Decolonisation in Africa and Asia Flashcards

1
Q

What were the 5 key reasons for decolonisation?

A

1) Economic impact of WW2.
2) The new international situation.
3) Nationalist movements.
4) Changing priorities in Europe.
5) Specific problems.

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2
Q

How did the economic impact of WW2 lead to decolonisation?

A

All imperial powers emerged from WW2 much poorer than when they entered. None could afford to fight a series of colonial wars against growing insurgent nationalist movements.

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3
Q

How did the new international situation lead to decolonisation?

A

The 2 new superpowers, USA and USSR, both becoming nuclear powers in 1945 and 1949 respectively, were anti-imperialists. As Britain was dependent on the USA for defence and economic support, they were susceptible to US pressure to decolonise.

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4
Q

How did nationalist movements lead to decolonisation?

A

Independence movements and growing insurgency across the colonies made governing difficult for imperial administrators, whilst also proving costly to suppress.

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5
Q

How did changing priorities in Europe lead to decolonisation?

A

In the 1950s, Western Europe experienced a dramatic economic recovery. The establishment of the EEC helped focus trade within Europe itself. This meant that support and desire for Empire dwindled, especially from big businesses.

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6
Q

How did specific problems lead to decolonisation?

A

Many instances of decolonisation came in response to specific situations, such as in Palestine, Burma or India. Decolonisation was often forced by specific developments, opposed to an immediate, post-war shift in policy.

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7
Q

What is insurgency?

A

Displaying armed hostility to an established authority.

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8
Q

What was the European Economic Community (EEC)?

A

A free trade community, founded in 1957. It later became a part of the EU in 2009.

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9
Q

What was the Burns Convention 1946, and what was the reaction in the Gold Coast?

A

It established a Legislative Council in the Gold Coast. Final power still remained in the hands of the British Governor, which caused unrest, with protests against the British gathering momentum.

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10
Q

What is a plebiscite?

A

A direct vote by all elected members in a country on an important public question, e.g. a change in the constitution.

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11
Q

What is suffrage?

A

The right to vote in elections.

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12
Q

When was the Convention People’s Party (CPP) founded, and who by?

A

Founded by Kwame Nkrumah in 1949.

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13
Q

What was the significance of the CPP on British political concessions (1949-52) (2)?

A

They pressured Britain to make further concessions in the Gold Coast. The Legislative Council was enlarged, renamed the Legislative Assembly. The number who could vote for it increased, but the British Governor retained ultimate power.

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14
Q

How did the Gold Coast become independent (4)?

A

1) Nkrumah was jailed in 1950, but the CPP won 2/3 of the seats in the Legislative Assembly in 1951.
2) Britain realised that the CPP would have to join the government to control the resistance. Nkrumah was released and became Prime Minister in 1952. CPP members became government ministers.
3) The elected government was given control over internal affairs, and the CPP’s popularity grew.
4) The support for independence in 1957 was so much, elections were held on full adult suffrage. Due to the popularity of nationalist parties in the general election, Britain made Gold Coast independent in March 1957, as Ghana.

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15
Q

When did the Gold Coast become independent, and under what name?

A

March 1957, as Ghana.

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16
Q

What was the Richards Constitution 1946 (3)?

A

1) It divided Nigeria regionally and ethnically.
2) A Legislative Council was created to discuss national issues, with an assembly for each of the 3 regions (West, South, East) to discuss regional issues and to advise local British governors.
3) The British Governor-General retained ultimate power.

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17
Q

What was the Macpherson Constitution 1951 (2)?

A

1) Extended the right to vote.
2) Created a National Council of Ministers, answerable to a Federal House of Representatives.
(Nigeria).

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18
Q

What was the effect of the Macpherson Constitution on Nigeria (3)?

A

1) Nigerian political parties grew, as they could now compete in elections to the new house.
2) The regions were strengthened, as each region were allowed their own government. The Federal House of Representatives could not overrule these regional governments.
3) This exacerbated tensions between the different ethnicities.

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19
Q

How did Nigeria gain independence (3)?

A

1) New political parties, representing different ethnic groups were founded, with the British being forced to grant concessions quicker than envisaged.
2) In 1954, a government was formed consisting of 3 British officials, and 9 ministers from various regional parties. Power was increasingly granted to regional governments.
3) After 1959 federal elections, moves were made towards independence, granted in October 1960.

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20
Q

When did Nigeria gain independence?

A

October 1960.

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21
Q

When did Sierra Leone gain independence?

A

April 1961.

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22
Q

When did Gambia gain independence?

A

February 1965.

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23
Q

Why was progress towards independence violent in East Africa (3)?

