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Content Overview
Unit 8: c. 1900-Present
Decolonization
Summary: After the World Wars, nearly all European colonies achieved independence
Causes of Decolonization
List of Causes of Decolonization
Declining European Power
After the World Wars, Western Europe was economically devastated, and European nations didn't have the resources to cater to their colonies
US & USSR Opposed Colonialism
Before World Wars, global power was concentrated in Western Europe. After WW2, global power shifted to US & USSR, both of which opposed colonialism
Enlightenment Principles
Many colonists came to Europe to study → Learned about Enlightenment ideas such as freedom & equality → Spread those ideas to their colonies
Strong Independence Movements
Due to the spread of Enlightenment ideas, many colonies had strong nationalist or independence movements
Examples
1. Indian National Congress
2. Pan-African Nationalism
Events of Decolonization
Partition of India (1947)
British India had many Muslims → Muslims feared that under an independent India, Muslims would be persecuted by the Hindu majority → Muslims wanted a separate Muslim nation → British India split into secular India & Muslim Pakistan
Independence of African Nations
Kwame Nkrumah
Ghana was 1st African nation to get independence. Kwame Nkrumah led its independence & served as a model for other African colonies
Year of Africa (1960)
France gave all is colonies (except Algeria) independence in 1960 so that it could cater more resources to its main colony, Algeria
Algerian Independence War (1954-62)
Algeria was the last French colony in Africa → Fought a huge war with France → Won independence in 1962
Post-Independence Developments
Chinese Civil War (1927-49)
In 1912, the Qing Dynasty collapsed. China had a civil war between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) & the Chinese Nationalist Party (Guomindang). In 1949, the CCP won, and its leader, Mao Zedong, established a communist state in China (which still exists today)
Apartheid in South Africa
Many White Europeans settled in South Africa due to its strong industrial and mining economy. After South Africa's independence (1961), the Whites instituted a system called Apartheid, which kept the Blacks in South Africa in an inferior position to the Whites. Nelson Mandela led the African National Congress (ANC) to dismantle Apartheid & become South Africa's 1st Black president in 1994
Situation in the Middle East
Islamism
While the Arab States were rule by Britain & France under the mandate system, they had a revival of Islam, in which they advocated for Islamic rule instead of secular government. In the 1930s, the Arab states got independence from Britain & France
Creation of Israel (1948)
Jews never had a homeland where they were the majority of the population → The UN allocated part of the Arab state of Palestine to the Jews, calling it Israel → Arabs hated it → Conflict between the Arabs & the Jews of Israel
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser was one of the first leaders of independent Egypt. He promoted Pan-Arab nationalism & sought to create a united Arab state against the Jews. He promoted economic development in Egypt
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