The Colonies Become

New Nations

Ch 34

1945-Present

1

• Countries

Question

Colonialism

• Countries w/ colonies start to

turn against colonialism b/c:

• Expensive

• Big commitment

• Morally wrong (WWII had

been a struggle against

oppressive dictators)

• Colonies begin pushing harder

for independence.

2

• India as a

Colony

• Controlled by British for almost 200 yrs

• One of the largest + most populous colonies in the world

• Divided by 2 main religious groups:

• Hindus (350 mil)

• Muslims (100 mil)

• The Congress Party (or Indian National Congress) was India’s national political party – most members were Hindu

• The Muslim League looked out for the interests of India’s Muslims. The League stated that it would never accept Indian indep. if it meant the rule of the Congress Party

3

• Indian Indep. • After WWII, Britain had a massive

war debt. Due to the cost of

maintaining a colony + the Indians’

push for indep., Britain decided to

give India its freedom

• Fighting broke out between the

Muslims + Hindus for control

• British decide to partition (to divide

into parts) India into Hindu + Muslim

nations in 1947.

• Modern India was the Hindu

part

• East + West Pakistan were the

Muslim part 4

• • Britain announced that India would gain

its indep. in only 1 month.

• Millions of Indians moved so that they

would be in the borders of the country

of their religion.

• Violence ensued

• Gandhi pleaded for fair treatment

of Muslim refugees + was

assassinated by a Hindu extremist

in 1948.

5

• Modern

India Takes

Shape

• India became the world’s largest democracy +

Jawaharlal Nehru became its 1st prime minister

• Educated in Britain

• Popular among all groups

• As Prime Minister he:

1. Emphasized democracy, unity, +

economic indep.

2. Kept India neutral during the Cold War

3. Reorganized states based on language

4. Pushed for industrialization + social reform

5. Tried to elevate the lower social castes

(classes in the Hindu faith)

6. Expanded rights of women

• Died in 1964, many political parties form

• Violence occurs due to differences b/w the

various religious groups (Hindu, Muslim, + Sikh –

who want their own independent state) 6

• India

Today

• Has a population of over 1 bil

• Is expected to become the highest

populated country in 2035

• Problems with social inequality, due in

part to Hindu beliefs

• Violence breaks out periodically due to

religious differences + border disputes

7

• Pakistan +

Bangladesh

• Once Pakistan split from India in 1947, there was

immediately fighting b/w East + West Pakistan

• E. + W. Pakistan were separated by over

1,000 miles of Indian territory + were

completely different culture + history - only

commonality was that they were

predominantly Muslim

• E. Pakistan had a larger population, but W.

Pakistan was where gov.’t was located

• E. Pakistan declare its indep. in 1971 +

called itself Bangladesh

• War immediately broke out + India

sided w/ Bangladesh

- Bangladesh won + is now one

of the world’s poorest countries

- Prone to natural

disasters w/ a rapidly

population 8

• Strife B/w

India +

Pakistan

• Both India + Pakistan have been fighting

over the region of Kashmir in Northern

India + Northern Pakistan for decades

• 2/3 of Kashmir is in India + 1/3 in

Pakistan

• Major source of water for both

• Both sides now have nuclear

weapons which is a cause of

international concern

9

• Sri Lanka • Small island off of southern India

• Gained indep. in 1948

• ¾ population are Buddhists + ¼ are

Hindus

• Hindus on Sri Lanka desire a

separate independent nation on

the island

• Violence b/w the 2 groups

is ongoing

End Section 1

10

SE Asian Countries Gain Indep.

• As Colonies • Before WWII the US, Britain,

France + the Netherlands had

colonies in SE Asia

• During WWII, Japan seized

many of those colonies +

controlled them for years

• When WWII ended, SE

Asians refused to live under

European rule again

11

• The Philippines • Granted indep. from the US on

July 4, 1946

• Suffered for decades under

dictator Ferdinand Marcos who

stole hundreds of millions of

dollars from his country before

being forced into exile

• Strides have been made towards

democracy recently

• Currently has problems w/ a

militant Muslim group known as

the Moros who desire indep.

12

• Former British

Colonies

• Burma/Myanmar gained indep. in 1948

• Suffered many political upheavals

• Currently ruled by an oppressive

military gov.’t

• Malaysia gained indep. in 1957

• Singapore split from Malaysia in

1965 + became an indep. city-state

• Important banking + trade

center

• Has one of the world’s

strongest economies

13

• Indonesia • Gained indep. from the Netherlands in 1947

– World’s 4th most populated country

– More than 13,600 islands

– 300 ethnic groups + 250 languages

– Most of the world’s major religions – but has the world’s largest Muslim population

– Suffered for years under a general turned president until a democratic gov.’t took over recently

– Still faces problems w/ fragile economy, ethnic strife, etc…

• East Timor (predominantly Christian population) split from Indonesia + became independent