A

1) Rapid economic growth had brought about urbanisation, political consciousness, political activism, nationalism and labour disputes.
2) White settler colonies were more common in the region, and viciously opposed any decolonisation that did not guarantee their continued dominance.
3) Populations had massively increased during the years of war, exacerbating inflation, poor housing and overcrowding.

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24
Q

What was the Tanganyika Groundnut Scheme (2), and what was its significance on independence movements?

A

1) In 1946, many countries suffered a shortage of cooking fats. Britain aimed to grow, in Tanganyika, large quantities of groundnuts (peanuts), process them to cooking oil, and sell to the world economy.
2) Despite spending £49 million on the project, it was abandoned in 1951, with the terrain proving too difficult to cultivate. The land was turned into an uncultivatable dust bowl.
3) This made East African peasants support nationalist movements.

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25
Q

What was the significance of the Mau Mau uprising on independence movements in East Africa?

A

It was ruthlessly crushed by the British Army, using propaganda to describe the insurgency as ‘dark’, ‘evil’, ‘degraded’, ‘foul’ and ‘secretive’. Britain divided the Kikuyu, rewarding loyalists with lavish privileges. This increased nationalist support across the region.

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26
Q

When did Tanganyika gain independence, and under what name?

A

December 1961, as Tanzania.

27
Q

When did Uganda gain independence?

A

October 1962.

28
Q

When did Kenya gain independence?

A

December 1963.

29
Q

What is apartheid?

A

A policy of discrimination and segregation on grounds of race.

30
Q

How was apartheid implemented in South Africa, and what was its effect on the population (1948-60) (3)?

A

1) In 1948, the Afrikaner Nationalist Party gained power in South Africa, implementing the policy of apartheid.
2) Non-whites were severely repressed, causing opposition to apartheid, mainly from the African National Congress.
3) In the 1950s and 60s, the South African state brutally suppressed all protests. E.g. 69 protestors killed by the police in Sharpeville, March 1960.

31
Q

Why did relations become strained between South Africa and Britain 1948-60 (2)?

A

1) International opinion of South Africa became increasingly stained due to apartheid.
2) From 1948, South Africa had pressed for Britain to hand over Bechuanaland, Swaziland, and Basutoland to South Africa, which Britain did not do.

32
Q

Why did South Africa leave the commonwealth?

A

After Britain refused to hand over Bechuanaland, Swaziland, and Basutoland to South Africa, the South African white population voted to become a republic and leave the commonwealth in 1961.

33
Q

When did South Africa leave the commonwealth?

A

May 1961.

34
Q

How did the British aim to counter South African influence in the 1950s (2)?

A

By building up nearby colonial possessions like:
1) Northern Rhodesia - minerally rich province (especially in copper).
2) Southern Rhodesia - agriculturally rich, with a substantial white settler population.
3) Nyasaland - relatively economically underdeveloped.
By joining these colonies together through the Central African Federation.

35
Q

Why and when did Britain create the Central African Federation (CAF)?

A

During WW2, Nyasaland, Northern and Southern Rhodesia had worked together to assist the war effort, and Britain thought that a joint colonial state would counter the influence of South Africa. The CAF was created in 1953.

36
Q

When did Northern Rhodesia gain independence, under what name?

A

October 1964, as Zambia.

37
Q

When did Nyasaland gain independence, under what name?

A

July 1964, as Malawi.

38
Q

When did Basuto gain independence, under what name?

A

October 1966, as Lesotho.

39
Q

When did Bechuanaland gain independence, under what name?

A

September 1966, as Botswana.

40
Q

How did the CAF fuel independence movements, and what was the British response?

A

1) The constitution included some protection for African rights (although discriminatory legislation could be vetoed by Britain) and limited African representation in a new Federal Assembly. However, independence movements emerged in all 3 territories, led by Africans suspicious of British intentions.
2) White governors responded fiercely, arresting and imprisoning nationalist leaders, causing disorder.

41
Q

In what year was the CAF formally dissolved?

A

1963.

42
Q

How did Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland gain independence?

A

After concluding decolonisation was necessary in Africa, Britain in 1960-61, ordered the release of nationalist leaders and drew up new constitutions paving the way for majority rule and independence.

43
Q

How did Southern Rhodesia gain ‘independence’ (2), and what was the British reaction?

A

1) The white settlers there were determined to avoid being absorbed into an independent black African-dominated country. In 1961, with the CAF looking doomed, a large section of the white population switched allegiance to the Rhodesian Front Party, aiming to achieve independence, but under white control.
2) In 1961, the RFP won the elections, and in 1965, Ian Smith (Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia) illegally declared independence.
3) The British imposed sanctions, but they proved unsuccessful.

