Decolonisation of Africa
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2008-07-07T20:51:53Z
VincentValentine29
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The '''decolonization of Africa''' followed [[World War II]] as colonised peoples agitated for independence and [[colonial]] powers withdrew their administrators from [[Africa]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Birmingham|first=David|year=1995|title=The Decolonization of Africa|publisher=Routledge|id=ISBN 1857285409}}</ref>
==Background==
{{main article|Scramble for Africa}}
[[Image:Punch Rhodes Colossus.png|thumb|right|260px|[[Cecil Rhodes]]: [[Cape-Cairo railway]] project. Founder of the [[De Beers Mining Company]], one of the first [[diamond]] companies, Rhodes was also the owner of the [[British South Africa Company]], which carved out [[Rhodesia]] for itself. He wanted to "paint the map [British] red," and once famously declared: "all of these stars... these vast worlds that remain out of reach. If I could, I would annex other planets."<ref> [[S. Gertrude Millin]], ''Rhodes'', London, 1933, p.138</ref>]]
During the [[Scramble for Africa]] in the late nineteenth century, [[Europe]]an powers divided Africa and its resources into political partitions at the [[Berlin Conference]] of 1884-85. By 1905, African soil was almost completely controlled by European governments, with the only exceptions being [[Liberia]] (which had been settled by African-American former slaves) and [[Ethiopia]] (which had successfully resisted colonization by Italy). [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Britain]] and [[French Third Republic|France]] had the largest holdings, but [[German Empire|Germany]], [[Spain under the Restoration|Spain]], [[Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)|Italy]], [[Belgium]], and [[History of Portugal (1834-1910)|Portugal]] also had colonies. As a result of colonialism and imperialism, Africa suffered long term effects, such as the loss of important natural resources like gold and rubber, economic devastation, cultural confusion, geopolitical division, and political subjugation.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} Europeans often justified this using the concept of the [[White Man's Burden]], an obligation to "civilize" the peoples of Africa.
==Causes==
[[World War II]] saw the colonies help their colonial masters fight against an unknown enemy, but with no mention of independence for African nations. Future [[Prime Minister of South Africa|Prime Ministers]] [[Henrik Verwoerd]] and [[B.J. Vorster]] of [[South Africa]] supported [[Adolf Hitler]] while most French colonial governors loyally supported the [[Vichy France|Vichy government]] until [[1943]]. German wartime propaganda had a part in this defiance of British rule. [[Imperial Japan]]'s conquests in the [[Far East]] caused a shortage of raw materials such as rubber and various minerals. Africa was therefore forced to compensate for this shortage and greatly benefited from this change. Another key problem the Europeans faced were the [[U-boat]]s patrolling the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. This reduced the amount of raw materials being transported to Europe and prompted the creation of local industries in Africa. Local industries in turn caused the creation of new towns, and existing towns doubled in size. As urban community and industry grew so did trade unions. In addition to trade unions, urbanization brought about increased literacy, which allowed for pro-independence newspapers.
In [[1941]], [[United States President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] and [[British Prime Minister]] [[Winston Churchill]] met to discuss the postwar world. The result was the [[Atlantic Charter]]. One of the provisions in this document that was introduced by Roosevelt was the autonomy of imperial colonies. Therefore after World War II, there was pressure on [[United Kingdom|Britain]] to abide by the terms of the Atlantic Charter. When [[Winston Churchill]] introduced the Charter to [[British Parliament|Parliament]], he purposely mistranslated the colonies to be recently captured countries by [[Germany]] in order to get it passed. After the war, African colonies were still considered "children" and "immature" therefore democratic government was only introduced at the local levels.
By the 1930s, the colonial powers had carefully cultivated a small elite of leaders educated in Western universities and familiar with ideas such as [[self-determination]]. These leaders, including some major [[nationalists]], were [[Kenyatta]] ([[Kenya]]), [[Nkrumah]] ([[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast]], [[Ghana]]), [[Senghor]] ([[Senegal]]), and [[Félix Houphouët-Boigny|Houphouët-Boigny]] ([[Côte d'Ivoire]]) came to lead the struggle for independence.
