NATIONALISM IN THE IW YEARS Flashcards
POLITICAL NATIONALISM (ie africa, middle east, ireland etc)
describe the key events of political nationalism in egypt
- the killing of Sir Lee Stack (commander of egyptian army) by an egyptian nationalist - britain leaves sudan
- anglo-egyptian treaty of 1922
- 1936 treaty of alliance to prevent axis influence
what is the name of the main nationalist party in egypt during the IW years
zaghloul and the wafd
- nationalist party who are elected into government and who become VP and members of the opposition
- given significant political platforms to amplify nationalism
- they are ANTI-AXIS power
describe the 1922 treaty between britain and egypt
feb 1922 = anglo-egyptian treaty signed
- effectively gives egypt independence to appease exerted nationalism
- zaghloul + wafd enter opposition
- britain keeps reserved powers in defence, minority protection, suez and communications (overarching priority)
what nationalist organisation was founded in 1933 in egypt
the young egypt organisation
- it promoted violence and facism in nationalism
- it openly supported the axis powers
what event occured in 1935 in abyssinia, and what impact did italy have on egyptian nationalism
1935 = italy invaded abyssinia to expand its empire
IMPACT:
by 1933, there were 60,000 italians in egypt, with many in northern africa in order to expand their imperial presence
- ideas of facism would spread
- egyptian nationalists sympathise with italians which undermines british trusteeship
what was the 1936 treaty between britain and egypt
- anti-axis nationalist party (wafd) want a british presence in government
- this is out of fear about italians entering egypt - want to assert british presence
- britain still retained control over suez
what was the 1931 national pact in egypt
- a pact signed in egypt by Mahmud Pasha to unite against Sidqi Pasha and his creation of a People’s Party in 1930
what do the british, NZ and SA troops do in 1942 in egypt
- they overthrow the egyptian king (who was an axis supporter) and occupy the palace
- enforces there is still a strong british interest in maintaining power and control (given suez etc)
how does nationalism change over time in egypt
- initially, the british concede in order to appease nationalist parties and political platforms, but want to keep material interests
- britain was always being forced to react to situations
- by 1939, nationalism is slowing down and is less of a concern, given the british and nationalists are uniting against axis powers
how did iraq come under british control
- iraq was gained by mandate after WWI with the fall of the ottoman empire in 1920
- nuri es-said forms a pro-british government after nationalist protest
describe the 1920 iraqi revolt
- the british tried to impose king faisal I as leader, with iraqi’s revolting against this because he was a ‘foreign puppet’, removing their degree of ‘independence’ after the ottomans left
- Sunni and Shia arabs form a coalition against the British
- the british use violence to retailiate (with indian soliders), which triggered national consciousness and an iraqi identity, thereby accelerating demands for independence
- british use airpower to bomb iraqi villages because it is cheap and would suppress concentrated rebellion
- solomon refuses to disclose and take accountability for their actions in iraq
- erodes the british mandate
what treaty was signed in 1930 between iraqis and the british and describe it
1930 anglo-iraqi treaty
- iraq shifts from a mandate to being more independent
- however, britain reserve their oil presence in iraq
- british intervention in iraq has support from palestinian forces
- 3000 iraqi officers killed
describe the incident at basara in iraq
1941
- the british feel that there is a threat from the germans in oilfields
- the british send indian troops into Basra to protect their commercial interests
describe american oil interests in iraq
1919 = america has 7.5 million barrels of oil
1934 = america has 57 million barrels
- iraq is producing 4/5ths of oil
describe the revolt in palestine in 1936
april 1936 = arab revolt
- arabs revolt against the british and campaign for independence
- in september 1936, the british draft 9000 troops into palestine
the british rely on harsh measures to impose order:
1. general wauchope uses martial law + bombs villages
2. the british expand the death penalty to rebels
- the british lose control of key regions (ie Jerusalem) to rebels
*critical event in displaying a lack of british control
give a key example of the british imposing strict control on arab nationalists after the 1936 uprising
from aug - oct 1938 - 30 death sentences given, 2000 houses were destroyed
describe the white paper in palestine in 1939
1939 white paper
- declared britain would keep a mandate in palestine for 5 years
- jewish immigration was capped at 25,000 a year
- jews could not purchase land
- palestine was prepared to become an independent and self governing state
*was lenient to arabs, harsh on jews
THIS WAS BECAUSE:
- jews were very anti axis, but arabs were not so much, so arabs would be easier to convert to axis, so british appease to maintain control
- so willing to appease to prevent a spread of arab nationalism
REALPOLITIK
what commission entered palestine in 1937, and what did it do
1937 peel commission
- it proposed a partition in palestine and reduced the quota of jewish immigrants into palestine
describe tensions between jewish and arab peoples during the interwar years
- jews enter palestine through the british without consent under the balfour declaration
- they establish large areas of land for settlements, which are excluded, and only employ from a certain religion which amplifies racial hostilities
- there are large divides between jews and palestinians over religion and feeling that a national identity was being threatened
- arabs then thought that the british aligned with zionists
list the key nationalist events in india in the IW years (ie 1919-1939)
- amritsar massacre
- protests at simon’s commission “simon go back”
- quit india movement 1942
- direct action day 1946
- 1924 all indian spinners association
- membership of political leagues
- mutiny at bombay naval yard 1946
- salt march 1931
- 1922-1923 - civil disobedience movement
- chauri chaura massacre 1922
- purna swaraj declaration
key british figures in palestine during nationalist period
- general wauchope
- anthony eden - foreign sec
- macdonald - sec of state for colonies
- douglas harris - special commissioner in palestine
key nationalist groups in palestine during the IW period
