Unit VIII: Into the Modern World

Do Now: 5/9/14 or 5/12/14 Hotel Rwanda reflection: -How does Paul (the hotel manager) provide examples of quick thinking, courage, and care for fellow humans? -Why do you think he is so selfless? -How would you have reacted if you were in Paul’s situation. Could you handle the stress?

Unit VIII- #1:African Nations gain Independence

1. Unrest after WWII After WWII, many African nations demanded independence. After gaining independence, a few African nations had peace & democracy. Most African nations faced civil wars, military rule, or corrupt dictators. European powers had divided Africa into colonies, with no regard for ethnic groups. This led to ethnic conflicts, when African countries did gain independence.

2. Africans build New Nations Many early African leaders established one- party political systems. Many one-party states became dictatorships. When bad governments led to unrest, the military often seized power. More than half of all African nations suffered coups. More and more Africans demanded an end to strong-man rule and a movement toward democracy. Western governments and the World Bank began to require democratic reforms as a condition for loans.

3. Foreigners still jostle for control Colonial powers often retained control of businesses in their former colonies. Many new nations remained economically dependent on their former colonizers. During the Cold War the U.S. and the Soviet Union often competed for advantages through alliances with newly independent nations. The U.S. supported the dictator of Zaire to counter Soviet support for Angola. The U.S. had an alliance with Somalia while the Soviets supported Ethiopia.

Do Now 5/13/14 Answer the following questions using the map on pg. 569 in complete sentences: 1. The countries that border Israel are_____? 2. The three disputed territories within Israel shown on the map are? 3. How might Israel’s location make it a source of conflict? 4. What do you think a logical solution for a Jewish homeland after the Holocaust and WWII should have been? Use pg. 569 if you need help. Remember many Jews had been removed from their homelands and put in camps.

#2 Stories of Five African Nations

I. Ghana Kwame Nkrumah led the Gold Coast (now Ghana) to independence in Gradually his government became dictatorial and corrupt. In 1966 his government was overthrown by the first of several military coups in Ghana. Ghana’s last coup in 1981 was led by Jerry Rawlings. Rawlings restored democracy to Ghana and brought political stability to Ghana. He was elected and peacefully gave up power when he lost election in 2001.

II. Kenya White settlers had passed laws to ensure their control of the country. Jomo Kenyatta was a leader of Kenya’s largest ethnic group the Kikuyu he supported nonviolent methods to end the oppression. In the 1950s, rebels turned to guerrilla warfare. The British crushed the rebels. Kenya finally became independent in Kenyatta became Kenya’s first president but he jailed opponents and outlawed opposition. In 2002 Kenya had their first fair election.

III. Algeria Achieved independence from France after a long and costly war in A coup in 1965 began a long period of military rule. When the Algerian government finally allowed for free elections in 1992 an Islamist party won. Islamist want the government based on the teachings of Islam. The military rejected the Islamist victory leading to seven years of civil war. Since 1999, the government has largely stopped the fighting but things remain tense.

IV. Democratic Republic of the Congo After Congo became independent from Belgium, the province of Katanga rebelled. Then United Nations ended the rebellion in The formerly U.S. supported Mobutu Sese Seko ruled as a harsh military dictator from 1965 to Seven years of civil war ended with a cease- fire in The country remained divided among regional factions.

V. Nigeria Has the largest population in Africa. Won independence in Has hundreds of ethnic groups. In 1966 suffered the first of several military coups. In that same year a coup by Muslim officers led to a rebellion in the oil-rich southeast by the Christian Ibo people who declared independence as the Republic of Biafra. Nigeria ended Biafra’s independence. A series of military dictators ruled until Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999.

Do Now 5/16/14 Going into Summer Break, finishing another year of school, consider and answer: 1. What are some issues in the United States or in the world that you are passionate about? Why? 2. What are your biggest worries about becoming an adult? Explain. 3. Do you think our world is going to be a better place for the generation of your children? Give examples why or why not.

Do Now 5/19/14 Refer to “Religious Diversity in Southeast Asia” on pg What are the majority religions of the following countries: Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand? 2. What role might geography play in where traditional religions remain in Malaysia? 3. According to the reading, which countries have different religions that have existed together in peace?

#3 The Arab Israeli Conflict

Israel The Holocaust created support for a Jewish homeland after World War II. Jews began to migrate to Palestine in large numbers after WWII. In 1947 the United Nations drew up a plan to divide Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state. The Jews accepted the plan but the Arabs rejected it believing all Palestine belonged to them.

