Independence Movements

In Asia and Africa

The World Mood in the Post War Era

While the Superpowers engaged in the Cold War former colonies of Imperialistic nations embarked on a program of National SelfDetermination. Former subjects began to consider the goal of independence many with an eye to democratic states.

India
1885 saw the establishment of the Indian National Congress whose goal was to increase rights for Indians under colonial rule. 1906 witnessed the creation of the Muslim League to protect Muslim adherents rights

The Amritsar Massacre--1919

319 Indians (Hindu and Muslim) were killed during a peaceful demonstration in a park by British General Dyer. The massacre was unprovoked In the immediate aftermath millions joined the self rule campaign.

Mohandas Gandhi

The movements spokesman was Gandhi who organized huge protests. He proclaimed a program of Passive Resistance or civil disobedience Program consisted of demonstrations and work stoppages and boycotts This non-violence program was quite successful Dr. King in America copied this strategy of civil disobedience in the US civil rights movement.

 Gandhi began call for Indian unity which was to overcome religious differences. Most famous gesture was the Walk to the Sea where he collected salt which was prohibited by British law. Was a British educated lawyer who dressed as a commoner, fasted and attracted large crowds.

 The Muslim League demanded creation of a Muslim state to be called Pakistan After WWII Britain granted Indian independence Immediately radical Hindus and Muslims began massive killings of each other.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Main goal was to create a separate Muslim state. When India was freed by Britain in 1947 it was divided into thirds. India in the south Pakistan in the northwest East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, in the east

 Millions now moved to the area of their choice, or were forced to flee to avoid religious persecution 500,000 people were killed Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu who disagreed with his political aspirations. The two nations are still fighting. Note: Both nations are now nuclear powers

AFRICAN MOVEMENTS

 African movements began north of the Sahara where nations had long standing Islamic ties.

Africa -- South of the Sahara

Most nations had few trained professionals (doctors, diplomats, businessmen, scientists). They had no trained people to run or rule a new nation In most colonies there were multiple languages since colonies were made along imperialist lines not African traditions. Most colonies had differing histories, customs and loyalties.

Rwanda
This area faced ethnic upheaval based on genocide, human rights violations and tribal strife between two tribes, the Tutsi (15% of pop.) Hutu (85% of pop.)

1962 brought independence and revolt Hutu revolted against Tutsi leadership 10,000 plus people were murdered. Fighting continued until 1972 when a military coup by Juvenal Habyarimana created a one party republic in1981. When Habyarimana died in plane crash in 1994 civil war broke out again.

 3 months of fighting resulted in genocide which left 800,000 Tutsi dead. The following year 2,000,000 Tutsi fled to nearby Zaire This is largest incident of genocide in recent history resulting in lost of 1/3 of entire national population.

Uganda

Gaining Independence
Became a British Protectorate in 1890 As the independence trend began to sweep across Africa, Uganda gained its independence in 1962. Milton Obote became the prime minister or leader of Uganda He was overthrown in 1971 by his lead general Idi Amin through a military coup

Idi Amin: The Butcher of Uganda

Idi Amin:
The Butcher of Uganda
Extremely violent and paranoid leader In 1972 he declared an Economic War on the country's large Asian population, which dominated trade and manufacturing and also played an essential role in the civil service. After giving the 70,000 holders of British passports three months to leave the country, Amin turned thousands of their abandoned businesses over to his friends and supporters. Paranoid, he began executing his own people to remain in power killing an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 and beginning with the ethnic Acholi and Lango who dominated the Ugandan army and had supported Obote. http://www.hulu.com/watch/166746/general-idi-amin-dada

Amins Fall From Power

In 1978 Amin's ambition led to his fall from power. In October he tried to take control of the Kagera Salient, part of Tanzania. Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere responded by sending troops into Uganda. Supported by Ugandan rebel forces, the Tanzanian army captured the capital city of Kampala in April 1979. Shortly afterward, Amin fled to exile in Libya.

