Independence was achieved either through negotiations or armed struggle
Countries that negotiated independence = India, French West Africa, Ghana
Countries that used armed struggle = Algeria, Vietnam War
Movements for Autonomy: India and Pakistan
Not everyone agreed with Gandhi’s nonviolent, noncooperation movement or his call for unity between Muslims and Hindus, but people united under him during WWII
After WWII, Britain realized it could no longer control India
Britain was exhausted and broke from fighting in WWII and didn’t have the resources or the power to maintain colonial rule in India
Royal Indian Navy Revolt in 1946 played a key role in bringing about this realization
After this realization, Britain was ready to negotiate for India’s independence
Division and Conflict
Muslim League championed for the creation of a Muslim state
Muslim League got what they wanted: when India gained independence in 1947, it was split in two: India and Pakistan
Decolonization in Ghana and Algeria
Ghana
Britain negotiated Ghana’s independence, and Ghana’s first president was Kwame Nkrumah, who took office in 1960
Emulated nationalistic traditions of US and Britain
Constructed a national narrative of past glory and triumph
Nationalism would be infused in founding fathers, a currency, a flag, an anthem, museums, and monuments
Was an advocate for Pan-Africanism and with this he founded Organization of African Unity in 1963
He believed that the liberation of Africa from colonialism required African nations to unite and support each other in their struggle for independence and development.
Was eventually overthrown by a military coup
Algeria
French colony in North Africa
Got independence through armed struggle
Sentiments of nationalism bubbled after WWII, and led to the Algerian War for Independence in 1954
National Liberation Front led movement for independence
Utilized guerilla warfare (form of irregular warfare in which a smaller, less organized group or military force employs unconventional tactics to fight against a larger, more conventional force)
Lots of violence: while French military casualties were relatively low, hundreds of thousands of Algerians died in the war, often in violent street-by-street battles
Algerian war also divided people in France
The French Communist Party, which was powerful at the time, championed for Algerian independence
In 1958 Charles de Gaulle laid out the structures to provide Algeria independence, which it would achieve in 1962
Comparing Ghana and Algeria
Both would experience military coups
Main conflicts were between those who favored multiparty states and those who favored single-party socialism
Negotiated Independence in French West Africa
France largely ruled French West Africa indirectly
Their actual presence was low
Rather they ruled through local chiefs, existing governments, and other African leaders
However by mid-1950s, this relationship began to crumble and various African political parties (democratic, socialist, and communist) started to rise up against French rule
By 1959, many of the French West African countries had negotiated their independence from France
Nationalism and Division in Vietnam
Even though Japan controlled Indochina during WWII, after the war, France resumed its rule
Ho Chi Minh leads bloody struggle against French
Peace treaty in 1954 split Vietnam in two: North and South Vietnam
It was planned that elections would be held in 1956 to decide who would rule a united Vietnam
These elections never took place as the US knew Ho Chi Minh was going to win and they didn’t want a Communist in power
Eventually the Vietnam War occurred between the North and South
South Vietnamese who supported the Communists, known as Viet Cong, fought a guerrilla war against U.S. troops
After US withdrew from Vietnam War, North Vietnam quickly took over South Vietnam
Struggles and Compromise in Egypt
Egypt technically became independent in 1922 but British still retained some rights
British continued to influence Egyptian armies and were allowed to have troops to protect their interests in the Suez Canal
Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1952 overthrew the king and established the Republic of Egypt
Nasser was a socialist: his policies blended Islam and socialism and also instituted land reforms
The Suez Crisis
Suez Canal had been under lease to the French for 99 years
To Egyptians this lease symbolized colonial exploitation, which Nasser pledged to fight
Canal was administered jointly by British and French
Suez Canal has a lot of strategic importance as a maritime route for the transportation of goods, particularly oil
In 1956, Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal
France, Britain, Israel sent troops to occupy the land surrounding the canal
Much to France/Britain/Israel’s surprise however, the US and USSR actually sided with Egypt, and they the United Nations to broker a resolution to the Suez Crisis
Egypt was able to do this due to its non-aligned position
After this incident, the popularity of Nasser and the Non-Aligned Movement skyrocket