Question

What factors - both internal and external - contributed or accelerated the movements toward independence in Africa after World War II? What roles did the UN, African intellectuals, and rising nationalism in Asia play in the independence movements? Support your answer with examples.

Answer 1

Factors Both Internal And External Which Played A Great Role Accelerated The Movements Toward Independence In Africa After World War II

African Nationalism can be defined as the desire for Africans become free forms foreign control and influence and able to take charge of their political, social and economic affairs.

There are various factors both internal and external which played a great role accelerated the movements toward independence in Africa after World War II.following are some among them:

1.When People are being ruled and controled by the Rulers which are not their natives they feel themselves bound beyond the walls same was the case there in Africa due to the introduction of foreign systems of government which caused feelings of resistance among rulers and peoples of Africa. Which lead to the feelings of nationalism.

2. More ever People of Africa were receiving unfair colonial policies like economic policies such as taxation, forced labour and compulsory growing of crops which caused discontent among Africans. The suffering of Africans leadto the growth of African nationalism.

3. Education and Nationalism:- Education is the tool which you can use to bring revolution in whole world Formation of segregated African schools, after realizing that the missionary and colonial schools taught nothing but European based syllabus some African societies began their own schools, like among the kikuyu in Kenya Africans were taught African syllabus .this helped in educating Africans and developing the sprit of nationalism. in the colonies, Education which was given to some Africans in the missionary schools and government schools shaped the thoughts of African these African educated people later become leaders ,they became familiar with their rights which in turn accelerated the pace of African Nationalism.

3. The settlement of large numbers of European settlers in different parts of Africa caused growth of African nationalism. Large numbers of Africans were displaced from fertile lands in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South Africa and many other countries. This caused destruction of African culture, poverty, hunger and other forms of suffering. It also exposed Africans to segregation. This caused the need to fight for political freedom and self determination.

The influence of decolonization in Asia also played a big role in the growth of African nationalism. The independence of India and Pakistan in 1947 encouraged Africans also to struggle for political independence.

Second World War, War creates the feeling of revolt among people As II WW weakened the economies of Britain, France and other Western European powers so the colonial empires were becoming the heavy burden to European countries and the Africans took the advantage of economic weakness which can be considred also one of the factor for accelerating the pace of African Nationalism.

Besides these there are various factors which were responsible for accelerating the pace of Nationalism in Africa.

Role Of United Nations In Rising Nationalism In Asia And Other Parts Of Country

The United Nations emerged after World War II as an international peacekeeping organization.The UN replaced the ineffective League of Nations, which had failed to prevent the outbreak of the Second World War.After replacing the League of Nations and formed the trusteeship council which took the responsibility of preparing the mandate territories for their own independence. So United Nations started to put much pressure on the colonial governments to permit people to rule themselves so this also influenced the rise of Nationalism not only in Africa but in the Asia as well.

In the 1950s and 1960s, decolonization, or the process by which former colonial territories became independent states, transformed the composition and functioning of the UN. During this time period, dozens of newly independent countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East joined the United Nations and sought to redirect the energies of the organization toward easing the transition to independence.^5​5​​start superscript, 5, end superscript As a result of the activism of states referred to during the Cold War as the “Third World,” the UN took on additional responsibilities for economic, political, and social development, and the monitoring and enforcement of fundamental human rights.

Role Of African Intellectuals,In Rising Nationalism .

This can be explained under the tern Pan-Africanism because it is a umbrella term.

Pan-Africanism is a worldwide intellectual movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all people of African .The role of Pan Africanism since 1900, this was a movement which opposed the oppression over all the black people in the world. This movement was founded in America by the people of African origin so they argued that Africa was for Africans themselves and encouraged people to struggle for self-rule and later on to form the United States of Africa. Most Africans were inspired by the declaration and started struggle for independence.

Pan-Africanism stresses the need for "collective self-reliance" Pan-Africanism exists as a governmental and grassroots objective. Pan-African advocates include leaders such as Haile Selassie, Julius Nyerere, Ahmed Sékou Touré, Kwame Nkrumah, Thomas Sankara and Muammar Gaddafi.

More Ever Rise of elites who had attained colonial education like Nyerere in Tanganyika, Nkrumah in Ghana, Kamuzu Banda in Malawi Abafemi Awolowo of Nigeria ,etc this education helped them to get used to the white language to get exposed to various struggle and liberation of the world, but on top of that some elites came from outside Africa the combination of both helped to the rise of nationalism through provision of leadership for nationalistic struggles.

2. Formation of social welfare association these aimed to improve the working conditions of African workers discriminations and colonial abuses to the Africans such associations largely based in urban centers and comprised colonial civil servants like; The kikuyu central association in Kenya that was formed by Harry Thuku The railway territory civil association in Tanganyika, Tanganyika Territory Civil Service Association (T.T.C.S.A)which was formed by Martin Kayamba the peoples union in 1908 in Nigeria. Such association exerted more pressure on the colonialist to consider giving African independence which led to nationalism.