Decolonisation Flashcards
What were the consequences of Labour’s 1947 Colonial Development Coroporation?
- Colonial Office’s staff x3
- Expenses x4
- 1000s recruited to its ranks
When did Britain leave India and Pakistan?
August 1947
Burma?
1947
When was Ceylon granted Dominion Status?
1948
Evidence of Labour trying to maintain and improve Empire post-WWII
- 1944 Colonial Development and Welfare Act made £120m available from 46-56 to pump colonial economic development
- 1950 Columbo Plan where Britain and CW countries would contribute to colonial development across Empire
Examples of military resources being used to maintain Empire
- Malaya in declared ‘state of emergency’ 1948-60 military and police deployed to crush guerrillas sponsored by Chinese communists
- Crushed Mau Mau uprising Kenya 1952-59
How did class consciousness in African colonies increase?
- Mining settlements like in N Rhodesian Copperbelt largest and employed 30,000 as early as 1930
- Expanding towns and cities rise of Africa to commercial favour like Lagos population from 1910-1950s went from 10,000 to 270,000; urbanisation
Examples of African nationalism quickly after WWII
- 6 week general strike in Nigeria 1945
- General strike in the Sudan 1947
- Riots on Gold Coast 1948 exploted by nationalists
Summarise Tory imperial policy in 50s
- Intended to continue work towards ‘self-government within the Commonwealth’
- Would concede if had no other option but felt obliged to continue civilising mission
Summarise the Mau Mau uprising
- Estimated between 10,000-100,000 Africans died vs 32 white settlers killed by Mau Mau
- 1000+ judicially murdered
- 10,000s kept in detention camps, appalling conditions and tortured
- Press in Britain exaggerated evilness of Mau Mau to overshadow this
What and when was the Hola Camp incident?
- 1959 Mau Mau
- 11 Mau Mau detainees beaten to death by guards
When did Kenya become idndependent?
1963
What was the situation in the Suez Canal Zone by 1947?
- In 1947 Br still had 10k troops in Suez Canal Zone (as agreed by A-E Treaty 1936) as fearful about Russia’s ambitions in ME
What did King Farouk of Egypt do in 1951? What then happened and when?
- Independently renounced 1936 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty and proclaimed himself a King of the Sudan
- January 1952 military coup led by Colonel Nasser overthrew him
What had Britain agreed to do regarding Egypt and the Sudan by 1954? What did Egyptians promise in return (x3) ?
- Withdraw from SC over 20 months (couldn’t afford their bases much longer anyway)
- Egyptians granted Britain (1) free access through the SC; (2) maintenance of former British bases in an operational condition (important bc Cold War); (3) respect independence of SC Co. and ownership would revert to Egyptian gov in 1968