- haj amin al-hussaini - convinced neighbouring arab states to place pressure on britain
- rashid ali - PM in palestine who got into power through backing of the army
key motivations for the british presence in palestine
- strategic reasons
- ‘clapham junction’ of the empire
- buffer to egypt to defend suez (india) and was a link to iraq
- easy access to iraq and egypt
- allow for indian reinforcements to be easily sent - constant support / access
- key geopolitical link - commercial interests
- extensive oil presence
- remove american commercial influences
what were the british concerns in palestine
- strategic concerns
- fear that losing palestine to nationalists and foreign interference would undermine control in suez - religious concerns
- extensive hostilities between arabs and jews
- fear of arab alliance with axis powers
- religious polarization - appeasement was difficult
- reaching a peace agreement would always require violence and a sacrafice
- british could not alienate anyone - reputational concerns
- hostilities were entrenched in palestine, but this would undermine british influence and their ability to exert control (globally weak)
- 1938/1939 - italy and germany release propaganda of palestine, damaging the british image and image the british themselves portrayed of having control
- fear of axis power intervention
- fear of distrust of arabs toward the british
give 4 key stats about jewish immigration into palestine
- from 1933-1939, 215,000 jews enter palestine
- in 1933, there were 800,000 arabs in palestine, and 200,000 jews
- 150,000 jews leave germany during the nazi regime
- by 1925, over 34,000 jews a year were emigrating (mainly into palestine)
what is:
a) the balfour declaration
b) the balfour definition
a) balfour declaration
1917 = balfour takes a pro-zionist approach and allows jewish immigrants into palestine - appeasement for return for wartime support
- it is mainly to have jewish support in the war effort
- this lacked consent from palestine
b) balfour definition
1927 = defines dominion status between the british and its colonies from an imperial conference
describe the treatment of jews after WWI
- extensive antisemitism toward jews after the war in russian programmes
- this forced mass migration programmes of jews
- jews were classified as ‘aliens’ and in order to compensate for this, the balfour declaration was released
give the 5 main african nationalist groups, movements or organisations
- 1925 = west african students union, opens in camden in 1933
- 1921 + 1946 = East African Association, reformed to the Kenyan African Union (KENYATTA!)
- 1919 = national congress of west africa founded in ACCRA (was more elite in terms of who was leading it)
- 1927 = the international congress against colonial oppression and imperialism is founded
- 1920 young kikuyu association by thuku - his arrest caused the police to shoot 25 people
give 3 examples of african nationalist strikes against the british from the IW period
- south african industrial and commercial workers union = strikes in 1919 and 1920
- 1935 = strikes on Rhodesian Copper mines
- 1921 = rail strikes in nigeria
british attitudes to africans during the interwar period
- dismissive and inferior treatment - believe in this need to enforce a civilising mission
- belief in ideas of supremacy
- lack of respect for local customs and ideas
- viewed africans as a morally deprived and repungant society - low regard
- paternalistic attitude?? - feel the need to help
- they call them ‘animals’ - the british feel that they have a moral high ground and justification for this treatment
- believe that they are individual martyrs - notion of heroism and doing a ‘duty’ for society
give the names of key african nationalists
- kenyatta
- solanke
- azikiwe
- nkrumah
- hastings banda
- thuku
give 2 examples of articles written by kenyatta going against the british
- 1933 = article in the labour monthly demanding representation
- 1934 = article in manchester guardian demanding political representation too
what white paper was released in 1923
devonshire white paper 1923
- claims that kenya is not a minority white population, but is a majority kenyan population
- claims it is african territory
- appeasement toward kenyan peoples and degrades the british position
is african nationalism in the interwar period a large threat
yes:
- african nationalism was amplified globally
- it was stategically smart because it built on indian nationalism
- there is rising sentiment and mass opinion
no:
- there was minimal african involvement in running the country - no opportunity to make pivotal change
- lack of local african access to material published in britain (ie kenyatta articles)
- there were divisions between african tribes
- limited literacy rates in these regions (focused on a loyal elite)
- the british would blame nationalism on the influence of soviets - it would not undermine imperialism / be legitimate
- nationalists were outnumbered on any legislative council
which british colonies in africa had legislative councils before 1914
nigeria, sierra leone, the gold coast
describe the 1945 manchester conference
- was led by nkrumah and kenyatta
- it called for the emancipation of black africa from colonialism and communist forces attempting to fight over it
- it wanted an autonomous and independent africa which was free from white minority rule
describe the work of thuku
- formed the young kikuyu organisation in 1920
- 1921 = thuku founded the east african association
- kenyatta joined in 1922
- together, they advocated for african rights and adequate representation
when did the british exile zaghul and what was the consequence of this
1919
- caused widespread civil disobedience and rioting
- the british were inhibiting rights to political association
- caused demonstrations, in which british military bases were attacked
- 800 egyptians were killed
- 1600 people were injured
give the names of 2 jewish nationalist organisations formed during the IW years and their dates
- the haganah = formed in 1920 (became the national army of israel later)
- stern gang - founded in 1940 by stern
impact of WWI + WWII on nationalism
- both amplified colonial identity and this need to be rid of an overarching colonial oppressor
- collapse of other empires (ie russian revolution and ottomans) triggers this need for liberation and national identity
- colonies became inspired by one another
what were the aims of nationalist movements in the IW years
1915 macmahon letter to mecca
- britain promises to protect holy places in mecca against foreign aggression
- british binding themselves to this region??
