Comment: “The dissolution of empires was caused by decolonization.”
At the end of the Second World War in 1945, the nations of Europe still claimed ownership of vast areas of the rest of the world, particularly in Asia and Africa. However, by 1975 most of these colonial territories had gained their independence. Various factors prompted the European powers to relinqRead more
At the end of the Second World War in 1945, the nations of Europe still claimed ownership of vast areas of the rest of the world, particularly in Asia and Africa. However, by 1975 most of these colonial territories had gained their independence.
Various factors prompted the European powers to relinquish their claim over colonies:
Internal pulls
- Opposition began to rise within the European countries against colonialism. For example, the Labour party in general favored the economic and political development of the colonies and opposed their exploitation. In fact, in the 1945 election, India’s freedom had been a campaign promise of the Labour party.
- Moreover, the war weakened the European states and they were not militarily or economically strong enough to hold on to their far-flung empires. Thus, the high maintenance costs and less profits from colonies pushed towards decolonisation.
External pressure
- The USA, an erstwhile colony of the British Empire, was hostile to imperialism. President Roosevelt and his successor, Truman, pressurized the British government to speed up independence for India.
- They also wanted to see the end of the European empires because delays in granting independence to European colonies in Asia and Africa would encourage the development of communism in those areas.
- Further, Americans looked on the newly-independent nations as potential markets and in the eyes of the USA, imperially protected markets gave the British and other Europeans an unfair advantage.
- The United Nations Organization, through the UN Charter, emphasized self-determination and fundamental human rights, putting pressure on colonial powers to decolonise. In 1960, a Declaration on Decolonisation was also adopted by UNGA.
- The USSR also added its voice to the chorus and constantly denounced imperialism.
Colonial resistance
The colonial powers divested themselves of their subordinate possessions, because internal pressures within their colonies left them with no other choice. Nationalist movements had been in existence in many of Europe’s overseas colonies, especially those in Asia.
- In India, the Indian National Congress Party had been agitating against British rule since 1885, while in south-east Asia, Vietnamese nationalists began to campaign against French rule during the 1920s. Because of movements like Quit India, and mutiny in the Royal Indian Navy, it became impossible for the imperialists to rule over the colonies anymore.
- The second world war gave a great stimulus to nationalist movements in a number of ways:
- It destroyed the belief that Europeans were invincible. Japanese successes in the early part of the war showed that it was possible for non-Europeans to defeat European armies.
- Asians and Africans became more aware of social and political matters as a result of their involvement in the war. The vast majority of them had never left their homeland before, and they were appalled at the contrast between their primitive living conditions and the relatively comfortable conditions they experienced even as members of the armed forces.
All the above factors encouraged nationalists all over the world to further intensify their campaigns. Moreover, imperial roles also came to be seen as incongruent with ‘modern’ goals in the fields of foreign and economic policy.
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The end of world war ushered in the world which was filled with ideas like self-determination, national sovereignty and equality, and cooperation in international relations. Thus the efforts to maintain colonial rule were no longer popular with the people even of the imperialist countries. These facRead more
The end of world war ushered in the world which was filled with ideas like self-determination, national sovereignty and equality, and cooperation in international relations. Thus the efforts to maintain colonial rule were no longer popular with the people even of the imperialist countries. These factors led to the breakup of Empires. Decolonization was one of the most significant events in modern world history. At the dawn of the twentieth century, most of the globe was ruled from Europe. By 1963, the overseas empires had seemingly evaporated and by 1975 the process of decolonisation was almost complete.
Factors That Led To Decolonization
Break Up Of Empires Due To Decolonization Break Down Of Empires In Asia
Break Down Of Empires In Africa And Caribbean Countries
1.Independence came a little later for African and Caribbean countries. Most French and British colonies were given independence in the early 1960s. The end of European colonialism was complicated in those countries where a large number of European people had settled permanently. 2.The government of Portugal was extremely reluctant to grant independence to its African colonies of Angola and Mozambique. There was fierce fighting between nationalists and the Portuguese before independence was granted in 1975. 3.France has a vast empire in Africa which was decolonized in stages.
4.The Belgian African empire in Cango and Ruanda-Urundi was also broken up after a series of riots and protests. Congo was granted ill-timed independence in 1960, whereas Ruanda-urundi was divided into two countries of Rwanda and Burundi and given independence in 1962. 5.Another major European power which had a huge empire in Africa was the British. British colonies in Africa can be divided into three groupings I,e colonies of West Africa, colonies of East Africa and Colonies of central Africa. The pattern that followed in the decolonization of all these colonies were mostly similar. Violent protests, demonstrations, and strikes. 6.The British started the decolonization process with the gold coast which became Ghana after independence in 1957. This was followed by independence for many African nations like Nigeria in 1960, Tanzania in 1964, Uganda in 1962, Kenya in 1963 and finally Zimbabwe in 1980. The process of decolonization which started after the war gained momentum in the 1950s and 60s, which saw the emergence of many newly independent nations mainly in Africa. However, this process was not done in a planned manner and with good intentions. The colonial powers wanted to give independence as they failed to confront the rising resistance to their rule. But at the same time, they also wanted to retain their influence in their former colonies. Thus the deliberate ill-timed decolonization resulted in numerous civil wars and bloodshed. But at the same time decolonization also ended the subordination of Asian and African nations to European powers and ushered in an era of progress, development in the newly independent colonies.
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