Transcript Africa & Asia in the Era of Independence

Africa & Asia in the Era
of Independence
Mr. T
Decolonization of India & Africa
• Anti-colonial nationalism surged after
WWII
• The process of decolonization followed 2
broad patterns:
– Negotiated independence
– Incomplete decolonization
• Often violent (Algeria & Kenya)
– Guerilla warfare (Mau Mau in Kenya)
Decolonization in the 20th Century
De-Colonization Leadership
• Western-educated middle class
• Charismatic
• Support violence and non-violence
Nationalism
• Egypt
– Existed before British
occupation
– Waf’d Party
• India
– Indian National
Congress (INC)
– Hindered by religious
diversity
• Africa
– Pan-Africanism
– Hindered by ethnic
diversity
• Zionism
– Balfour Declaration
– Opposed by
Pan-Arabism
Problems After Independence
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Colonial legacy
The Population “Bomb”
Parasitic Cities & Endangered Ecosystems
Women’s Subordination
Neo-colonialism
Cold War Influences
Political Instability
Africa After Independence
• Challenges facing African states
– Arbitrary borders caused ethnic divisions that
made national unity difficult
– Poverty of African people increased tensions
– Nations could not acquire capital needed to
build sound infrastructure
• Organization of African Unity (1963)
– Created to recognize & prevent conflicts that
might lead to Western intervention
• More states end up one-party dictatorships
Military Governments
Population Growth
Population Growth
Urban Growth in the 20th Century
•Each white dot indicates an urban area with a population of over a million.
•Each red square indicates an urban population of over five million.
Democratic Governments:
One Party States
Ghana: Charismatic Populism
• Kwame Nkrumah
• Reforms hindered
– lack of education,
industrialization, cocoa prices
fall
• Authoritarian dictator
– Crush pol. Opposition; staged
“events”; manipulated history
• Socialist-leaning
– won Soviet support; alienated
the West
• Non-aligned
Egypt: Military Dictatorship
• Gamal Abdel Nasser
• Coup d’etat by army (1952)
– Khedive removed
• Seized Suez Canal (1956)
• State-led reforms promised
– Aswan Dam
– Most reforms foiled
• Pan-Arabism
– Pledge to command Arab world
– Seek vengeance on Israel  Egypt fails
South Africa: Fighting Apartheid
• Afrikaner Party institutes
Apartheid (1948)
– legalized racial segregation
– severe police state
• ANC (African National
Congress) formed (1912)
– Supported nonviolent protests 1st; turns
violent (1960)
– Nelson Mandela = ANC president
arrested
– ANC banned
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International sanctions on S.Africa
Protests grew 1980s
F.W. DeKlerk frees Mandela (1990)
Apartheid repealed (1990-1991)
South Africa: Fighting Apartheid
• 1st free election occurred (1994)
– Mandela & the ANC won a majority of
votes
• New constitution passed (1996)
– Includes US-style Bill of Rights
India: Democratic Stability
• Partition & Independence
(1947)
• Largest democracy on earth
• Advantages:
– Military defends secular democracy
– Came to independence w/larger
industrial & scientific center; better
infrastructure; larger middle class
• Jawaharlal Nehru
– Dedicated to
• economic development
• Civil liberty preservation
• Social reforms for lower castes & women
India: Democratic Stability
• Economic Development
• Mix of private & state
initiatives
• Green Revolution
• Growing middle class
– Introduction of improved seed
strains, fertilizers, irrigation
– Credited for averting a global
famine
• World’s largest film industry