End Section 2

14

• African Indep. + the

Problems that Arose

• Africans began expressing

their desire for indep. before

WWII w/ the Negritude

movement which celebrated

African culture

• Like other colonies they were

unwilling to remain colonies

after WWII

• Colonies which had been

under indirect rule (system in

which local officials in

colonies handled much of the

governing) adapted to indep.

much easier than those

colonies that had been under

direct rule (gov.’t led by

foreign power – locals not

trained to run gov.’t)

15

• Problems of ethnic strife - European

boundaries broke up kinship groups + often combined rival ethnic groups

• Pan-Africanism starts to spread (A movement promoting values that are the product of the African civilization + struggles against slavery, racism, colonialism, + neo-colonialism)

• Many countries suffered from poverty, outbreaks of war, + corrupt gov.’ts

• Genocides (the deliberate + systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group) have been ongoing

16

Stages of Genocide Stage Characteristics Preventive Measures 1. Classification People are divided into "us + them" The main preventive measure is to develop

universalistic institutions that transcend divisions

2. Symbolization Symbols may be forced upon

unwilling members of pariah groups

To combat symbolization, hate symbols can be

legally forbidden as hate speech

3. Dehumanization One group denies the humanity of

another group. Members are equated

w/ animals, vermin, insects or

diseases

Local + international leaders should condemn the

use of hate speech + make it culturally

unacceptable. Leaders who incite genocide

should be banned from international travel + have

their foreign finances frozen

4. Organization Genocide is always organized...

Special army units or militias are

often trained + armed

The U.N. should impose arms embargoes on

governments + citizens of countries involved in

genocidal massacres, + create commissions to

investigate violations

5. Polarization Hate groups broadcast polarizing

propaganda

Prevention may mean security protection for

moderate leaders or assistance to human rights

groups...Coups d’état by extremists should be

opposed by international sanctions

6. Preparation Victims are identified + separated out

b/c of their ethnic or religious identity

A Genocide Emergency must be declared.

7. Extermination It is "extermination" to the killers

because they do not believe their

victims to be fully human

At this stage, only rapid + overwhelming armed

intervention can stop genocide. Safe areas or

refugee escape corridors should be established w/

heavily armed international protection

8. Denial The perpetrators deny that they

committed any crimes

The response to denial is punishment by an

international tribunal or international courts 17

• Genocide in Rwanda

• The 2 main ethnic groups in Rwanda are the Tutsi + the Hutu. Unknown whether or not they were once 1 ethnic group that was split by the Belgium colonists or 2 ethnic groups further divided by the colonists

• Belgium backed a gov.’t led by the Tutsis + the Tutsis became disproportionately wealthy

• Violence periodically broke out b/w the 2 groups

• For several years in the early 1990s, Hutu radio stations repeatedly called for the death of the “cockroaches” (Tutsis)

• (1994) A plane carrying the Hutu president of Rwanda was shot down

• Hutu extremists immediately began rounding up + murdering Tutsis over a period of 100 days killing approximately ½ -1 mil, many were killed by machetes

• Tutsi rebels finally overthrew the Hutu extremists 18

• Genocide in

Darfur (Sudan)

• Began w/ drought, desertification, + overpopulation

• Feelings of neglect, combined w/ allegations that the gov.’t was arming Arab tribesmen to raid non-Arab villages, led to a 2003 rebel attack on a Sudanese Air Force Base in N. Darfur

• In response, the gov.’t began training + arming of Arab militias, historic rivals of the rebellious groups. These militias came to be known as the Janjaweed - “devil on horseback.” Janjaweed raiders engage in mass terror of non-Arab villages, murdering + displacing civilians, looting + burning food stocks, and enslaving + raping women + children.

• The opposing rebels have also committed atrocities

• Millions have become refugees

• Largest ongoing genocide today 19

• The

ISRAEL/

PALESTINE

CONFLICT

• Reasons for current situation in the

Middle East:

1. Decolonization

2. Creation of Israel

3. Oil

4. Cold War – USSR helped Arabs

5. Rise of Islamic factions in gov.’t

6. Terrorism

20

• The Middle

East is the

Birthplace of 3

major religions:

1. Judaism: God promised the land to Abraham

for his people

2. Christianity: Jesus of Nazareth born 4-7 A.D.

preached + lived till 30-33

- Christianity established as a

separate religion after His

death

3. Islam: Muhammad born in Mecca 570 A.D.

Around 40 yrs old believed he had an

encounter with angel Gabriel. Died in 632

• City of Jerusalem:

• Jews - most holy city

• Christians – Jesus lived, preached,

+ died there

• Muslims – Muhammad transported

from Mecca to Jerusalem

+ ascended to Heaven 21

Blue =

Jewish

Yellow =

Christian

Green =

Muslim

22

• Blame the

British…..