==Effects==
In most British and French colonies, the transition to independence was relatively peaceful{{Fact|date=December 2007}}. Some settler colonies however were displeased with the introduction of democratic rule.
In the aftermath of decolonization, Africa displayed political instability, economic disaster, and debt dependence. Political instability occurred with the introductions of Marxist and capitalist influence, along with continuing friction from racial inequalities. Inciting civil war, black nationalist groups participated in violent attacks against white settlers, trying to end "white minority rule" in the government.
Further violence occurred with disagreements over the partitions made during the colonization. Despite widespread acceptance of these partitions, border disputes such as those between Chad and Libya, Ethiopia and Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, and Nigeria and Cameroon are nursed even today.
Decolonized Africa has lost many of its social and economic institutions and to this day shows a high level of [[Informal economy|informal economic activity]]. In another result of colonialism followed by decolonization, the African economy was drained of natural resources with no opportunity to diversify from its colonial export of cash crops. Suffering through famine and drought, Africa struggled to industrialize its poverty stricken work force without sufficient funds.
In an attempt to influence the Third World to adopt the ideology of either capitalism or Communism, the [[United States]] and the [[Soviet Union]] loaned food and money to Africa. To feed, educate, and modernize its masses, Africa borrowed large sums of money from various nations, bankers and companies. In return, the lenders forced the African countries to devalue their currency and attempted to exert political influence within Africa. The borrowed money, however, did not rehabilitate the devastated economy. Since the massive loans were usually squandered by the mismanagement of corrupt dictators, social issues such as education, health care, and political stability have been ignored.
The by-products of decolonization, including political instability, border disputes, economic ruin, and massive debt, continue to plague Africa to this present day.
Due to on-going [[military occupation]], [[Spanish Sahara]] (now [[Western Sahara]]), was never fully decolonized. The [[Southern Provinces|majority of the territory]] is under Moroccan administration; [[Free Zone (region)|the rest]] is administered by the [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic]].
==Timeline==
[[Image:Africa independence dates.PNG|thumb|175px|Dates of independence of African countries]]
[[Image:Africa.gif|thumb|African countries in order of independence]]
{|class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold" valign="bottom"
| width="93.75" Height="11.25" | Country
| width="93.75" | Colonial name
| width="92.25" | Colonial power
| width="79.5" | Independence date
| width="105.75" | First head of state
| width="93.75" | War for independence
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Ethiopia]]
| colspan="2" align="center"| [[History of Ethiopia|establishment]] as the<br> [[Kingdom of Aksum]]
| 1st century BC
| [[Menelik I]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Liberia]]
| [[Commonwealth of Liberia]]
| [[American Colonization Society]]
| July 26, 1847
| [[Joseph Jenkins Roberts]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Libya]]
| [[Libya]]
| Italy
| December 24, 1951
| [[Idris I of Libya|Idris]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Egypt]]
| [[Egypt]]
| Britain
| 1922/1936/1953
| n/a
| [[Urabi Revolt]], [[Suez Crisis]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Sudan]]
| [[Sudan]]
| Britain
| January 1, 1956
| [[Ismail al-Azhari]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Tunisia]]
| [[Tunisia]]
| France
| March 20, 1956
| [[Muhammad VIII al-Amin]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Morocco]]
| [[Morocco]]
| France
| April 7, 1956
| [[Mohammed V]]
| [[Rif War (1920)|Rif War]], [[Ifni War]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Ghana]]
| [[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast]]
| Britain
| March 6, 1957
