In Southern Africa, however, the transfer of power to an African majority was greatly complicated by the presence of entrenched white settlers. //-->. Well, a big reason for the numerous amount of countries in the world today is the process of decolonization that occurred after World War II (WWII) in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.. Let's explore the different ways new nations responded to such challenges. Lets explore a few causes. [17][18][19][20] Other explanations emphasize how the lower profitability of colonization and the costs associated with empire prompted decolonization. Malis economy, for example, collapsed in 1973 when the price of oil skyrocketed, making it far more difficult to import the fuel needed to produce the countrys two main exports: gold and cotton. Veterans returning to the colonies with new leadership skills and anti-colonial feelings was one important outcome of Second World War that contributed to decolonization. . Source: CIA World Factbook; national government websites. For hundreds of years, competing, mainly European empires controlled countries or areas around the world and exploited indigenous peoples and resources in territory they ruled. World War II led to decolonization of Africa by affecting both Europe and Africa militarily, psychologically, politically, and economically. Much later, in 1970, further communal violence broke out within Pakistan in the detached eastern part of East Bengal, which became independent as Bangladesh in 1971. Baylis, J. With the exception of colonies in Eurasia, linguistic decolonization did not take place in the former colonies-turned-independent states on the other continents ("Rest of the World"). Britain left India in 1947, Palestine in 1948, and Egypt in 1956; it withdrew from Africa in the 1950s and '60s, from various island protectorates in the 1970s and '80s, and from Hong Kong in 1997. The Algerian War of Independence raged from 1954 to 1962. Throughout the Cold War, the two superpowers waged proxy wars in countries such as Afghanistan, Angola, El Salvador, Guatemala, Korea, and Nicaragua. The constitution of the French Fourth Republic provided for token decentralization of colonial rule, and cycles of revolt and repression marked French history for 15 years after the end of World War II. At that time, the country only had twenty-five statesin many of which slavery was legaland less than 5 percent of its present-day population. How the World Works and Sometimes Doesnt. Egypt became independent in 1922, although the UK retained security prerogatives, control of the Suez Canal, and effective control of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Why is the decolonization of Africa important? Some nationalized industries and infrastructure, and some engaged in land reform to redistribute land to individual farmers or create collective farms. And although many colonies in the Americas gained their independence in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the United States, Japan, and Europe still controlled large parts of Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and the Pacific in the early twentieth century. Meanwhile, in Rwanda and Sudan, tensions between ethnic groups grew after independence, leading to discrimination, violence, and eventually genocide (actions taken with the intent to destroy a specific group of people). By 1954 French North Africa was beginning to stir; guerrilla warfare occurred in both Morocco (where the French had deposed and exiled Sultan Muammad V) and Tunisia. Likewise, South Korea has been the beneficiary of American protection since the two countries signed a mutual defense treaty in the early days of the Cold War. Nation-building is the process of creating a sense of identification with, and loyalty to, the state. British rule ended in Cyprus in 1960, and Malta in 1964, and both islands became independent republics. In 1935, the Philippines transitioned out of territorial status, controlled by an appointed governor, to the semi-independent status of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Britain left India in 1947, Palestine in 1948, and Egypt in 1956; it withdrew from Africa in the 1950s and 60s, from various island protectorates in the 1970s and 80s, and from Hong Kong in 1997. Where did decolonization occur after World War II? Ultimately, the British accepted Jinnahs proposal and divided the subcontinent, leading to a traumatic period of mass displacement and violence known as partition. Cyprus, which came under full British control in 1914 from the Ottoman Empire, was culturally divided between the majority Greek element (which demanded "enosis" or union with Greece) and the minority Turks. This lesson explores how countries gained their independence, the obstacles leaders faced in building their new nations, and the ways the world continues to experience the legacy of decolonization. Essential Events Since 1945 | World101 Today, the legacy of their independence movements remains visible, not just in the borders of the world map but also in the politics, economics, languages, cultures, and demographics of countries worldwide. For these reasons, we tend to study these two . Only after World War II did large-scale decolonization begin. In the Americas