The Colonies Become New Nations

Ch 34

1945-Present

• 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 indep.

• 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

• 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

• • 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.

• 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)

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

34.2

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

• 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.

• 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

• 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

34.3

• 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)

• 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

Stages of Genocide (Do NOT Copy)Stage Characteristics Preventive Measures1. 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

• 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

• 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

End Section 3

34.4

• TheIsrael/ Palestine Conflict

• Reasons for current situation in the Middle East:

1. Decolonization2. Creation of Israel3. Oil4. Cold War – USSR helped Arabs 5. Rise of Islamic factions in gov.’t6. Terrorism

• 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

Blue = Jewish

Yellow =Christian

Green =Muslim

• 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…

• 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

• 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

• Zionist + Palestinian landownership in percentages by sub-district, 1945

Red = Palestinian

Blue = Zionist

White = Public + Other

• Boundaries after the war

• 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

• Israeli settlements in occupied territories

• 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

• 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

• 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.

End Section 4

34.5

• 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

• 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

• 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.

• 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 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.

End Section 5