Colonial Policy and administration (20) Flashcards
Colonial policy view in the 1950s
The Empire and Commonwealth would be crucial for Britain’s trade and to restore its ‘Great Power’ status
Colonial Administrators began policies to increase colonial production through rapid industrialisation and agricultural improvements (Green Revolution)
New ‘economic colonialism’
This sometimes meant giving less power to traditional leaders e.g Malay Sultans
Even though they still had to create timetables for self-rule
‘Gradual Decolonisation’
The position of the western educated local leaders in the legislative council (e.g Gold coast, Nigeria etc)
= the countries were on the gradual road to becoming independent as the Dominions had by 1931
The ‘Wind of Change’
Consistent with the ‘managed decolonisation’ speech
By Harold Macmillan in 1960 - made clear that African colonies would be decolonised
Warning to South Africa about Apartheid
Developments in Egypt and M. East 1947-56
- Worried about Communism spreading from Soviet Russia
- Britain had 10,000 troops in the Suez Canal Zone (part of Anglo-Egyptian Treaty 1936)
- Control over Aden and Cyprus
- Air-bases in Iraq
- Financed and gave officers to the Jordanian Army
- Britain tried to persuade the Arab League to resist communism but they refused to listen due to Britain’s control over the Sudan
Nasser’s takeover of Egypt
- 1951 King Farouk of Egypt renounced the 1936 treaty and proclaimed himself King of the Sudan
- 1952 he was overthrown by Colonel Nasser
- Anthony Eden sought to negotiate
- 1953 an agreement was made on steps towards Sudanese independence
- 1954 Britain agreed to a phased withdrawal of troops from the Suez Canal Zone in a 20 month period subject to rights of reoccupation in time of war.
- Concessions showed Britain’s attempts at better relations and its financial weakness - B. could not afford to maintain their bases
- In return Egypt promised:
Free access through the Suez Canal
The Maintenance of operational British bases
The respect of the Suez Canal Company
Growing tensions with Nasser
- Britain engineered the 1955 Baghdad Pact between M.East countries to repel any Soviet threat to the Middle East
- Nasser refused to sign
- Britain tried to bring Jordan into the Pact and Nasser pressured the young King to remain out
- Nasser felt that Egypts dominance was threatened - turned to communist Czechoslovakia for arms and signed an alliance with Syria which worried Eden (PM)
- June 1956, Nasser made himself President of Egypt and wanted to strengthen Egypt - main idea was to build the Aswan High Dam
- Received financial aid from the West and USSR
- July 1956 USA and Britain revoked their funding due to Nasser’s association with communism
- On the 26th July 1956, Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal Company - Britain held 14% of the shares in the company
- Britain, France and Israel who were outraged planned a joint assault
- Diplomacy continued through the UN but by October Eden saw the removal of Nasser was the only way forward
Importance of Suez Canal?
Amounted to supply of two thirds of Western Europe’s oil
A third of ships were British
3/4 belonged to NATO countries (element that suggests that US should of backed them - although American vessels only accounted for 2.2% net tonnage in 1955 - American selfishness)
Suez Invasion
- Plan hatched through the ‘Protocol of Sèvres’
- Israel attacked on 29th October 1956
- France and Britain would demand an end to the conflict, and then prepare for a joint invasion on the Canal Zone on the 31st October with air-strikes
- The Israelis forced the Egyptians back
- The British and French arrived to ‘police’
- Egyptian air-force was knocked out
- The Egyptians put up solid resistance and blocked the canal with sunken ships
- America immediately condemned the invasion and refused to support the subsequent sterling crisis
- The British announced a cease-fire within five days
- Troops withdrawn within weeks
- Eden resigned
Consequences of Suez Crisis?
- Never again would Britain act in international affairs without US backing or consultation - Britain would never revive imperialism or regain its independent world power status
- Acted as a sign to independence movements that Britain could be beaten into submission
- Brought an acceptance to decolonisation
- Britain could not ‘manage’ decolonisation
- Fall of Cabinet
- Oil shortage
- Near collapse of its banking system
Suez Crisis economic impact on Britain
At the time of nationalisation, Britain only had about a six-week supply of oil left
Oil shortage became severe - both in UK and Europe
Pound Sterling collapsed
Eisenhower put pressure on Europe by refusing economic aid or oil shipments until forces had withdrawn - backed Britain into a corner
Egyptians destroyed 8 ships, sabotaged the oil pipeline to Iraq and destroyed three major pumping stations - increased oil supply issue
Britain’s position in the Middle-East 1957-67
Iraq left the Baghdad Pact in 1959, after the monarchy was overthrown in 1958
Cyprus was given independence in 1959 after continued violence between Turkish and Greek communities
Britain evacuated their Aden base in 1967 after nationalist resistance encouraged by the Egyptians forced them out
USA’s first policy towards British Imperialism
Due to desires to contain Communism and win the Cold War the USA was prepared to allow Britain to continue its imperialism in the Post-War world and financed it through low-interest loans - more so when fighting Communism
Truman Doctrine
March 1947 - Declared aid to those fighting against communism
Sent $400 million to Greece and Turkey to do this for financial and military aid
Change in American policy
With the hardening of the Cold War the USA could no longer allow imperialism as nationalism led to the development of communism
Wanted strong independent states which had access to free trade and were dependent on US loans
‘Special relationship’
After WW2, Britain emerged as a strong ally of USA
Britain claimed to be equal to the USA but was limited due to its economic and military dependence
