WOC Decolonisation In Asia

Question 1

Summary of reasons for nationalism in Malaya

Answer 1

Initially everyone given citizenship then restricted

Question 2

Importance of Malaya and Singapore

Answer 2

Malaya economic post war importance- rubber

Singapore- crucially important strategically

Question 3

Problems as the British tried to re establish control in the Malay peninsula

Answer 3

Ethnic tensions
Malay people’s- UMNO
Chinese- MCA

Question 4

The Malaysian Chinese: percentage of pop in 1947 compared with 1957

Answer 4

1947- 38.4%

1957: 45%

Question 5

The Malaysian Chinese: ethnic tension 1945-1948

Answer 5

Chinese’s labour unions series of strikes

Ethnic tension so high that Britain had to abandon the Malay union plan

Question 6

Malaya: the federation of Malaya

Answer 6

January 1948
Legislative council of 62 members
Governments in individual Malay states

Question 7

Malaya: state of emergency

Answer 7

June 1948
Worries about revel strikes on plantations
Colonial authorities can use military force and arrest suspects

Question 8

Malaya: Henry gurney

Answer 8

High commissioner assassinated Oct 1951

Question 9

Malaya: problems in 1952

Answer 9

Mayays and Chinese’s unite against British rule- 81% of votes in 1955

Question 10

Malaya: the Reid commission

Answer 10

1955 New Democratic constitution to be drawn

Question 11

Malaya: independence

Answer 11

1957
Remained in sterling area
Exchange of colonial rule for informal influence
1963 United with Singapore north Borneo an Sarawak to form Malaysia

Question 12

Malaya: British tactics up to 1952

Answer 12

Win the sides of Malayan civilians so they would stop feeding Chinese’s guerrillas

Question 13

Malaya: where British tactics successful?

Answer 13

Yes as retained a good relationship economically even after independence

Question 14

Singapore: how much of pop have the vote?

Answer 14

10%

Question 15

What did both Malay and Singapore struggle to contain?

Answer 15

Communist insurgence

Question 16

Singapore: an attempt to win loyalty

Answer 16

Englarging legislative council to 32 seats
Dominated by Singapore progressive party
But by 1956 only won 3 seats as new left wing parties emerged

Question 17

Singapore: left wing parties

Answer 17

Sought discussion about self rule

Question 18

Singapore: state of Singapore act 1958

Answer 18

In 1956 lim yew hock impressed British with strong action against communists so British implemented full internal self gov

Question 19

Singapore: August 1965

Answer 19

Expelled from Malaysia and became fully independent

Question 20

Burma independence

Answer 20

Shortly after war
Nationalist and AFPFL Aung san
Civil war between factions
Burmese reject British commonwealth

Question 21

Indian independence: Bengal famine

Answer 21

1943-45
Due to poor harvests and tenfold inflation
1.3m dead in 3 years

Question 22

Indian independence: partition

Answer 22

Mountbatten

600,000 died in the process

Question 23

What was Britain’s war debt?

Answer 23

£2730m