Migration essay Flashcards
(3 cards)
Role of individual
Several influential individuals played a crucial role in leading resistance and weakening British imperial power. Mahatma Gandhi led non-violent protests and civil disobedience in India, including the Salt March (1930), which exposed the brutality of British rule and gained global sympathy. His leadership was key in building a mass independence movement that eventually forced Britain to grant independence in 1947. Similarly, Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana led strikes and founded the Convention People’s Party, pushing for self-government through mass mobilisation, resulting in peaceful independence by 1957. In Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta emerged as the political voice of anti-colonial resistance during and after the Mau Mau Uprising (1952–60), and later became the country’s first prime minister. Looking back further, even in earlier empire-building phases, individuals like George Washington were pivotal—he led the American colonies to independence after the American War of Independence (1775–83), defeating British forces and ending British rule in North America. Conversely, British leaders like Richard I and King John indirectly contributed to imperial decline; Richard’s costly foreign wars drained resources, and John’s loss of the angevin empire in 1204 weakened royal authority, undermining early English control in Europe. These individuals, whether colonial resistance leaders or flawed British rulers, each played a vital role in challenging or mismanaging the empire, ultimately contributing to its decline.
War
War was a major factor in the decline of the British Empire, both in terms of cost and political consequences. The First World War (1914–18) weakened Britain’s economy and exposed the reliance on colonial troops, encouraging greater demands for recognition and self-rule in return for their service. However, it was the Second World War (1939–45) that truly accelerated decolonization. Britain emerged victorious but economically devastated, with over £3 billion in debt, much of it owed to the USA, which opposed colonialism. The war also empowered independence movements; for example, in India, the Quit India movement (1942) gained momentum during the war, and Britain realised it could no longer control such a large colony while managing its post-war recovery. Earlier in the empire’s history, —the final phase of the American War of Independence (1778–83)—saw France and Spain ally with the American colonies, helping to decisively defeat British forces at Yorktown (1781). This defeat marked the end of British control in North America and was a significant early blow to imperial dominance. Later, anti-colonial wars such as the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya and the Malayan Emergency (1948–60) were costly and difficult to win, showing that military force could no longer sustain empire. Earlier in the empire’s history, the loss of the Angevin Empire under King John “Softsword” also demonstrated how war could destroy imperial control. His defeat by the French in 1204, including the loss of Normandy, severely weakened England’s position in Europe and marked the collapse of vast overseas territories once held by his father, Henry II. Later, the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453) between England and France saw England gradually lose nearly all its remaining lands in France, despite early victories like Agincourt. By the end of the war, England had lost its European empire apart from Calais, showing how sustained conflict could reverse expansion. War drained Britain’s finances, weakened its global influence, and inspired resistance, all of which made holding onto the empire increasingly unsustainable.
