African and Middle Eastern Independence Movements

African Independence Movements

African Nationalism In the 1930’s, many African colonies were demanding independence from European colonial powers. WWII became a turning point for Africa because promises of self-rule were made in return for Africa providing routes for military supplies. United Nations Charter – The Right of Self-Determination: “The political right of the majority to the exercise of power within the boundaries of a generally accepted political unit, area, or territory.” The Pan Africanism movement was one that promoted the cultural unity of people of African heritage in their struggle for freedom.

Reasons for Successful African Independence Movements after WWII Right to self-determination (UN Charter) Peaceful and violent revolutions after WWII Pride in African culture and heritage Resentment of imperial rule and economic exploitation Loss of colonies by Great Britain, France, Portugal, and Belgium Influence of superpower rivalry during the Cold War

Algeria

Algeria was the heart of the French colonial empire in Africa Algeria had been legally absorbed into France Algerians voted for representatives to the French National Assembly in Paris Voting restrictions were placed on the large majority of Muslim Arabs

Colons (Europeans) = 10% of the population but owned most of the industry and the best land Nationalists formed the Algerian National Liberation Front (French initials are FLN) led by Ben Bella

Both colons and the French authorities resisted Algerian independence

The Algerian War of Independence (1959-62), a guerrilla-style struggle between the French army and pro-independence Algerians, left in its wake over a million Algerian citizens (both military and civilians) dead and the widespread destruction of the land. This was a very brutal war with torture and atrocities on both sides.

Ghana

British Colonies One nationalist leader was Kwame Nkrumah. He organized a campaign of civil disobedience (peaceful) against the British in 1948. This led to increased pressure on the British to allow national elections. In 1951, Nkrumah’s party won and by 1957, the “Gold Coast” of Africa achieved full independence. It was renamed Ghana.

Kenya

British Colonies (continued) Ghana’s example was an example to many nationalists. By the 1950’s, KENYA was given a greater political role in East Africa. The Kikuya - Kenya’s largest ethnic group Led by Jomo Kenyatta - the first Prime Minister and President

The Kikuya: Excluded from large political roles In the early 1950’s, a terror group (within the Kikuya) called the Mau Mau initiated a very violent rebellion The British eventually put down this rebellion but not Kenya’s desire for independence. Both sides were accused of atrocities Kenyatta was jailed as a suspected Mau Mau leader and, then, released in 1961. He won an easy victory in national elections in 1963 and, later that year, they voted for independence from Great Britain.

POINT “From 1952, when a state of emergency was declared, until the end of the war in 1960, tens of thousands of Mau Mau detainees died from exhaustion, disease, hunger and systematic physical brutality” Caroline Elkins of Harvard University

COUNTER-POINT “There is another side to the coin of British brutality — that of the horrors inflicted by the Mau Mau. Moreover, the vast majority of their victims were not British settlers, their supposed enemies, but Africans like themselves” The Daily Mail

South Africa

South Africa was created in 1910 with the union of two British and two Boer (Dutch) territories. It was ruled by whites who had dominant status and only linked itself to Great Britain in foreign affairs. By custom, whites and non-whites were segregated socially. Non whites were given less educational opportunities and could, by law, only get low-paying manual work. In 1948 the National Party came to power. These were African speaking Dutch descendents. They established segregation and economic exploitation as government policy. This was known as APARTHEID (“apartness”).

A sign warning white South Africans against native danger

The African National Congress (ANC) fought apartheid by openly fighting these laws. Some of the members, including a black lawyer named Nelson Mandela, felt they should confront the violent responses of the South African government against the protestors. 1960 - At the Sharpeville Massacre 69 black South Africans were shot by police at a peaceful protest - over 150 are wounded. 1960 - The ANC is banned and Mandela goes underground forming 'The Spear of the Nation' (MK) military group with arms. 1961 - Mandela issues a call to arms and becomes leader of the Umkhontoat ANC guerilla movement. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4342288/south_africa_remembers_sharpeville_massacre/

1962 Aug - Mandela is arrested and imprisoned in the Johannesburg Fort. 1962 Oct – sentenced to 5 years in prison but goes on the run 1964 - Mandela is recaptured and tried for treason and sabotage and is sentenced to life imprisonment. Steven Biko and Desmond Tutu continued to protest apartheid Biko was eventually killed, but many joined the anti-apartheid movement.

In the 1980s the government began to abandon their strict policies In the 1980s the government began to abandon their strict policies. Nations around the world imposed economic sanctions to try and force South Africa to further eliminate racist policies. In September 1989, F.W. de Klerk was elected President of South Africa. He lifted a 30-year ban on antiapartheid activities and legalized the ANC. He, also, ordered the release of Nelson Mandela – 27 years In 1994, South Africa held its first all-races elections and Nelson Mandela was elected President. He served until 1999.

Country: _________________________ Independence from: ________________ ___________ struggle for Independence Major Leader: _____________________ Country: _________________________ Independence from: ________________ ___________ struggle for Independence Led by the __________ __________ Major Leader: _____________________ Country: _________________________ Independence from: ________________ ___________ transition to Independence Major Leader: _____________________ Country: ____________________________ Independence from: ___________________ ___________ struggle against ___________ Major Leaders: _______________________ ___________________________________

Middle Eastern Independence Movements

The Mandate System Colonies of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire were given to The League of Nations to administer after WWI Mandates were granted independence after WWII

League of Nation Mandates French Mandates British Mandates Syria- received independence in 1946 Lebanon- received independence in 1943 Iraq—received independence in 1932 Transjordan- received independence in 1946 became Jordan Palestine-received independence in 1948 became Israel

Egypt After WWII, Great Britain faced demands for independence from its mandates that were assigned after World War I. King Farouk of Egypt headed a corrupt government In 1952 a group of army leaders toppled the king and declared Egypt a republic. Soon, they declared their independence from Great Britain.

Gamal Abdel Nasser became the new leader of Egypt and one of his first acts was to nationalize the Suez Canal . Connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea (Med to Red) Took from Suez Canal Company and British and French stockholders Made it Egypt’s possession

Great Britain, France, and Israel felt threatened by this move because they wanted their ships to have free passage through the canal. They devised a plan that Israel should launch an attack across the canal and into Egypt. The British and French, meanwhile, would pretend to intervene and, then, destroy Egyptian armed forces in the process. The plan almost went into effect but Egypt refused intervention. Both sides sank each other ships until the US threatened to stop giving aid to Britain if the fighting did not stop. They were worried that the Soviet Union would intervene and did not want to start a larger conflict. The Suez crisis, however, was seen as a final defeat for European imperialism

Gamal Abdel Nasser: President of Egypt Nationalized Suez Canal Established a relationship with the Soviet Union Built Aswan High Dam (to control floods and provide electricity)

Palestine and Israel In 1939, the British reversed the Balfour Declaration In 1948, the United Nations divided Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states Arabs disagreed and very angry with this decision

Golda Meir: 1st woman and 4th Prime Minister of Israel Former prime minister David Ben-Gurion used to call Meir "the best man in the government“ She was often portrayed as the "strong-willed, straight-talking, grey-bunned grandmother of the Jewish people."

Meir led Israel to victory in the Yom Kippur War