Sakshi Education
By Srirangam Sriram, Sriram's IAS, New Delhi.
At the end of Second World War, European nations still claimed ownership of vast areas of the rest of the world, particularly in Asia and Africa. Britain’s empire consisted of India, Burma, Ceylon, Malaya, several regions of Africa and various islands. Similarly, France ruled over territories in Africa, Indo-China and West Indies. Other important empires were those of Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Italy.
By 1975, most of the colonial territories were freed from colonial rule because of several factors.
Factors compelling European powers to give up their empires
Nationalist movements
By 1975, most of the colonial territories were freed from colonial rule because of several factors.
Factors compelling European powers to give up their empires
Nationalist movements
- These had been in existence in many of Europe's overseas colonies, especially those in Asia, for many years before the Second World War. There was a general feeling among colonial peoples that they were being exploited by the Europeans.
- 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. However, nationalism was not so strong in other areas, and progress towards independence would have been much slower without the boost provided by the Second World War.
- However, that after the war the strength of nationalist feelings in many cases forced the colonial power to grant independence long before they had intended to do so.
Effects of the Second World War
The Second World War gave a great stimulus to nationalist movements in a number of ways:
- Japanese successes in the early part of the war showed that it was possible for non-Europeans to defeat European armies. Nationalists fought against the Europeans using the guerrilla tactics they had learned fighting the Japanese in Indo-China, Dutch East Indies, Malaya and Burma.
- Britain, France and Holland failed miserably to protect their subjects, thus destroying any claim to legitimacy they might have had.
- Asians and Africans became more aware of social and political matters as a result of their involvement in the war. Recruits in British armed forces were appalled at the contrast between the primitive living conditions in Africa and the relatively comfortable conditions they experienced even as members of armed forces.
- Some European policies during the war and the 1941 Atlantic charter which included the right of people to choose their own self-government encouraged colonial people to expect independence.
- The war weakened the European states, both economically and militarily. They were not strong enough to hold on to their far-flung empires.
Pan-Africanism
- Pan-Africanism developed in the twentieth century which emphasized that all people of African descent were united by the same cultural and spiritual heritage. Not only was it an encouragement to their ambitions of independence, it also inspired them to think beyond that.
Outside pressures
- The USA, was hostile to imperialism. President Roosevelt made it clear that he took the Atlantic Charter to apply to all peoples, not just those taken over by the Germans. He and his successor, Truman, pressurized the British government to speed up independence for India.
- The United Nations Organization, under American influence, came out firmly against imperialism and demanded a step-by-step programme for decolonization.
- The USSR also added its voice to the chorus and constantly denounced imperialism.
Some of the important processes that led colonial powers to divest their subordinate possessions included internal pressures within their colonies and incongruence of imperial roles with modern goals in the fields of foreign and economic policy.
Published date : 02 Nov 2020 05:26PM
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