Decolonisation

Question 1

What were the consequences of Labour’s 1947 Colonial Development Coroporation?

Answer 1

• Colonial Office’s staff x3
• Expenses x4
• 1000s recruited to its ranks

Question 2

When did Britain leave India and Pakistan?

Answer 2

August 1947

Question 3

Burma?

Answer 3

1947

Question 4

When was Ceylon granted Dominion Status?

Answer 4

1948

Question 5

Evidence of Labour trying to maintain and improve Empire post-WWII

Answer 5

• 1944 Colonial Development and Welfare Act made £120m available from 46-56 to pump colonial economic development
• 1950 Columbo Plan where Britain and CW countries would contribute to colonial development across Empire

Question 6

Examples of military resources being used to maintain Empire

Answer 6

• Malaya in declared ‘state of emergency’ 1948-60 military and police deployed to crush guerrillas sponsored by Chinese communists
• Crushed Mau Mau uprising Kenya 1952-59

Question 7

How did class consciousness in African colonies increase?

Answer 7

• Mining settlements like in N Rhodesian Copperbelt largest and employed 30,000 as early as 1930
• Expanding towns and cities rise of Africa to commercial favour like Lagos population from 1910-1950s went from 10,000 to 270,000; urbanisation

Question 8

Examples of African nationalism quickly after WWII

Answer 8

• 6 week general strike in Nigeria 1945
• General strike in the Sudan 1947
• Riots on Gold Coast 1948 exploted by nationalists

Question 9

Summarise Tory imperial policy in 50s

Answer 9

• Intended to continue work towards ‘self-government within the Commonwealth’
• Would concede if had no other option but felt obliged to continue civilising mission

Question 10

Summarise the Mau Mau uprising

Answer 10

• Estimated between 10,000-100,000 Africans died vs 32 white settlers killed by Mau Mau
• 1000+ judicially murdered
• 10,000s kept in detention camps, appalling conditions and tortured
• Press in Britain exaggerated evilness of Mau Mau to overshadow this

Question 11

What and when was the Hola Camp incident?

Answer 11

• 1959 Mau Mau

- 11 Mau Mau detainees beaten to death by guards

Question 12

When did Kenya become idndependent?

Answer 12

1963

Question 13

What was the situation in the Suez Canal Zone by 1947?

Answer 13

• In 1947 Br still had 10k troops in Suez Canal Zone (as agreed by A-E Treaty 1936) as fearful about Russia’s ambitions in ME

Question 14

What did King Farouk of Egypt do in 1951? What then happened and when?

Answer 14

• Independently renounced 1936 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty and proclaimed himself a King of the Sudan
• January 1952 military coup led by Colonel Nasser overthrew him

Question 15

What had Britain agreed to do regarding Egypt and the Sudan by 1954? What did Egyptians promise in return (x3) ?

Answer 15

• Withdraw from SC over 20 months (couldn’t afford their bases much longer anyway)
• Egyptians granted Britain (1) free access through the SC; (2) maintenance of former British bases in an operational condition (important bc Cold War); (3) respect independence of SC Co. and ownership would revert to Egyptian gov in 1968

Question 16

What had General Nasser done in the years following to aggravate the British?

Answer 16

• Refused to sign Baghdad Pact (between Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq, Britain and Persia) in 1955 as Britain tried to bring Jordan into the pact
• Nasser feared the pact threatened Egyptian dominance and so turned to communist CZ for arms and signed an alliance with Syria
• Made himself President in June 1956 and had obtained promise of financial aid from Russia in 1955 to build the Aswan High Dam

Question 17

When dod Eden succeed Churchill as Conservative PM?

Answer 17

April 1955

Question 18

Describe the build up to the climax of the Suez Crisis in 1956

Answer 18

• July: USA announce withdrawing funds bc Nasser’s association w Communist powers; Britain and the World Bank follow their lead
• 16th July: Nasser announces nationalisation of the SC Co. which was a direct blow to Br gov who held 44% of shares in the co.; French also outraged
• October: Secret Anglo-French military discussions take place; as diplomatic attempts had failed, Eden convinced only way to secure Br and F interest in ME would be to remove Nasser
• 29th October: Protocol of Sevres hatched; Israel attack Egypt on 29th and the next day Br and F would demand both sides stop fighting followed by Franco-British invasion of Canal Zone on 31st to defend it

Question 19

What happened between 29th and 31st October 1956?

Answer 19

• Anglo-French force knocked out Egyptian Air Force and landed and north of canal but Egyptians resisted and blocked the canal with sunken ships