Sudan

Sudans Independence
Determined to prevent French expansion in the Nile Valley, the joint British-Egyptian government occupied Sudan beginning in 1898. the British introduced indirect rule, in which traditional rulers, appointed by British provincial governors for their loyalty, exercised local government. The government left the educational development of the south to Christian missionaries. It specifically prohibited instruction in Arabic and encouraged the use of English. Southern Sudanese represented less than 1% of government positions. In 1949 Sudanese, Egyptian, and British representatives drafted a new constitution providing limited self-rule for an integrated Sudan.

Sudanese Independence cont.

Southern Sudanese preferred to postpone unification with the north until, through economic and educational development, they could enter into an equal partnership; however, the new constitution took effect only in a unified Sudan in 1950. Tensions between Northern and Southern Sudan would result in continued conflict throughout the region. South Sudan gained independence from the North on July 9th 2011.

Darfur
Under their policy of indirect rule, the British restored the Darfur Sultanate under Ali Dinar Zakariyya. Ali Dinar played a significant role in an Islamic, anti-Western alliance that formed during World War I. The Anglo-Egyptian government subsequently invaded Darfur, killed Ali Dinar, ended the sultanate, and incorporated Darfur into Sudan. After Sudan attained independence in 1956, Darfur remained under Sudanese rule. The central Darfur region of Sudan is inhabited largely by Fur farmers; the northernmost section by nomadic camel herders; and the eastern and southern zones by Arab cattle herders. Periods of severe drought since the late 1960s forced the cattle and camel herders to encroach on the rich agricultural land in the central section of Darfur.

Darfur Continued
As competition for access to water and pasture intensified, small-scale raids turned into persistent battles among the different groups. Attempts by successive governments to achieve peace in the region have failed, and the fighting continued. In February 2003 two rebel groups the Sudan Liberation Army Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement (with members drawn from the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa ethnic groups) demanded that the Arab-ruled Sudanese government begin to share power and end the economic discrimination of Darfur.

 The government responded by targeting the civilian populations from which the rebels were drawn. With support from the Sudanese government, militias forced more than 2.5 million people, mostly farmers, to flee to refugee camps with 300,000 dead. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPOyl7BLO10&feature =fvwrel

SOUTH AFRICA
In 1910 the Union of South Africa was established. British and Dutch colonists were given power, land and rights while blacks were entire excluded from the political arena

 1923 saw the introduction and enforcement of complete residential segregation. 1926 saw blacks legally banned from work in many skilled occupations. 1948 saw the establishment of APARTHEID (separation of races). This removed 80% of the population from the political process. In the 1950s the homelands were established. 15% of land (the nations worst) were allocated for blacks.

Nelson Mandela
In the mid 1950s Nelson Mandela became the leader of the African National Congress, an organization whose goal was to abolish Apartheid.

 Mandela followed Gandis plan of passive resistance in the beginning 1960 Sharpeville Massacre saw the murder of 67 protesters. (protest was against requirement to carry passes to travel in cities) Mandela now supported guerrilla warfare Mandela was arrested in 1964 and sentenced to life in prison. He was released in 1990 After the government failed, Mandela was elected president in the first free election in 1994.

THE MIDDLE EAST

At end of WWI the are was controlled by the League of Nations. France managed Syria and Lebanon Britain oversaw Palestine, Jordan, Iraq and Persia (Iran) Arabia became the kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Israel
Jewish refugees convinced Arthur Balfour that a Jewish homeland was necessary. In 1917 the Balfour Declaration was issued which proclaimed the right for the creation of Israel

 The Declaration required that Jews and Palestinians were to divide land that both claimed to be traditionally theirs. The 1930s saw a surge of Jews to the region to escape Hitler. By 1940 nearly a half million had arrived. At this point the Palestinians had the numbers but the Jews and money and world sympathy. After WWII, 1948, the United Nations created 2 Palestines--one for Jews and one for Muslims. Note: remember Germany, India???

