4.19 decolonisation in Africa and Asia Flashcards
What colonies gained independence in 1957?
-Gold coast
Malays
How did ww2 cause African nationalism?
-Hitler’s inferior view on races, Africans could no longer be viewed as inferior
What 5 key factors contributed to decolonisation of empire from 1957-67
Nationalist movements
Changing attitudes in Britain
Changing priorities in Europe
Cold War
Economic concerns
How did economic concerns lead to decolonisation 1947-67?
Britain couldn’t afford maintain costs of empire and wars with economy (link to economic state post ww2)
Colonies grew more economically valuable at the same time
How did the Cold War lead to decolonisation 1947-67?
-Britain and France no longer dominant. USA and USSR both hostile towards imperialism
Britain heavily dependent on USA for defence and economic support -American pressures to speed up decolonisation
(MacMillan wanted them in Commonwealth and be well disposed to Britain)
How did changing priorities in Europe lead to decolonisation 1947-67?
-Britain became less dependent on colonial support and more on Europe
By 1950s Europe dramatic post war recovery with full employment and rising living standards
Emergence of European economic community (EEC) 1957 Britain join in 1973
How did nationalist movements lead to decolonisation 1947-67?
-they appeared all over the world
-Macmillans conviction of the strength of these movements deepened after hisn5 week tour of Africa in 1960
As one colony got independence it was harder to deny others
1960 16 new African countries enter UN and press for independence of colonial territories
How did changing attitudes in Britain lead to decolonisation 1947-67?
-maintaining empire fell down on priority list
MacMillan realised brutal suppression of colonial peoples would damage Britain’s credibility
Britain had enough of war after ww2 and was unlikely to support a war if it meant reintroduction of national service
Policy makers could see no good strategic or Economic reasons to rule people who did not want to be ruled
What was Britain’s approach tho it’s African colonies after ww2?
-no immediate desire to grant independence
-develop them economically through colonial development cooperation
What did Head of African Colonial office in London 1947 say about Gold Coast?
Most advanced African colony in terms of political ‘maturity’ and its people ‘fitness’ to rule themselves
(Did not envision independence as feasible for a generation)
What was the burns constitution 1946? To what extent was it a breakthrough
-established legislative council of 12 British and 18 elected African members
-final power still remained with British governor
How did nationalists put pressure on British administration in Gold Coast?
-Convention people’s party (CPP) founded in Nkrumah 1949 and pressured the British to male concessions
-CCP led non-cooperation in Jan 1950 known as positive action
-legislative council enlarged and renamed legislative assembly (number of people could vote increase and retain ultimate power)
Why was Nkrumah given the position of Prime Minister of the Gold Coast in 1952?(3)
-CPP won 66% of legislative assembly 1951(Nkrumah in prison 1950)
-clear CCP needed to be brought into gov in order to being troubles under control
-Nkrumah released from prison and given position of PM with members of CCP in gov posts
What was full adult suffrage in Gold Coast?
Elections were held on full adult suffrage which showed the majority of people wanted independence
When was Ghana (Gold coast) given independence?
March 1957
Describe the strikes in Nigeria?
1945 was a strike of railway and gov workers involving 30,000 alone
National council of Nigeria formed in 1944 under Azikiwe with aim of self governing
From 1945-50 how many man days were lost because of strike action.
100,000 man days
Nigeria: ajar was the Richard constitution 1946?
-new arrangements allowed for greater African representation
-Governor-General and executive council retained ultimate power
Nigeria: Macpherson constitution 1951?
-greater pressure not cjsnfe from nationalist movements forced British to amend constitution
-extended right to vote and created a national council of ministers available to 185-seat Federal House of Representatives(could not overrule regional govs-effect to exacerbate tensions between different ethnicities)
How did the McPherson constitution encourage the growth of nationalism?
-growth in political parties based around these regions who began to compete for elections into the new house
Nigeria: Which other reforms did the British find themselves pushed into? How did these lead to the granting of independence in October 1960?
-new politcal parties
-revisions of constitution and federal elections 1954(gov of 3 British officials and 9 African ones
When did Nigeria get independence?
Oct 1960 (following the federal elections 1959
When was the statute of Westminster ?
1931
What were Britain’s hopes for the East African colonies after ww2
-economic development (1946 Tanganyika groundnut scheme abandoned 1951 after costing 49 million)
-unite colonies and create an East African federation (break up nationalism
What happened to the population Nairobi (Kenya during the course of the war)
Increased by half
What was the Tanganyika groundnut scheme?
1946 due to a severe shortage of cooking fats -emerged ides that ground nuts could be gone in large quantities
Terrain proved too difficult to cultivate and plan was abandoned in 1951 after costing £49 million