- promise arab regions that they can have british advice and wartime support (indirect expansion - before formal gain of territory)
- macmahon is maintaining alliances with critical middle-eastern powers in order to ensure a preservation of civilising values and to safeguard economic interests - OIL!!
describe the 1921 anglo-irish treaty
- came after the 1920 government of ireland act
- promises self government to Ireland and rename Ireland the Irish Free State
- gave the ability of northern irish states to return to the UK
- british military forces would withdraw from ireland
- southern Irish activists refuse to swear an oath of allegiance to the British Crown (bc king was head of state)
- de valera refuses the treaty
- a civil war then starts (ends in 1923)
*this is A YEAR AFTER 1919 GOV OF INDIA
1920 act:
- separate parliament of northern and southern ireland
describe the easter uprisings + its impact (inc political reaction)
1916
- it was an anti-imperialist, republican demonstration
- 1600 republican supporters declare a provisional government to be independent of britain
impact:
- 3500 people were arrested
- 15 executed - angers irish immensely
- 80 sentenced to death
- 300 people killed
political reaction:
- 1918 = sinn fein win 73 election seats and establish their own assembly - win a majority
- they declared the IRA to be involved in a guerilla war against the british
motivations for introducing the 1917 balfour declaration
wartime advantage
- if the british appease jews, they have access to increasing warpower + support
- this jewish support in the war would incline america to join the war
economic points
- the british will have access to economic support and funds
- may ease the burden of war
political points
- jewish leaders will promote the british war effort
- undermine german power and prevent germany from associating with the jewish people - feel this agreement will advance imperial status (will disrupt a british sphere of influence)
- british want to prove how politically powerful they are, to the point that they could dictate land use
describe the work of the IRA during the IW period
1920 - they shoot 12 british officers
- they recruit 45,000 volunteers by 1920, despite negotiating with the british over creating a republic
- they continuously used violence to assert themselves
impact of irish nationalism on IW nationalism more broadly
- amplifies and encourages the use of violence to assert themselves
- displayed how violence was bringing tangible concessions of power
- encouraged other nationalist movements to be more united
- there was also international support for the irish nationalists (global galvanisation against imperial cause)
- displayed how empire is weakening / cannot always maintain control
- if britain lost their 1st and longest colony, and a geographically close colony, they could lose anything
- there is a large irish diaspora in other colonies (ie aus)
- ireland was a white colony, and a civilising mission couldn’t be controlled (british methods don’t work)
when is ireland declared a republic
- 1937 by de valera declares a republic
(poses britain as internationally weak pre-WWII) - he refuses to join the 1937 imperial war conference
- 1948 = republic of ireland act = separated from britain
what are the british forced to recognise after irish nationalism
- reliance on violence would only amplify nationalist sentiment and reduce imperial sentiment
- the british should only concede when necessary, they would be too weak otherwise
- the british must be firm, not violent or they would lose control
- britain would need to be more unified and less slow (don’t want to repeat dyer’s mistakes)
- britain should not force nationalist decisions, they would only agitate nationalists more
describe the irish home rule bill in ireland
- a home rule bill had been passed in 1913, but was being threatened because of religious divides
- 1914 = home rule in ireland was suspended after mutinies in curragh
- the home rule bill had been attempted by gladstone in the 1880s and failed
- the bill took 3 attempts to pass
what 3 ‘colonies’ did britain lose after WWI, before WWII
- egypt - 1922 = anglo-egyptian treaty
- ireland = 1921 = anglo-irish treaty
- iraq = 1932 = independence under king faisal (gov maintained close ties with britain)
