Role of Individuals in decolonisation Flashcards
1
Q
Summarise how nationalists leaders were influential
A
- led nationalism movements -> often became leaders of the new nation states.
- Widespread support for them in the colonies – had public opinion behind them.
- had the opportunity to negotiate directly with the British.
2
Q
Summarise how nationalists were not THAT INFLUENTIAL
A
- Britain was prepared to delay independence.
- Not all nationalist leaders were supported by the people in the nation – e.g. Kenyatta and there was conflict after independence.
- Britain could hope for support from conservative vested interest groups within the colonies if there was threat of social upheaval.
3
Q
Who was Kwame Nkrumah (Gold Coast)
A
- 1945: Helped organise 5th Pan African Congress in London.
- Formed Convention People’s Party which pressured British administration to make further concessions.
- Became Prime Minister between 1953 and 1957 – proved it was possible for indigenous people to rule responsibly.
- Responded to demands for change.
- Understood importance of developing working relationship with British to gain confidence/ support in order to establish a stable state.
4
Q
Who was Nnamdi Azikiwi (Nigeria)
A
- Helped create National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) in 1944 and became its leader.
- Negotiated with the NPC to establish Nigeria’s first government.
Compromised and won trust of a variety of nationalists as well as the British - crucial in facilitating the peaceful transition to independence. - Persuaded the British that it was possible for different regional ethnic groups to work successfully together.
- British rule was not essential to avoid a civil war.
5
Q
Who was Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya)
A
- 1948-51 he toured and lectured around the country campaigning for the return of land given to white settlers and for independence.
- Arrested and imprisoned in response to the Mau Mau rebellion – despite his connection being unlikely.
- Elected leader of KANU from May 1960.
- After his release in 1961 he began negotiations with the British which led to independence.
- Helped force a relatively prosperous capitalist state and oversaw a peaceful land reform process.
- Response to Mau Mau rebellion weakened Britain’s moral authority and increased support for nationalism.
6
Q
Who was Apollo Milton Obote (Uganda)
A
- In 1957 he was elected to the Colonial Legislative Council.
- He manoeuvred between different political factions.
- Appointed PM of independent Uganda in 1962.
- After independence he became tainted by power and the state became ridden with violence and corruption.
- Britain was unwilling to grant independence too fast but he mediated between different factions.
7
Q
What was Sir Andrew Cohen’s role in decolonisation
A
- concerned by the treatment of Africans in the colonies.
- The Cohen Report of 1947 set out a new direction for colonial policy, mapping a route through gradual reform by which they could eventually emerge as independent, nations.
- proposed the Central African Federation -> concerned about the effects of apartheid.
8
Q
How successful was Sir Andrew Cohen
A
- Most African nations progressed much faster than he originally envisaged.
- The CAF ended in a failure.
- handling of Buganda has been questioned.
9
Q
What was the role of Sir Charles Arden-Clarke
A
- Secured release of Nkrumah from prison in 1951 and brought him into government – central in defusing a volatile situation in the wake of riots, strikes and imprisonments in W Africa.
- Managed relations between Nkrumah and Ashanti politicians who were concerned about the domination of an intellectual elite in a new Ghanaian state.
10
Q
How successful was Sir Charles Arden-Clarke
A
- proved a skilled and practical politician in dealing with highly complex and swiftly changing situation.
- held in such high regard that he was asked by the Ghanaian government to become the country’s first honorary ‘Governor-General’.
