Decolonization: Causes and Independence Movements

Causes of Decolonization

• Weakness of the metropolis after World War II: End of the myth of the invincible metropolis, economic crisis, guerillas in occupied countries, and public opinion against settlement.
• Favorable international context: USSR and USA opposed to colonialism; UN in favor of independence.
• Emergence of nationalism in the colonies: Communist parties, national fronts, and religious nationalism.

Independence Processes in Asia

India

• (1948) Leadership of Gandhi and the Congress Party.
• British opposition: civil disobedience.
• Independence and partition into India and Pakistan.

Indonesia

• (1949) Leadership of Sukarno.
• Combating Holland for independence.

Indochina (Vietnam)

• Leadership of Ho Chi Minh.
• French war (1946-1954).
• Division into Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North) and South Vietnam (pro-Western).
• Independence of Laos and Cambodia (1954).

China

• In 1911, the Republic of China ended the Empire.
• Confrontations between the Kuomintang (bourgeois forces) and the Chinese Communist Party.
• People's Republic of China born in 1949.
• Allies with the USSR until 1957.
• Cultural Revolution from 1960.
• Mao dies in 1976.

The Arab World

The Middle East

• (1948) Creation of the State of Israel.
• Arab-Israeli wars.
• Crisis in the Arab world: Nasser and Pan-Arabism.
• Palestinian conflict: expulsion and exodus of Palestinians, creation of the PLO (Yasser Arafat), failed negotiations, Intifada, and creation of the Palestinian Authority. Unresolved dispute.

Maghreb

• Tunisia and Morocco: Independence and nationalist parties agreed.
• Algeria: A long war of liberation (FLN).

Black Africa

• Africa British: Independence generally agreed, with the exception of Kenya (Mau-Mau uprising).
• Africa French: Independence generally agreed.
• Belgian Congo: Major fighting for independence.
• Southern Africa: Belated decolonization (1980-1990).
• South Africa: Apartheid. Leadership: Mandela. Independence: 1993.
• Portuguese colonies: Independence achieved in 1974.

Bandung and the Third World

• 1955: Bandung conference among non-aligned and decolonized countries.
• The concept of the so-called Third World and neocolonialism.