 When David Ben-Gurion announced the creation of Israel Muslims from six nations immediately attacked. Israel shocked the world by defeating the Muslims Israel seized the Palestine and the Palestinians no longer had a homeland. Jews from across the world flocked to the new nation .

The Six Day War

War broke out again the 1967. It was a total victory for Israel who then took: The West Bank from Jordan Golan Heights from Syria Gaza Strip and the Sinai from Egypt In 1977 MP Begin and President Sadat of Egypt signed the Camp David Accords in which Israel returned the Sinai and Egypt (a Muslim nation) recognized Israels right to exist. Muslims Immediately assassinated Sadat

 Since 1977 Israel and Palestinians have fought over the land The PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) was created and dedicated to reclaiming the land and establishing a Palestinian state. Regular Intifadas (uprisings) have been used along with terrorism against Israeli citizens to aid in the destruction of the Jewish state New Hostilities began in 2000. Israel elected Ariel Sharon as PM and he built a wall between Palestine and Israel for protection. When PLO leader Yassir Arafat died in 2004 the new president signed a armistice with Israel ending the Intifada.

Iranian Revolution

Reza Shah Pahlavi

After WWII and the departure of the allies the Shah began a program of Westernization. Land reform in the form of ownership increased Education improved Womens received the rights of voting, higher education, professionalism, and western dress.

 The reforms upset Islamic fundamentalists who thought that the Quran should be the law of the kingdom (theocracy). After President Carter visited to congratulate the Shah on his progress revolution ensued. The Shah was deposed in 1979 and Iran became a theocracy led by the Ayatollah Khomeini. Westernization ended--women wore traditional clothing and national law was based on the Quran

4 Views of Traditional Iran

 Iran was invaded by Iraq in1980 Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was supported by the US The war between the two nations lasted nearly 8 years with neither side gaining anything. The Ayatollahs death in 1989 created a power struggle between fundamentalist and a small minority of reform minded pro westernizers.

An Economy Based on Oil

OPEC
ORGANIZATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES

By 1960 the Middle Eastern states realized the power their oil gave them on the global market and they formed OPEC (Venezuela also joined). OPEC set the world price for oil and controlled the amount available. In 1970 they cut supply and prices skyrocketed. Since the 1980s OPEC has largely failed to keep its members in line and lost some of its power. Some OPEC nations have used oil revenue to build national infrastructure while others have let the money go into the hands of a small minority.

The Gulf War

In 1990 Iraq, lead by Hussein, invaded Kuwait to gain control of the oil fields. Success would have given Iraq control of nearly 20% of the world oil reserves. The United Nations sent forces to drive Iraq out of Kuwait. The UN then placed restrictions of Iraq Hussein remained in power for 10 more years while ignoring the clauses of the peace treaty. In 2003 a coalition (US and GB) invaded Iraq to remove Hussein. A new government is still being formed.

More Unrest in Arab States

In the 1980s the USSR sent troops to Afghanistan at the request of the Afgan Marxist leader Nur Muhammad Taraki Most Afgans opposed the plan Resistors called holy warriors attacked Soviet forces. As Soviet problems at home grew the troops withdrew.

 After 14 years of fighting and 2 million deaths the victorious power was the Taliban an Islamic fundamentalist group. The regime imposed strict Islamic law and restrictions of women. It also provided protection for the terrorist groups Al Queda lead by Saudi Osama bin Laden. Al Queda has intense dislike for the USA, Israel and Saudi Arabia

 Al Queda resents the presence of infidels (westerners) in Saudi Arabia since it is the home of many Islamic holy sites Al Queda particularly resents the USA because: The US supports Israel which AQ wanted destroyed The US has troops in Saudi Arabia The US supports globalization which AQ believes weakens Islamic values and beliefs.

To support their cause AQ destroyed the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001.