Israel continued After Britain withdrew from Palestine, in 1948, the Jews proclaimed the independent state of Israel. Arab states launched the first of several wars against Israel but were defeated. Because of its skilled and educated work force Israel developed rapidly. Collective farms called kibbutz were able to produce crops for export.

Arab Israeli conflict The conflicts of 1948 created an enormous refugee problems. As a result of the first Arab Israeli war 700,000 Palestinian Arabs fled their homes in Israeli territory. The U.N. set up camps in Neighboring areas to house the refugees. Large number of Jews were also driven from their homes in Arab lands. Both sides feel embittered by the displacements.

Middle East Political Systems Limit Freedom Most Middle East nations have had dictatorial governments. In some countries, nationalist military leaders seized power. In countries like Saudi Arabia & Jordan hereditary monarchs remained in power. Only Israel and Turkey had stable multiparty democratic systems by 2005.

Supplying the World with Oil Parts of the Middle East sit on top of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves. Oil rich nations have prospered, but other Middle East nations have struggled economically. The Middle East’s vital oil resources give it strategic importance to the U.S. and other countries. The nations with large oil reserves are all members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

OPEC OPEC was founded in In 1973 OPEC’s Arab members blocked oil shipments to the U.S. to protest U.S. support for Israel. The 1973 oil embargo contributed to a world wide recession. Since the 1970s OPEC has focused on regulating the price of oil rather than on taking political stands.

Notes #5: Fundamentalism and Modernization

Islam Confronts Modernization Some Middle Eastern nations have adopted Western forms of secular, or nonreligious government and law. Many Middle Eastern leaders also adopted Western culture’s economic traditions. Life actually improved very little for many people. There remains a very inequitable distribution of wealth in the Middle East. By the 1970s some Muslim leaders were calling for a return to Sharia, or Islamic law. These Islamists blamed social and economic ills on following Western secularism. Some Islamists advocate violence to reach goals. Many Muslims oppose this extremism.

Women in Islam Conditions for women vary greatly from country to country in the Middle East. In some countries women have won equality before the law. In Turkey, Syria, and Egypt women have given up the tradition of hejab, wearing clothes that conceal most of the body. Other Middle East countries still require the hejab, and also restrict women’s freedoms in other ways. The traditional Muslim belief is that women do not need an education for their role as wives and mothers.

Egypt Is strategically important because it shares a border with Israel and controls the Suez Canal. Most populated Arab nation. Gamal Abdel Nasser seized power in Egypt in 1952, he worked to modernize Egypt and end Western domination. Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal ending British and French control. Britain and France responded militarily but the U.S. and the Soviet Union forced them to withdraw. Nasser led two unsuccessful wars against Israel.

Egypt continued In 1979, Nasser’s successor, Anwar Sadat, became the first Arab leader to make peace with Israel in the Camp David Accords. Islamists denounced Sadat’s government for its failure to end corruption and poverty. In 1981 Muslim fundamentalists assassinated Sadat. Under Hosni Mubarak, extremists turned to terrorist attacks, and when the government responded with harsh crackdowns it tended to increase support for Islamists.

Iran In 1945 Iran’s monarch Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, had Western support but faced nationalist opposition at home. When the Shah’s opponent Mohammad Mosaddeq was elected Prime Minister in 1951 he nationalized the Western owned oil industry. In 1953 the U.S. helped the Shah oust Mosaddeq, outraging many Iranians. The Shah returned Iran’s oil industry to Western control and for the next 25 years the U.S. helped the Shah stay in power.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution The Shah redistributed wealth from landlords and religious institutions to peasants. He also increased the rights of women. The Shah was opposed by landowners, merchants, students, and the Islamic clergy. The Shah’s secret police terrorized his critics driving many into exile.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution cont. The exiled Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini condemned Western influence and accused the Shah of violating Islamic law. Massive protests in 1979, drove the Shah into exile. Khomeini returned to Iran and his supporters proclaimed an Islamic Republic. This theocracy replaced secular courts with religious ones and abolished women’s rights. The Islamic Republic brutalized opponents just as the Shah had. Islamists seized the American embassy and held 52 Americans hostage for more than a year.

Saudi Arabia Has both the world’s largest oil reserves and Islam’s holiest sites. Kings from the Sa’ud family have ruled since the 1920s, and their close ties to the West have been criticized by Islamic Fundamentalist. The Kings justify their rule by their commitment to the strict Wahhabi sect of Sunni Islam. To build support the Sa’ud family backed fundamentalist religious leaders. Some of the fundamentalist criticized the Kingdom’s ties to the West. Critics of the Kingdom’s Western ties have increasingly used terrorist attacks which threaten the oil industry.