and South Africa, such issues are increasingly discussed under the term decoloniality. Indonesia annexed Netherlands New Guinea in 1963, and Portuguese Timor in 1975. [84] In October 2020, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth described the British and American governments as "hypocrites" and "champions of double talk" over their response to the dispute. In 1961, India annexed Goa and by the same year nationalist forces had begun organizing in Portugal. Between 1945 and 1960, three dozen new states in Asia and Africa achieved autonomy or outright independence from their European . In 1939, Nazi Germany initiated the Second World War by attacking and invading Poland. After independence, many countries created regional economic associations to promote trade and economic development among neighboring countries, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Gulf Cooperation Council. The Balfour Declaration of 1926 declared the British Empire dominions as equals, and the 1931 Statute of Westminster established full legislative independence for them. Updates? The colonies remained independent during the war, while Belgium itself was occupied by the Germans. When Did Decolonisation Begin And End? - FAQS Clear The African Union includes all 55 African states. European powers controlled most of Africa on the eve of the First World War. When the United Nations was formed in 1945, it established trust territories. After the war, the Japanese colonial empire was dissolved, and national independence movements resisted the re-imposition of colonial control by European countries and the United States. 2017-2023 Council on Foreign Relations. Pro-independence revolutionaries from places such as Egypt, Korea, and Vietnam celebrated the announcement and reached out to Wilson for further support of their causes. After World War II ended there were an independence movements around the world, especially in Africa. How Did Mass Production and Mass Consumption Take Off After World War II? Before World War I, Japan had gained several substantial colonial possessions in East Asia such as Taiwan (1895) and Korea (1910). After World War II, European countries generally lacked the wealth and political support necessary to suppress faraway revolts; they also faced opposition from the new superpowers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union, both of which had taken positions against colonialism. Angola was a Portuguese colony until 1975. Even in Tarzan movies, we would become totally galvanized by the activities of the hero and follow the story from his point of view, completely caught up in the structure of the story. ", Smith, Tony. Any former European colony not free of Western European influence fits such a concept. After a nine-year war of independence against France, Vietnam split into two countries: a Chinese- and Soviet-backed north and a U.S.-backed south. In 1950 Indonesia became a centralized, independent republic. However Morocco merged French Morocco with Spanish Morocco, and Somalia formed from the merger of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. Independence and decolonization in Southern Africa - Britannica The 1973 oil crisis which followed the Yom Kippur War (October 1973) was triggered by the OPEC which decided an embargo against the US and Western countries, causing a fourfold increase in the price of oil, which lasted five months, starting on October 17, 1973, and ending on March 18, 1974. Prof Geoffrey Rugege. World War II was brutally costly. The French left Vietnam in 1954 and gave up its North African colonies by 1962. David Strang, "Global patterns of decolonisation, 15001987.". With the invasion of Spain by Napoleon in 1806, the American colonies declared autonomy and loyalty to King Ferdinand VII. [37] The US government declared Puerto Rico the territory was no longer a colony and stopped transmitting information about it to the United Nations Decolonization Committee. Soviet control of its non-Russian member republics weakened as movements for democratization and self-government gained strength during the late 1980s, and four republics declared independence in 1990 and 1991. Economic Challenges: Many empires set up their colonies exclusively to export a small handful of raw materials like cotton, iron, and petroleum. [71], Kenyan writer Ngg wa Thiong'o has written about colonization and decolonization in the film universe. Critical Reflections on Development from a Decolonial Epistemic Perspective", "Practical theology and the call for the decolonisation of higher education in South Africa: Reflections and proposals", "It will take critical, thorough scrutiny to truly decolonise knowledge", "What Were the Consequences of Decolonization? Decolonization: Definition & Causes| StudySmarter A non-exhaustive list of assassinated leaders would include: The United Nations, under "Chapter XI: Declaration Regarding Non-Self Governing Territories" of the Charter of the United Nations, defines Non-Self Governing Nations (NSGSs) as "territories whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government"the contemporary definition of colonialism. Most of Africa's island countries had also become independent, although Runion and Mayotte remain part of France. [CDATA[// >
