DECOLONIZATION OF AFRICA: BACKGROUND, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES - HISTORY - 2025

The decolonization of Africa was the political, historical, social and economic process through which new independent republics arose on that continent. This took place at the end of the Second World War and was a stage after one of domination and colonization that began in the late 19th century.

In that century, the main European powers settled on African territory. The objective was to sustain their production models through the many resources of that continent. The countries involved in this colonization were the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Italy.

Cartoon about the Berlin conference, 1885, in which the problems of the division of Africa were discussed

Now too, the decolonization of Africa was gradual and peaceful for some of the British colonies. However, the same did not happen with colonies from other countries. In many cases, there were rebellions of the natives, which were strengthened by nationalistic sentiments.

After the end of World War II, the state in which the European countries remained favored the success of the African independence struggles. Most lacked the political support and resources necessary to neutralize the riots. They also had the support of the United States and the Soviet Union, which opposed colonialism on African territory.

Background

Independence of North America in 1776

The North American independence movement was the first of the English settler revolts in the New World during the 18th century. This movement had the support of the English liberals and they based their philosophical reasoning on the "Biological Law of Turgot" by the French politician and economist Anne Robert Jacques Turgot (1727-1781).

As stated by this law, just as a fruit falls from the tree when it is mature, the colonies also reach a state of development. When this point arrives, the citizens most aware of their rights ask to emancipate themselves from the authority of the mother country.

As this situation was unavoidable, supporters of this principle argued that in some cases it was better to allow maturation to proceed peacefully.

In this way, ties of authority were preserved between the metropolis and its colonies. This liberal concept was the philosophy and the general rule of strategy most used during decolonization.

Unfortunately, in North America, the settlement of the emancipation dispute between the British crown and its colonists did not follow the liberal peaceful path. The tightening of the commercial laws issued by the British state triggered the conflict. These affected industry and commercial interests in the colonies, provoking deep resentment.

Independence of Haiti in 1804

The Haitian Revolution has often been described as the largest and most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere. According to the records, this was the only uprising of servant settlers that led to the creation of an independent nation.

In 1791, the slaves began their rebellion, managing to end slavery and the control of the French crown over the colony. The French Revolution of 1789 had great influence on this revolution. From his hand, the Haitian settlers learned a new concept of human rights, universal citizenship and participation in the economy and government.

In the 18th century, Haiti was the richest overseas colony in France. Using an enslaved labor force, it produced sugar, coffee, indigo, and cotton. When the French Revolution broke out in 1789, Haitian society consisted of whites (plantation owners), slaves, and the petty blancs (artisans, merchants, and teachers).

Precisely in the group of whites the independence movement began to take shape. This resistance began when France imposed heavy tariffs on imported items into the colony. Later, the movement was reinforced by the slaves (majority of the population) and the liberation war was unleashed.

Causes

Internal

The years of European domination and the successful revolution in India under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, encouraged the desire of the African peoples for independence.

In addition, the discontent of the inhabitants for racism and inequality was another cause for the decolonization of Africa. Unlike the American colonies, in the African colonies, there was no significant racial miscegenation. European settlers did not settle or mix with the natives.

Instead, racist prejudices were fostered; Europeans viewed Africans as inferior. Either because of cultural differences or because of their inferior education, they were not considered fit to lead their regions. Likewise, they were denied political participation in matters that touched them directly.

On the economic side, the rule imposed by the Europeans was to take mineral and agricultural resources and bring them to Europe. Then they sold manufactured goods to Africans. Both maritime traffic and industrialization were kept under the colonial power of the powers in order to control the economic evolution of Africans.

External

During the Second World War, a large number of young Africans participated in different military operations. In Libya, Italy, Normandy, Germany, the Middle East, Indochina and Burma, among others, they fought on the side of the allied countries.

According to historical sources, more than a million Africans participated in this war. This entire human contingent had the opportunity to gain a deeper political consciousness. Similarly, they increased their expectations of greater respect and self-determination.

At the end of the contest, these young people returned to the African continent with all these ideas. Once reintegrated into civil life, they began to press for the independence of their respective regions.

On the other hand, the entire European continent was distracted in its recovery efforts. The newly erected Soviet world power embodied a new threat. Because Europeans feared that communist ideology would contaminate relations with their colonies, they did little to radically neutralize the independence movements.

Finally, the other newly declared world power, the United States, like the Russians, had a pro-decolonization attitude. This position was made known clearly in the different international stages. Consequently, European countries could do little to reverse this position of their allies.

Consequences

Internal

Through the decolonization process, African leaders gained greater political power. In the decades that followed independence, they worked to shape the postcolonial state culturally, politically, and economically.

In this sense, some worked to neutralize the European political and cultural hegemony inherited from the colonial regime. Others, however, worked with the colonial powers to protect their economic and political interests. Thus, the decolonization of Africa was experienced in different ways.

By 1990, with the exception of South Africa, formal European political control had given way to self-government on African soil. However, culturally and politically, the legacy of European rule still clearly remained.

Thus, the European style remained unchanged in political infrastructures, educational systems and national languages. Likewise, the economies and commercial networks of each of the decolonized nations continued to operate in the European way.

Thus, the decolonization of Africa could not achieve true autonomy and development for the continent. Nor did it end social and ethnic conflicts; many of them still persist today.

External

With the end of the Second World War, new conditions appeared in the relations between the colonizers and the colonized, which led to the so-called San Francisco Conference. This was a convention of delegates from 50 allied nations during World War II held between April and June 1945.

Its objective was the search for international security and the reduction of armaments. It was also an attempt to improve the access of all countries to the world's resources and the guarantee of freedom. Out of these discussions emerged a new international organization, the United Nations (UN).

With the creation of the UN, all those countries that were previously European colonies were incorporated as free and sovereign states. Then, new topics were incorporated into the body's discussions, such as extreme poverty, disease and education, among others.

In the constitutive act of the new body, all members were guaranteed the political right to choose the form of government under which they wanted to live. Similarly, the legal right of equality among sovereign nations was established, whatever their size or age. All decolonized countries benefited from these rights.

References

1. Encyclopædia Britannica. (2017, June 02). Decolonization. Taken from britannica.com.
2. UN Agency for Refugees. (s / f). How and when did the decolonization of Africa take place? Taken from eacnur.org.
3. Zoctizoum, Y. (s / f). The decolonization of Africa in the world context. Taken from decolonizacion.unam.mx.
4. Younkins, EW (2006, July 30). Turgot on progress and political economy. Taken from quebecoislibre.org.
5. Sutherland, CE (s / f). Haitian Revolution (1791-1804). Taken from blackpast.org.
6. Talton, B. (s / f). The Challenge of Decolonization in Africa. Taken from exhibitions.nypl.org.