Ideas That Influenced Independent Africa

Question 1

What factors led to the decolonisation of Africa

Answer 1

• Pan-Africanism
• Exposure to Western education
• WW2
• The Atlantic Charter
• UN Charter
• Attitudes of the Superpowers during the Cold War

Question 2

How did Pan-Africanism lead to the decolonisation of Africa

Answer 2

It urged black peoples to unite to create greater political consciousness and unity in the struggle for equality with whites

Question 3

How did exposure to western education lead to the decolonisation of Africa

Answer 3

It made Africans aware of freedom and democracy

Question 4

How did WW2 lead to the decolonisation of Africa

Answer 4

Many colonial powers were weak after the war and declined in power and wealth. This loosened their grip on their colonies

Question 5

Who signed the Atlantic Charter

Answer 5

Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt

Question 6

What did the Atlantic Charter promise

Answer 6

The right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which the live

Question 7

What causes were promoted in the UN Charter

Answer 7

Freedom, democracy, and human rights

Question 8

How did the attitude of the superpowers during the Cold War lead to the decolonisation of Africa

Answer 8

Their attitude encouraged African nationalism as these countries sought allies in Afrcia, Asia, and Latin America

Question 9

How did Africans react when they achieved independence

Answer 9

They achieved uhuru and were euphoric

Question 10

What did Africans want from independence

Answer 10

Improved standard of living and they hoped that political freedom would restore their dignity

Question 11

Why did the British party completions not survive in many f the newly independent African countries

Answer 11

• Single parties already had lots of support from its identification with nationalist movements
• The part with the electoral majority banned any political opposition
• Many leaders did not want to pursue the inherited political systems as they had greats ambition, some were selfish and some resisted because they had problem in their country

Question 12

What were many African colonies controlled by

Answer 12

Bureaucracies

Question 13

What is an example of a bureaucracy

Answer 13

Marketing boards

Question 14

What did marketing boards do

Answer 14

• Had a great deal of political power and made decisions about the economy and the allocation of resources
• They were difficult to maintain because of the lack of skilled Human Resources
• They were a threat to the government

Question 15

What was the solution to the problems created by th marketing boards

Answer 15

To adopt a one-party system in which the bureaucracy was loyal to the leader of the government

Question 16

How did African leaders justify establishing one-party states

Answer 16

• One party focuses attention on winning, staying in power, listening to people and developing policies to solve social and economic problems
• Could govern without opposition (often based on ethnic divisions) and utilise scarce resources and expertise to bring about change
• It was more traditional and African: like the traditional system with kings which did not allow for opposition

Question 17

Why was there no opposition in these one-party states

Answer 17

• People were more concerned with local problems rather than national ones
• There was a low level of literacy, poor infrastructure, and communication was difficult
• There was no opposition to speak out against corruption and mismanagement and it was impossible to vote out an ineffective government

Question 18

How did military leaders justify taking power

Answer 18

• They said that the former civilian government could not provide for the economic and social needs of the people
• It could stop ethnic and religious rivalries turning into civil war
• They used the pretext of corruption
• many people were frustrated with weak post-independent governments that they approved of military interventions

Question 19

What were some african countries that were ruled by military dictatorships

Answer 19

Algeria
Burundi
Sudan
Uganda