Nationalist Movements Africa and the Middle East

Resistance to Colonial Rule Africans were forced off the best land Forced to work on plantations and in mines for low wages – most went to pay taxes If they owned land forbidden to grow cash crops like coffee and sisal Became dependent on European-made goods

Resistance to Colonial Rule Took many forms: – Squatted (settled illegally) on European plantations – Workers began to form labor unions which were outlawed by imperialist nations Call for self-determination (14 Points) Western educated Africans read and took interest in communism and socialism.

Apartheid Whites strengthened their grip on power in South Africa. Imposed a system of racial segregation – Insured economic, political and racial superiority Africans forced into low paying jobs, to carry passes at all times, to live on reserves in the dry desert areas 1936 the few educated property owing Africans that had been allowed to vote - lost the right.

Apartheid 1948 – Apartheid became the law of South Africa – System of racial segregation African Christian Churches began to demand rights for Black South Africans

African National Congress 1912 – African National Congress was formed Worked through legal means to: – Protesting laws that restricted freedom of black South Africans. Had no effect of South Africa’s white government ANC did build a framework for political action Apartheid remained the law of the land until 1990s

Rise of Nationalism Pan-Africanism: emphasized the unity of Africans and people of African descent around the world. Marcus Garvey – Jamaican born leader – “Africa for Africans” – Never visited African but inspired new leaders Marcus Garvey

Pan-African Congress Organized by W.E.B. Dubois in 1919 – African American scholar – Founder of NAACP Met in Paris at the same time as the Peace Conference ending WWI Delegates from Africa called on approval of a charter stating rights of Africans – Ignored by western powers – Established cooperation between Africans and African Americans

Egyptian Independence Wafd party – united western educated officials, Christians, peasants, landowners, and Muslims – Launched strikes and riots against British rule 1922 – Egypt declared independent – Britain stayed in country to protect Suez Canal – Remained the power behind King Faud 1930s young Egyptians were attracted to the Muslim Brotherhood – Islamic nationalism – rejected western culture

Modernization in Turkey Ottoman Empire collapsed after WWI – Divided into French and British mandates Middle East – Asia Minor: Turks fought western control to build a modern nation.

Atatürk Turkish nationalist overthrew the sultan, defeated western occupation and established a republic. Mustafa Kemal, the leader, took the name Atatürk meaning “father of the Turks” : Goals – Modernize along western lines – Separate religion from government Mustafa Kemal

Westernization of Turkey Replaced Islamic law with a code based on European models Discarded Muslim calendar – adopting Christian calendar – Moved day of rest from Friday to Sunday Forced people to wear western style clothes Replaced Arabic script with Latin alphabet – Stating it was easier to learn Closed religious schools – opening state schools

Westernization of Turkey Social changes for women – No longer had to veil their faces – Allowed to vote – Given freedom to work outside the home Teachers, doctors, lawyers, and politicians Polygamy – allowing men to have more than one wife – was banned.

Westernization of Turkey Atatürk ruled with an iron hand to achieve reforms Turkish Muslims rejected the secular government – Though Quran and Islamic customs should rule the country.

Nationalism and Reform in Iran Iranians resented the British and Russians that gained spheres of influence in Iran 1925 – Reza Khan overthrow the Shah of Iran to establish his own Pahlavi Dynasty He rushed to modernize Iran to make it independent Reza Khan

Nationalism and Reform in Iran Khan followed same reforms in Iran that had occurred in Turkey Urban Iranians supported the changes while Muslim religious leaders condemned them. British company gave Iran a larger share of oil revenues Gave jobs at all levels to Iranians

European Mandates and Arab Nationalism Pan-Arabism – nationalist movement built on the shared heritage of Arabs from the Arabian peninsula to North Africa. – Common language and history Sought to free Arabs from foreign domination and unite them in their own state

Betrayal at the Peace Conference Mandates – territories administered by Europeans – were set up at Peace Conference – Outraged Arabs that had helped Allies during war Arabs had been promised independence – Feeling that persist today

Promises in Palestine Jewish dream was to return to Palestine their ancestral home Modern Zionist Movement founded in response to anti-Semitism in Europe – Goal to rebuild a Jewish state in Palestine – Eastern European Jews began moving there

Balfour Declaration British supported the idea of “a national home for the Jewish people” Britain did not want anything done to upset non-Jewish communities (Arab) Stage was set for conflict between Arab and Jewish nationalist 1930s – Jews fled Germany and Eastern Europe to move to Palestine.

Questions to Ponder Describe three examples of the rise of nationalism in Africa. What reforms were introduced in Turkey and Iran? Why were many Arabs angered by the decisions at the Paris Peace Conference after World War I? Why did Palestine become a center of conflict?

European Mandates