Foreign Developments: Decolonisation Flashcards
Why did Britain have to abandon so much of its Empire after WWII?
It was too expensive
What is an example of the Empire being too expensive?
Britain owed over £1.2 billion to India alone
What did Macmillan do to decide which colonies should stay and go?
He created a ‘profit and loss’ scheme to decide
What was the result of Macmillans scheme?
It came out with inconclusive results
How many colonies became independent between January 1957 and October 1964?
20 colonies
What happened to the percentage of trade with Empire and Commonwealth countries in 1960’s?
It had almost halved
Where had trade with other countries for Britain increased?
Europe
What was significant about British trade increase in Europe?
Further emphasised need to join EEC as they would be in a common market
When did Macmillan say the ‘wind of change’ speech?
February 1960
What were 2 reasons Macmillan sped up the decolonisation progress?
- Colonies left financial stress on the Treasury
- The pattern of British trade was changing
What would be an advantage for other foreign relations of reducing the Empire?
Less obstruction for being part of the EEC
Name 4 nations that gained independence from 1957-64
1960, Nigeria
1962, Jamaica
1963, Cyprus
1963, Singapore
How could decolonisation be argued as a success for Macmillans government?
It meant that there was less foreign financial stress on Britain, at a time they still were not in the EEC
How could decolonisation be argued to be a failure of Macmillans government?
There were issues with Decolonisation in places like Rhodesia, Kenya, and Cyprus
How did the British public feel about Decolonisation?
They mostly felt it was a logical thing to do
