Decolonization of Asia and Africa: A Comparative Study
Decolonization of Asia and Africa
Great Britain, Holland, and France were the three most important colonial powers in Asia. The independence of the colonies had peculiar features in each case.
Decolonization in Asia
British Colonies
In Great Britain, the process was relatively peaceful. India achieved its independence in 1947, but at the expense of the separation of Pakistan (a country with a predominantly Muslim population). It was followed by Burma and Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka) in 1948, and Malaysia in 1957.
Dutch Colonies
In Indonesia, the nationalist leader Sukarno proclaimed independence after the Japanese retreat. Holland was forced to recognize it in 1949.
French Indochina
The most complicated and violent case was French Indochina. The Japanese invasion favored the emergence of a nationalist movement led by the Communist leader Ho Chi Minh. His proclamation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam led to a bloody war with France, which was defeated at Dien Bien Phu (1954).
The former Indochina was divided into three states: Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Vietnam, in turn, was divided provisionally, pending a referendum. In the south, resistance to unification arose, and it sought the support of the U.S., who took over from the French (in the context of the Cold War). The Vietnam War lasted ten years until the fall of the capital, Saigon, and the communists came to power in 1975.
The Independence of India
Indian decolonization involved two main organizations: the Indian National Congress (established in 1885) and the Muslim League (1906). Their proposals were initially moderate, reflecting the views of professional and bourgeois elites, often educated in Britain, against the most egregious abuses of British rule.
The effects of World War I and the charismatic leadership of Mahatma Gandhi managed to expand the nationalist movement. With his actions based on nonviolence and civil disobedience, Gandhi gave it a mass character, involving all sectors of the population.
In the 1930s, under the leadership of Nehru, the Congress Party demanded full independence. The struggle against British rule was compounded by escalating violence between Hindus and Muslims, who demanded the creation of a separate state.
The weakness of the metropolis during the Second World War was used by India to achieve independence. The British withdrawal occurred in 1947, and the territory was divided into two states according to their religious identity: India and Pakistan. Violent acts multiplied, along with mass population movements.
Pakistan, in turn, was divided into two sectors: the western and the eastern (which became Bangladesh in 1971). The India-Pakistan conflict has persisted, most notably over the common claim on Kashmir (a delicate boundary area between India and Pakistan).
Decolonization in Africa
The process of decolonization began in the Maghreb, with a Muslim population. Libya, Morocco (held by France and Spain), and Tunisia gained their independence in the 1950s.
Algeria
In this area, the biggest problem arose with Algeria, where a million French citizens (the pieds noirs) lived, who were reluctant to leave the territory. A long and bloody war (1954-1962) brought about the fall of the Fourth Republic and the return to power of General de Gaulle.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Black Africa was decolonized fairly quickly. In 1960, many countries gained independence, including Nigeria, Mauritania, Cameroon, and Chad. Others followed over the decade. In the former Belgian Congo, after the withdrawal of the European metropolis in 1959, significant internal conflict erupted, along with power struggles. In the end, they managed to maintain their unity.