Week 5: Western Europe in the 1960s

Question 1

1960s was marked by stark decolonization from Britain and France because:

Answer 1

the European empires had presence in multiple continents and were very expensive to maintain

Question 2

the ___ declaration favored Palestine as the place for Jewish homeland, which caused friction between Arabs and Jews

Answer 2

the Balfour declaration.

Question 3

Why did Britain leave Palestine?

Answer 3

Violence erupted after the UN proposed that Palestinians and Jews split Palestine 50-50 in 1947- Jews had a minority of 6%, why do they get 50% of the land? The violence was too expensive for Britain to fund, so they left

Question 4

On what grounds did the Israel war of independence end?

Answer 4

called for a settlement agreements that gave Isaelis/Jews 70% of the land, which created a lot more friction between Arabs and Jews, and was an even worse proposal than the UN 50-50 proposal

Question 5

in 1946, the term “British” was dropped, and the UK-ruled nations including Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa etc. was formed, a grouping called the ____

Answer 5

commonwealth.

Question 6

Why did South Africa leave the commonwealth in 1961?

Answer 6

because of the Apartheid- it joined back to the commonwealth in 1994 when the apartheid ended.

Question 7

Outline the events and reason behind the Suez Canal Crises

Answer 7

Egyptian leader wanted to nationalize the Canal because he did not want British colonialism in Egypt.

• Britain and France saw this as problematic because the canal was strategic to occupy and allowed for trade and access to India
• Britain and france planned on a secret invasion of Egypt to take over the Canal, and did not notify the states. Israel was planning on invading at the same time– provided Britain and France with a distraction
• the US got involved and was angry, the UN got involved and Britain and France pulled out.
• Britain and France then lost a lot of face, pride and credibility with the states, because the US lost trust..
• USA helped the Egyptians to rebuilt their infrastructure

Question 8

Why did the British not tell the US about their plans to take over the Suez Canal?

Answer 8

• US is involved with NATIONALISM, not IMPERIALISM, which was what was driving the British Suez invasion, therefore, they would be against it.

Question 9

What was the Muslim league?

Answer 9

a group in India that advocated for the idea of Indian Hindu-Muslim separatism

Question 10

Why did some members of the Muslim league want the creation of Pakistan?

Answer 10

to form a Muslim homeland, independent from Hindus.

Question 11

What was the INC?

Answer 11

The Indian National Congress that was in charge of India, that wanted to gain independence from Britain. Advocated for Britain to “Quit India”

Question 12

How did the Muslim league pressure Britain to leave India?

Answer 12

the group sparked violence by declaring Direct Action Day (we shall have india divided (into Hindu and Muslim states), or India destroyed). Britain didn’t want to deal with that, and left.

Question 13

Which areas was French decolonization prominent?

Answer 13

Indochina (Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia) as well as Algeria

Question 14

Who was fighting for Indochina independence from France?

Answer 14

Communist resistance leader Ho Chi Minh. Involved Guerilla war

Question 15

What happened at the Geneva accords in 1951 between France and Indochina?

Answer 15

1) Indochina became Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam
2) vietnam became split into North (communist) and south (France)

• this set stage for US involvement in Vietnam

Question 16

What was the demographic hierarchy in Algeria?

Answer 16

1) French soldiers/ European settlers
2) Muslim Berbers (indigenous)
3) Muslim Arabs

Question 17

What societal problems in Algeria made nationalists seek independence?

Answer 17

1) African soldiers question their place in French Empire
2) appropriation of crops, forced labour.
3) Public demonstrations, attacks on landowners.
4) Limited franchise for Arab Algerians

Question 18

What party stemmed from the nationalist ideologies of Algeria?

Answer 18

the National Liberation Front (FLN): made up of Algerians who were discriminated against by the French, and advocates for socialism and equal citizenship rights.

Question 19

What were the civil war on 3 fronts happening in Algeria for independence?

Answer 19

1) Guerilla War between French army and FLN
2) war in the cities: FLN terror campaigns. French used torture.
3) Oganization de l’Armee Secrete (OAS) targeted supporters of independence in France and Algeria.

-France society divided.

Question 20

What happened to the French economy when Algeria gained independence in 1963?

Answer 20

Stressed the French economy because over 900,000 colonizers returned to France. France begins to focus on the European Economic Community now that they are no longer in Algeria.

Question 21

Who was the president of France during the time of Algerian independence and how did he contribute to the war for independence?

Answer 21

Charles de Gaulle of France was president at the time. He stirred the pot because he gave a speech saying “Algeria will always be apart of France”

Question 22

Why was the Berlin Wall Put up?

Answer 22

Because East Germany was dealing with a mass exodus of younger people. Young people who were supposed to be the next generation of individuals who contribute to the community began to flee from East germany to the Western side.

• left east germany with struggling economy.
• mass leaving of citizens was an embarrassment to USSR, so to prevent them from leaving, they put up the Berlin wall, where people could be shot if they crossed.

Question 23

What was checkpoint charlie?

Answer 23

a gap in the Berlin wall that the USA put up for diplomatic purposes only.

Question 24

Who was West Germany’s president after WWII?

Answer 24

Chancellor Konrad Adenauer.

Question 25

What was the driving force between trying to create a united Europe?

Answer 25

After WWII, there is a decrease in favour of strict right wing or left wing-ism.

• did not want nazism or communism

Question 26

What was the Pact of Brussels?

Answer 26

Instituted in 1948, included countries of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg. Wanted to set up a union of European states that included an EU charter of Human rights and Court of Justice.

Question 27

What was OEEC

Answer 27

Organization for European Economic Co-operation formed to administer the Marshall Plan. Later called the Council of Europe. all these countries work with the MArshall plan and come together with some form of common goal. Wants to unite the countries of Europe to facilitate Economic progress.

Question 28

What was good about the european coal and steel community ECSC formation?

Answer 28

it merged french and german coal and steel industries so both countries would benefit, and it would eliminate the possibility of another conflict.

Question 29

What was the high authority

Answer 29

High Authority oversaw all aspects of ECSC, regulated imports and exports, dropped prices on coal and steel, encouraged trade, and established a free market of coal and steel.

Question 30

the High Authority of the ECSC was considered a ______, which made it “above” the decisions of the individual countries

Answer 30

a supranational body

Question 31

What was the treaty of rome?

Answer 31

triggered the formation of the European Economic Community by the EU countries. Signed by all the members of the ECSC.

Question 32

What was the EEC and EAC

Answer 32

EEC= European Economic Community, EAC= European Atomic Energy Community

Question 33

Goals of the EEC AND EAC

Answer 33

wanted a COMMON MARKET and POLITICAL UNION via;

1) common tariff policy achieved by gradual reduction then abolition of tariffs
2) common tariff scale to be levied against the goods of non-members
3) Free movement of goods, people and capital within the community.
4) establishment of Investment Banks and adoption of common taxation policy

Question 34

What did Britain start because they were not a member of the EEC?

Answer 34

they started a European Free Trade Association EFTA with Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Commonwealth countries, etc.

Also fought to remove tariffs, but did not have a common policy on tariffs against non-member states.

Question 35

What was the main reason behind why EFTA could not compete against EEC?

Answer 35

because Britain and Switzerland were the only nations in EFTA who were industrially competitive. The markets were thus smaller and EFTA could not compete in production or growth.

Question 36

Why didn’t Britain become an EEC member until later?

Answer 36

Charles de Gaulle of France kept vetoing.
he didn’t think Britain had a good enough economy to be part of the EEC
- Britain, Denmark and Ireland (members of EFTA) didn’t become part of EEC until Charles de Gaulle died.