-Africanism & hoped to createa “United States of Africa”

Decolonization: Africa • 1957• After a decade of struggle,

GB finally granted the GoldCoast independence

• The nation was renamed Ghana

• Kwame Nkrumah was elected president for life…

• Problems?

Decolonization: South Africa • Unlike Ghana, demands for

independence in South Africa were led by white colonists

• 1931• South Africa gained independence • White Afrikaners gained power &

created a policy of apartheid• Apartheid• Laws that created strict racial

segregation between blacks and whites

• Black South Africansprotested apartheid and violent riots often broke out

• Anti-Apartheid Leader• Nelson Mandela • 1964• Mandela arrested • Given a life sentence for

opposing apartheid laws

Decolonization: South Africa

Decolonization: South Africa • 1990 • New South African President F.W. de

Clerk released Mandela• The South African parliament repealed

all apartheid laws & announced the first multiracial election

• 1994• Nelson Mandela won the election and

became South Africa’s first black president