De-colonisation

·        Why did the European colonial Empires collapse?

·        In what way did French and British de-colonisation differ from each other?

Why the European colonial empires collapsed

-         Hargreaves – ‘rising tide of anti-British resentment’ in West Africa, disturbances occurring due to costs of living, no African members in the Executive council, residential segregation etc.

-         ‘growing feeling of antipathy to Europeans and an undercurrent of discontent which affords a fertile field for the subversive activities of enemy-agents’.

-         Colonial Office imposed introduction of income tax, even though there was strong African opposition towards it.

-         Maturing of the University and other development programs would allow the transfer of political power and guide the course of decolonization.

-         Burns political strategy of the unofficial majority had been shaken by the death of Ofori Atta, whose collaboration was the key to reform of the Native authorities.

-         Bourdillon considered the basis of Nigerian opposition to colonial rule to be 99% economic.

-         The political changes, the programs for African advancement, economic development and social improvement became crucial means of ensuring West African collaboration in Britain’s last attempts to maintain an imperial role in the world of superpowers.

-         There were ‘rising African expectations’ and the United Gold Coast Convention used the grievances to organize support and demonstrations.

-         Riots led directly to Ghanian independence.

-         The riots “provide a clear warning that, unless the British broadened the basis of their rule in West Africa, sooner or later they would be faced with something worse”.

-         Social pressures revealed by the Lagos strike in 1945 showed there were “deep sources of discontent in the south”.

-         Person – 1956 turning point of advanced decolonization everywhere. The demand for it was late because of French ideology which impeded the rise of consciousness among Africa’s politicians.

-         The Loi-Cadre was a document that permitted the creation in each territory of a governing council chosen by an assembly elected by universal suffrage. This led straight to independence.

-         [The French crisis of 1958 acted as a catalyst to independence.]

Differences between French and British decolonization

-         Yves Person – French de-colonization differed from British as the essential principle in French West Africa was that “any idea of self-government, even in the long term, was solemnly thrust aside”. In British West Africa, William’s model for development at Stage Five was to move “towards self-government”.

-         In British West Africa there were plans for “increased representation of African interests” through the “appointment of African members to the Executive Council” and “extended African representation in Legislative Council”, whereas in French West Africa, “the African deputies were too few to be sure of making themselves heard”.

-         Chamberlain – “Unlike the British, the French were, after the second World War, prepared to fight to keep their empire”.

-         “Economically, as well as politically, the organization of the French empire had traditionally been much tighter than that of the British”.

-         Even those states who did not opt to stay formally within the French Community chose to retain many economic, financial and technological links with France, whereas in British West Africa, countries wanted independence from British rule.

-         Regarding India and Indochina, the British had resolved they would leave India as soon as the transfer of power could be arranged, whereas the French “were determined to return to Indochina”.