2. The End of Colonialism ’s

3. Phases of Decolonization
1st - Late 1940’s
Asia and the Middle East
India, the Philippines, Iraq, Jordan, Israel become independent
2nd – Mid 1950’s – Mid 1970’s
Africa
More than 50 countries created

6. REASONS FOR THE END OF EMPIRES
Empires continue to rise and fall
Assyrians, Han, Romans, Mongols, etc.
But this time it’s a bit different:
Nationalism
Earlier failures did not create lots of nation-states

7. Decolonization was more like the American Revolutions (N. & S
Decolonization was more like the American Revolutions (N. & S.) of the 18th and 19th centuries
New nations claimed to be equal to their former rulers
The key difference
Africans and Asians not only asserted political independence but also affirmed their cultures
Devalued during colonial era

11. Why the 2nd Half of the 20th Century?
3 Theories
The end was inevitable
Western values of Christianity and progress did not work with:
Colonial racism
Exploitation
Poverty
Democracy and colonial dictatorships could not coexist

14. Conjuncture
the coming together of several separate developments at the same time
World Wars = Europeans not morally superior
The United Nations gave colonized people a voice
Western educated elites realize that European values and colonial practices were far apart
Ordinary people (on both sides) wanted an end to colonialism

15. A specific group of people brought down the colonial system
The deliberate actions of a few people killed it off
Ex. Gandhi

18. INDIA India had a long history w/ Empires
Never saw themselves as “Indians”
Diverse
Languages
Religions
Castes

19. The British Unlike previous rulers, the British did not assimilate
Saw themselves as racially and culturally superior
Helps India form a national identity

21. Gandhi
A lawyer who goes to South Africa and experiences overt racism for the 1st time
Protests S.A. segregation
formulates his confrontational & nonviolent approach
satyagraha

22. What did Gandhi Want? The moral transformation of individuals
NOT social Revolution
No industrialization/tech.
A union of Muslims and Hindus = SINGLE NATION

23. INDEPENDENCE 1947 Gandhi is assassinated in 1948 by Hindu extremists
India (Hindu) and Pakistan (Muslim) become separate independent countries
Result:
≈ One Million die
12 million refugees
Gandhi is assassinated in by Hindu extremists