44
Q

When did Southern Rhodesia gain independence, under what name?

A

April 1980, as Zimbabwe.

45
Q

Why and when did the Rhodesian Bush War take place, and between who?

A

In 1969, Rhodesia became a republic and the country was plunged into a guerrilla war, between the ruling white and the black nationalist population.

46
Q

Who was Harold Macmillan?

A

British Conservative Prime Minister 1957-63, presiding over a time of post-war prosperity.

47
Q

What is a constituent assembly?

A

A body elected to draw up a constitution for a state.

48
Q

How did Burma gain independence (4), and what was the significance for Britain?

A

1) In January 1947, talks between Aung San and Attlee’s government in London agreed elections for a Constituent Assembly would take place in April 1948.
2) This approved a huge AFPFL majority, but the different AFPFL factions could not agree on Burma’s future path.
3) Aung San and 6 cabinet ministers were assassinated by a rival political faction in July 1947.
4) Independence in January 1948 led to Civil War, with Burma rejecting the idea of joining the commonwealth, turning their backs on Britain.

49
Q

When did Burma gain independence?

A

January 1948.

50
Q

Why did Britain regard Malaya as important after WW2?

A

As a major rubber producer, it promised to earn Britain lots of money post-war.

51
Q

Why did Britain regard Singapore as important after WW2?

A

It was militarily and strategically important to Britain’s wider interests in Asia, with a major military and a naval base on the island.

52
Q

Who were the 2 main ethnic groups in Malaya, and who represented them (2)?

A

1) Malaya suffered from ethnic tensions between the Malay and the Chinese and Indian populations. The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), est. 1946, was created to argue the rights of the Malay peoples.
2) The Chinese were represented by the Malay Chinese Association (MCA) or the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). The Chinese population were represented in labour unions and were involved in strikes 1945-48.

53
Q

When was the Federation of Malaya created, and what was the significance on Malayan politics (3)?

A

The Federation of Malaya was enacted in January 1948, establishing:
1) The Federation of Malaya Executive Council, headed by the British High Commissioner.
2) The Federation of Malaya Legislative Council of 62 members representing different groups became an elected body in 1955.
3) Governments within individual states were granted some financial power.

54
Q

What is a State of Emergency?

A

The suspension of normal constitutional procedures during a situation of particular national danger.

55
Q

What was the Malayan Emergency 1948-52 (3)?

A

1) Due to post-war circumstances, and Chinese grievances, Britain feared the potential impact of rebel attacks on rubber plantations. They declared a State of Emergency in June 1948.
2) This allowed colonial authorities to use military force, arrest suspects, and were granted new legal powers.
3) This caused insurgency and the British High Commissioner, Sir Henry Gurney, was assassinated in October 1951.

56
Q

How did Malaya gain independence 1952-57 (3)?

A

1) To keep support during the Malayan Emergency, Britain had promised independence.
2) 1952-54, the Malays and the Chinese united against the British, gaining 81% of the votes in 1955. Britain knew that if they denied independence, there would be a military rebellion (reflecting France’s defeat in Indo-China in 1955).
3) The Reid Commission was est. in 1955 to draw up a democratic constitution, and in 1957, Malaya gained independence.

57
Q

When did Malaya gain independence?

A

August 1957.

58
Q

What is meant by the imperialism of decolonisation?

A

How Britain were able to maintain economic and/or political influence in independent nations through decolonisation.

59
Q

What was the aftermath of Malayan independence 1957-65 (4)?

A

1) A continued British military presence in Singapore was accepted.
2) Malaya would still collaborate economically with Britain, remaining in the Sterling area.
3) In 1963, Malaya united with Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia.
4) In 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation.

60
Q

What were the political developments in Singapore 1947-55 (3)?

A

1) 1947-48, they were granted their own government, with an Executive and Legislative Council. Although 6/25 on the Legislative Council were elected, only British subjects (around 10% of the population) could vote.
2) The government struggled to contain Communist insurgency. Alongside arrests and imprisonments, the Legislative Council was enlarged to 32 seats in 1953.
3) By 1955, the elected Council was dominated by left-wing parties, such as the Labour Front, the People’s Action Party and the UMNO/MCA alliance.

61
Q

What was the State of Singapore Act (1958)?

A

Britain implemented full internal self government for Singapore, remaining a part of the Empire.

62
Q

Why was Singapore expelled from Malaysia?

A

Race riots between Chinese and Malays led to a breakdown in public order, and in August 1965, Singapore was expelled from Malaysia and became fully independent.

63
Q

When did Singapore gain independence?

A

August 1965.