• Once they

realized their

mistake…

• During WWI the British gov.’t made

conflicting promises:

- told Arabs they would get indep. to

get them to fight

- Balfour Declaration (intended to get

USA into WWI) supported creation of

an Israeli homeland in the region

• Countries in the region gain indep. after

WWII EXCEPT for Palestine

• Jews migrate there after Holocaust

• Fighting ensues

• Britain gives the problem to the UN

» This is what they come up with…

23

• Red = Palestine

• Blue = Israel

• Jerusalem =

International city

• Palestine would be partitioned into 2 indep. nations – Israel + Palestine

• Zionists were mostly agreeable, but Arabs were not

24

• Israel’s Indep.

• Palestinian Refugees

• May 1948 as soon as the British leave the country

• Arabs start fighting

• Although USA recognized the state of Israel immediately, it did not supply arms to Israel (or to other countries in the region)

• Jews still win indep.

• Left due to anticipation of war (encouraged by Arab leaders) + in a few cases expelled by Israeli leaders due to military needs

• Approx. ½ mil b/w 1947-49

• Affects surrounding countries, especially Jordan

25

• Zionist + Palestinian

landownership in

percentages by

sub-district, 1945

Red = Palestinian

Blue = Zionist

White = Public + Other

26

• Boundaries after

the war

27

• The Suez Crisis

• The PLO

• 1956- The Suez Canal is a valuable trade

route

• Egypt’s president nationalizes it +

plans to forbid Israelis from using it.

• British, French, + Israelis instigate a

fight

• Israel gains territory

• President Eisenhower royally ticked,

threatens Israel, + they withdrawal

• Palestine Liberation Organization

• Created in 1963 by Arab nations

• INTENDED to be a terrorist organization

• Led for many years by Yasser Arafat

• 1974, Arab nations claim it to be the

legitimate authority of the Palestinians

28

• Israeli settlements

in occupied

territories

29

• The 6 Day War

• Yom Kippur War

• 1967, Israel’s neighbors blockade the Gulf of Aqaba

• Israel humiliates them in 6 days, gains territories of Suez Canal, West Bank, East Jerusalem, + Golan Heights

• UN acknowledged Israel’s right to exist, but said they were to return the territories which they didn’t do

• 1973-74 – Egypt + Syria attack on the most holy Jewish holiday

• UN intervenes

• Suez Canal returned to Egypt

30

• Camp David

Accords

• 1979, The President of Egypt,

the Prime Minister of Israel, +

President Jimmy Carter meet

• Israel returns Sinai peninsula

• Egypt grants Israel access to the

Suez Canal

• Agree to send ambassadors

• Egypt formally recognizes

Israel as an indep. nation –

it is the 1st Arab country to

do so

• Egypt expelled from Arab

League

31

• Oslo Peace

Accords

• 1st direct, face-to-face agreement

b/w Israel + political representatives

of Palestinians.

• The PLO would be officially

recognized by Israel as the

governing body of the Palestinian

people + be afforded self-gov.’t in

parts of the West Bank + Gaza Strip.

• The PLO in turn recognized Israel's

right to exist + renounced its intent to

attack + destroy that state.

• “Permanent issues" such as border

security + Israeli settlements were

left out of the accords purposely, to

be resolved in other talks. 32

End Section 4 33

• Challenges Facing Central Asia

• Made up of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, + Tajikistan (“stan” means land)

• Some of the poorest countries in the world

• All were once part of the USSR, except for Afghanistan

• After the collapse of the USSR in 1991 (more on that in Ch 35), these countries have struggled economically, due partly to their dependence on the USSR + to their dependence on a single crop – cotton, but some of the countries have oil reserves + could improve their economies

• Also have trouble with ethnic strife 34

• Afghanistan • People are predominately Muslim

• One of the least-developed countries in the world

• Mountainous + desert terrain

• Throughout the 1800s until 1919 it has been fought over by Russia + Britain

• 1978, a group w/ ties to the USSR overthrows the gov.’t

• Most Afghans were unhappy b/c they believed communism went against many Islamic beliefs. They formed a group known as the mujahideen (Muslim holy warriors). They fought w/ the USSR for 10 yrs (backed by the US + other countries) + won 35

• Rise of the Taliban

• After defeating the Soviets, Afghanistan

was ruled by warlords. A conservative

Islamic group would take power known

as the Taliban. It would eventually

control 90% of the country. The rest

was controlled by a group known as the

Northern Alliance.

• Initially, the Taliban was viewed

positively b/c it brought law + order,

fought corruption, + encouraged

business growth.

36

• Fall of the Taliban

• Eventually looked down on b/c it followed an

extreme interpretation of Islam – women were

forbidden from going to school or holding jobs +

had to be completely covered when in out in

public, tv + movies were banned, etc… Breaking

laws resulted in severe punishments (beatings,

amputations, execution). Especially troubling

was their support of terrorism.

• They would eventually be driven from power by

the US after refusing to turn over Osama bin

Laden after Sept. 11th attacks.

• New gov.’t faces many challenges in rebuilding

the country.

37