Independence and a retreat from Imperialism

African Independence

Indian Independence

Middle Eastern Revolutions

THE POST WWII WORLD

LEARNING OBJECTIVES• To understand the cause behind the breakup of imperialist systems in the 20 th century.

• To consider, through the examples of India and South Africa how “decolonization” worked.

• To examine the challenges that faced developing nations in the 2 nd half of the 20 th century.

• To investigate the clash between modernization and tradition in developing nations

TOWARDS FREEDOM• 1940’s saw a plethora of states acquire their independence in the 1940’s.

• Jordan

• Iraq

• Pakistan (E/W)

• Burma

• Indonesia

• Israel

• India

• All present unique circumstances

THE CASE OF ISRAEL• Israel was created out of the lands given to Britain at the end of WWI, the Balfour

declaration openly pledged to create a new state in the Levant.

• This area was occupied by Palestinians. The question Britain wrestled with, was who had a historical claim to the land?

• The Holocaust sped up the process and in 1948, the UN created the state of Israel to be a Jewish homeland.

• This created turmoil in the Arab world as the Arab world was experiencing decolonization from Britain and France…this went in the other direction.

WAR AND CONFLICT IN THE HOLY LANDS• The creation of Israel set off a storm of conflicts between the Israelis and Arabs.

• Between 1948 and the present they fought a series of bloody conflicts and have experienced terrorism.

• War of 1948-9

• Six Day War: 1967

• Yom Kippur War: 1973

• Violence between 1973 and present takes different form

• In each case particularly the first war, the Arabs expected easy victories—why were the Jewish people successful in these wars?

IRAQI INDEPENDENCE• Iraqi independence is a point illustrative of why

many Asians approached decolonization with suspicion and misunderstanding.

• Iraq gained “independence from Britain in 1932, only to realize it was but partial independence and Britain would maintain military bases in the country.

• They would then later lose their independence to the British and not get it back until almost 1960!

• T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia)

FALL OF EMPIRES• Empires became a thing of the past. Collapsing empires included:

• Austro-Hungarian Empire (Balkans)

• Ottoman Empire (Mid-East, SW Asia)

• German (Europe, Africa)

• Japan (Pacific Rim, China)

• United States viewed as a non-territorial empire, wielded economic and political power.

• USSR a non-territorial empire, used coercion to command obedience, fell under the weight of nationalism in Eastern Europe.

FACTORS PROMOTING DECOLONIZATION• The concept of colonization was flawed. Colonization ran in opposition to the principles

of progress and Christianity.

• Colonialism required racism, exploitation, and poverty

• WWI propelled the idea of not only nationalism, but also the idea of self determination.

• “A bad indigenous government is far superior to the best foreign government”

• Conjecture the timing of key factors

• War had weakened the will of imperial countries

• Rise of non-territorial empires

• United Nations anti-colonial stance

• Men of magnificence and genius

THE END OF BRITISH INDIA• The paradox of Indian “unity”.

• Indian National Congress

• Mohandas “Mahatma” Gandhi

RESISTANCE AND AHIMSA• Gandhi employed a strategy never before seen in World History. It proved to be one of

the seminal moments of the millennium.

• Satyagraha: truth force

• Gandhi’s evolution

• Key events in the life of Gandhi and Indian independence

SOUL FORCE• Independence had never been attacked in such a way before.

• Gandhi’s message resonated with a wide audience, particularly in the West.

• Non-violent versus passive resistance?

OPPOSITION TO SATYAGRAHA• There were those who advocated violence

• There were those who advocated religious division

• Gandhi resisted all and referred to the division of India as a vivisection…dissection of a living entity.

• Gandhi’s religious attitudes

INDEPENDENCE AND PAKISTAN• Gandhi’s views on independence fail to prevent the vivisection of India.

• Jinnah’s argument:

• 1948: Assassination of Gandhi

• Newsweek…asks a good question!

INDIA AFTER GANDHI AND INDEPENDENCE• Constitutionalism

• Kashmir/India-Pakistani Wars

• Social unrest/religious unrest

• Nehru governance/socialism

• Indira Gandhi (sterility and emergency)

• Terrorism and Violence

• Economic resurgence

• Manmohan Singh, India’s first Sikh Prime Minister