| [[Kwame Nkrumah]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Guinea]]
| [[French West Africa]]
| France
| October 2, 1958
| [[Sékou Touré]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Cameroon]]
| [[Cameroun]]
| France, Britain
| January 1, 1960
| [[Ahmadou Ahidjo]]
| [[Union of the Peoples of Cameroon|UPC rebellion]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Togo]]
| [[French Togoland]]
| France
| April 27, 1960
| [[Sylvanus Olympio]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Mali]]
| [[French West Africa]]
| France
| June 20, 1960
| [[Modibo Keita]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Senegal]]
| [[French West Africa]]
| France
| June 20, 1960
| [[Léopold Senghor]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Madagascar]]
| [[Malagasy Protectorate]]
| France
| June 26, 1960
| [[Philibert Tsiranana]]
| [[Malagasy Uprising]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[DR Congo]]
| [[Belgian Congo]]
| Belgium
| June 30, 1960
| [[Joseph Kasa-Vubu]]
| [[Congo Crisis]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Somalia]]
| [[Italian Somaliland]], [[British Somaliland]]
| Italy, Britain
| July 1, 1960
| [[Aden Abdullah Osman Daar]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Benin]]
| [[French West Africa]]
| France
| August 1, 1960
| [[Hubert Maga]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Niger]]
| [[French West Africa]]
| France
| August 3, 1960
| [[Hamani Diori]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Burkina Faso]]
| [[French West Africa]]
| France
| August 5, 1960
| [[Maurice Yaméogo]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Côte d'Ivoire]]
| [[Côte d'Ivoire]]
| France
| August 7, 1960
| [[Félix Houphouët-Boigny]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Chad]]
| [[French Equatorial Africa]]
| France
| August 11, 1960
| [[François Tombalbaye]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Central African Republic]]
| [[French Equatorial Africa]]
| France
| August 13, 1960
| [[David Dacko]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Republic of the Congo|Congo]]
| [[French Equatorial Africa]]
| France
| August 15, 1960
| [[Fulbert Youlou]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Gabon]]
| [[French Equatorial Africa]]
| France
| August 17, 1960
| [[Léon M'ba]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Nigeria]]
| [[Nigeria]]
| Britain
| October 1, 1960
| [[Nnamdi Azikiwe]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Mauritania]]
| [[French West Africa]]
| France
| November 28, 1960
| [[Moktar Ould Daddah]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Sierra Leone]]
| [[Sierra Leone]]
| Britain
| April 27, 1961
| [[Milton Margai]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Tanzania]]
| [[Tanganyika]]
| Britain
| December 9, 1961
| [[Julius Nyerere]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Rwanda]]
| [[Ruanda-Urundi]]
| Belgium
| July 1, 1962
| [[Grégoire Kayibanda]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Burundi]]
| [[Ruanda-Urundi]]
| Belgium
| July 1, 1962
| [[Mwambutsa IV]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Algeria]]
| [[Algeria]]
| France
| July 3, 1962
| [[Ahmed Ben Bella]]
| [[Algerian War of Independence]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Uganda]]
| [[British East Africa]]
| Britain
| October 9, 1962
| [[Milton Obote]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Kenya]]
| [[British East Africa]]
| Britain
| December 12, 1963
| [[Jomo Kenyatta]]
| [[Mau Mau Uprising]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Malawi]]
| [[Nyasaland]]
| Britain
| July 6, 1964
| [[Hastings Kamuzu Banda]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Zambia]]
| [[Northern Rhodesia]]
| Britain
| October 24, 1964
| [[Kenneth Kaunda]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[The Gambia]]
| [[Gambia]]
| Britain
| February 18, 1965
| [[Dawda Kairaba Jawara]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Botswana]]
| [[Bechuanaland]]
| Britain
| September 30, 1966
| [[Seretse Khama]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Lesotho]]
| [[Basutoland]]
| Britain
| October 4, 1966
| [[Leabua Jonathan]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Mauritius]]
|
| Britain
| March 12, 1968
