Think back to our course introduction & unit 1 Imperialism (acquiring overseas colonies) was empire building Europeans dominated the world Raw materials, Markets for manufactured goods, prestige, political/ military power
Many of the events that we have covered changed the imperialism that existed in 1900 WW1 Treaty of Versailles World War II Cold War
Colony: a country or area under the full or partial political control of another country Sphere of Influence: A territorial area over which political or economic influence is wielded by one nation. Colonial Dominance: Control exerted by a imperial power over its colonies in such aspects of life as the economy, culture, and politics
During WW2, not only did many Axis and Allied nations lose control of their colonies but the war also reduced their power The appearance of national resistance movements in the decades after WW2, coupled with the expense of maintaining colonial control, led to the idea that self-determination should occur in many colonies Self-determination = independence, to decide for themselves what their government should be.
According to the principles of the Atlantic Charter, formulated by FDR & Churchill at their Placentia Bay meeting in August 41, self determination would be promoted following the war How did this Charter conflict with imperialism? Gone were the days of powerful nations acquiring overseas territories & building empires as we discovered in unit 1. National independence became the focus in many colonies as the days of empire waned
Colonies should become independent & free...but assumptions were made: New nation states made from colonies should follow American & European models regarding leadership Western businesses and people should continue to own their property in the former colonies
Independence posed many challenges for the new nations as many included a variety of religious or ethnic groups with no shared past With much of the best land & wealthiest resources controlled by western imperialists, the new nations found themselves poor & dependent producers of raw materials in a Westerndominated world market
As the Cold War raged in the decades following WW2, both the USA & USSR wanted to influence the newly independent nations Both countries wanted to promoted their political / economic systems ( democracy & capitalism vs. communism) The also wanted access to resources & raw materials
Lets review the 3 maps dealing decolonization Complete any questions you have from this section at this time
5.1.4. Analyze how the following factors led to the decline of colonialism in the post-ww II period: - premises of the Atlantic Charter - colonial nationalist movements - cost of maintaining colonies - views towards colonialism by the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R.
Following WW2, most of the European colonial powers realized that colonial self government must be granted to their overseas possessions Reflect on your previous mapping activity. Independence was a slow process as Europeans wanted to control when it was granted, only when the colonies were ready Your map work illustrated that the road to independence occurred through peaceful negotiation or through violent resistance & confrontation
The following factors spurred the post WW2 independence movements The Premise of the Atlantic Charter Colonial Nationalists Movements Cost of Maintaining Colonies Views towards colonialism by the USA & USSR To help with your understanding of these factors, begin developing your own summaries of these four components
With your background into decolonization firmly established, the focus for the remainder of this unit will to be examine how it played out in different areas of the world As we examine Egypt, India, and South Africa you will assess / judge the effectiveness of the methods used by Ghandi, Nasser, and Mandela to promote nationalism and independence
One of the areas where decolonization caused great tension for the world in 1956 was in Egypt, home of the Suez Canal
The shipping canal is 171 km (106 miles) long and connects the Mediterranean at Port Said with the Red Sea Became a major international waterway immediately after it was constructed in 1869 Reduced sailing times between Europe & Asia By the 1880s, it had become the British Lifeline
The British government purchased a substantial share (172,602 shares) in the canal in 1875 and by 1879 they had seized control of Egypt s finances and took over control of the canal. 1884 the British army occupied Egypt & for the next 54 years, the British controlled Egypt as its protectorate, or a weaker nation that kept its native ruler but was controlled by the imperialist power.
In 1924, Egyptian independence was granted but kept control of the canal Troops were also placed in the country to defend the canal zone Between the 1920s 1950s Islamic Brotherhood appeared a calling for total independence, protection of Islamic values & social reforms
huge inequality The majority lived in deep poverty The minority was a small elite groups of wealthy landowners who supported the king
It is with this background that Colonel Abd al-nasser overthrew the king & took control of the Egyptian government in a coup d etat With this background complete, begin working to develop an understanding of this outcome (complete questions) 5.1.3: Given historical documents, explain the cause of the Suez Crisis (a)