|
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Swaziland]]
| [[Swaziland]]
| Britain
| September 6, 1968
| [[Sobhuza II]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Equatorial Guinea]]
| [[Spanish Guinea]]
| Spain
| October 12, 1968
| [[Francisco Macías Nguema]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Guinea-Bissau]]
| [[Portuguese Guinea]]
| Portugal
| September 24, 1973
| [[Luis Cabral]]
| [[Guinea-Bissau War of Independence]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Mozambique]]
| [[Portuguese East Africa]]
| Portugal
| June 25, 1975
| [[Samora Machel]]
| [[Mozambican War of Independence]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Cape Verde]]
|
| Portugal
| July 5, 1975
|
| influenced by [[Guinea-Bissau War of Independence]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Comoros]]
|
| France
| July 6, 1975
|
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[São Tomé and Príncipe]]
|
| Portugal
| July 12, 1975
|
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Angola]]
| [[Angola]] (also known as [[Portuguese West Africa]])
| Portugal
| [[Alvor Agreement|November 11, 1975]]
| [[Agostinho Neto]]
| [[Angolan War of Independence]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Seychelles]]
|
| Britain
| June 29, 1976
|James Richard Marie Mancham
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Djibouti]]
| [[French Somaliland]]
| France
| June 27, 1977
| [[Hassan Gouled Aptidon]]
| -
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Zimbabwe]]
| [[Southern Rhodesia]]
| Britain
| April 18, 1980
| [[Robert Mugabe]]
| [[Rhodesian Bush War]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Namibia]]
| [[South West Africa]]
| South Africa
| March 21, 1990
| [[Sam Nujoma]]
| [[Namibian War of Independence]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[Eritrea]]
| [[Eritrea]]
| Ethiopia
| May 24, 1993
| [[Isaias Afewerki]]
| [[Eritrean War of Independence]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | [[South Africa]]
| [[South Africa]]
| South Africa ([[apartheid]])
| April 27, 1994
| [[Nelson Mandela]]
|- valign="bottom"
| Height="11.25" | ''[[Sahrawi Republic]]'' <sup>1</sup>
| ''[[Spanish Sahara]]'' / [[Moroccan Sahara]]
| ''Spain'' / Morocco
| ''February 27, 1976'' / Currently
| ''[[El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed]]'' /
| ''[[Western Sahara War]]'' / [[Saharawi]] [[Intifada]]
|}
<small><sup>1</sup></small> The Spanish colonial rule ''de facto'' terminated over the [[Western Sahara]] (then Rio de Oro), when the territory was passed on to and partitioned between [[Mauritania]] and [[Morocco]] (which annexed the entire territory in 1979), rendering the declared independence of the [[Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic]] ineffective to the present day (it controls only a small portion east of the [[Moroccan Wall]]). Since Spain did not have the right to give away Western Sahara, under international law ''de jure'' the territory is still under Spanish administration. However, the ''de facto'' administrator is Morocco (see [[United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories]]).
==See also==
*[[Colonialism]]
*[[Decolonization]]
*[[Scramble for Africa]]
*[[Wars of national liberation]]
*[[Year of Africa]]
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
==References==
*Michael Crowder, The Story of Nigeria, Faber and Faber, London, 1978 (1962)
*Understanding Contemporary Africa, April A. Gordon and Donald L. Gordon, Lynne Riener, London, 1996
*Vincent B. Khapoya, The African Experience, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1998 (1994)
*[[Ali Mazrui|Ali A. Mazrui]] ed. ''General History of Africa'', vol. VIII, UNESCO, 1993
*Kevin Shillington, History of Africa, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1995 (1989)
{{Africa topics}}
[[Category:Colonialism]]
[[Category:History of Africa]]
[[Category:History of colonialism]]
[[Category:European colonization in Africa]]
{{Link FA|sr}}
[[de:Dekolonisation Afrikas]]
[[es:Descolonización de África]]
[[eo:Sendependiĝo de Afriko]]
[[fr:Décolonisation de l'Afrique]]
[[hr:Dekolonizacija Afrike]]
[[pl:Dekolonizacja Afryki]]
[[pt:História da descolonização de África]]
[[sr:Деколонизација Африке]]
[[sv:Afrikas avkolonisering]]