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- Social Studies for ECLPE Y2 SB File Uploaded 2/11/21, 14:01
UNIT 14 AFRICAN NATIONALISM AND THE ACQUISITION OF INDEPENDENCE
Key Unit competence: The student-teacher should be able to analyze the
causes of the African nationalism, the means used
to acquire independence in Africa and its impact onAfrican societies.
Nationalism can be defined as the desire for colonized people to end all forms
of foreign control and influence so as to be able to take charge of their political,
social and economic affairs. It is the desire for self-rule and self-governance or
strong feeling and love for one’s country.Example of the main African Nationalists:
Before 1960 most of Africa was still under colonial control. However, by 1970
most of Africa was independent from European colonialism. Several factors
contributed to the rise of this African nationalism. The factors that gave birthto African nationalism are of two kinds; internal factors and external factors.
14.1.1 Internal factors
i. The oppressive and exploitative colonial policies
During the 19th century and early 20th c, the whole of Africa, except Ethiopia
and Liberia was brought under colonial rule. Europeans grabbed African land,
pushed African intro over –crowded reserves, introduced high taxes, and forced
Africans to work in mines and on plantations. All for the white man’s benefit
while at work, Africans were often abused or even lagged. These who failed
to pay taxes were treated in similar way or even imprisoned. All this annoyed
Africans and led to strong feelings of nationalism.
ii. Missionaries’ activities in Africa
They introduced western education and taught at subjects like history which
exposed Africans to the liberation struggle of various people for example the
French revolution of 1789, they also emphasized to the equality of all people
which incited Africans to fight for rights including political rights.
iii. The formation of political parties in Africa
These included united gold coast convention(UGCC) and the Convention of
People’s Party(CPP) in Ghana, African National Congress(ANC) in South Africa,
the Uganda National Congress (UNC),the Kenya African National Union (KANU)
and others Leaders of these parties were elites who inculcated a spirit of
nationalism amongst party members.
iv. The 2nd WW (1939-1945)
Africans were recruited to serve their colonial masters as drivers, cooks and
soldiers during this Great War. They saw whites retreating, dying and they
learnt a lesson that whites were not gods as they had thought. They could die
of bullets just like Africans. They also witnessed poverty and prostitution in
European slums. On their return to Africa at the end of the W.W.II, the ex-service
men no longer feared whites and introduced militant nationalism in Africa.
v. The formation of OAU on 25th may 1963
This was a continental body, which aimed at promoting African unity. It united
the 32 independent African states and set itself a task of helping other African
countries that were still under colonial rule. In 1974, the OAU set up a liberation
committee that provided moral such as ANC in S.A.
vi. The 1952-1955 MAU MAU rebellion in Kenya
The term MAU- MAU stands for, ( Mzungu Aende Ulaya Mwafurika Apate
Uhuru ). Following many years of oppression Kenya’s took up wins against
the British which thought Africans in the Angola, Algeria and other areas that
colonial oppression can be ended through wined struggle.
vii. The independence enjoyed by Ethiopia and Liberia
In these two countries, the political, economic, social and cultural ways of life had
remained intact. These two countries served as a role models and challenged
the suffering Africans to fight for their lost dignity and independence.
viii. The 1954-1962 Algerian war of independence
Algeria successfully resisted to French colonialists. It became independent at
the end of guerilla war. This provided another example to Africans to struggle
against colonial rule using force of arms.
ix. The development of mass media across Africa
African elites founded a number of newspapers, magazine and radio stations.
Though these they publicized the atrocities committed by colonialists against
Africans and called up on Africans to rise up and change the situation.
14.1.2 External factors
i. The formation of the United Nations Organisation 1945
The UNO set itself an objective of fighting against colonialism all over the world.
It set up a decolonization committee charged with the responsibility of granting
political freedom to all colonized peoples.
-- The UNO set up a trusteeship council: This was to take care of the colonies
that had belonged to defeated Germany and Italy e.g.: Tanganyika, Libya,
Togo and Cameroon…
-- It became a voice for the colonized: The UN members were aware that it
was colonialism that had caused the disastrous 2nd WW.
-- The UNO was not discriminative: It admitted African countries that were
independent to the UNO membership.
-- It issued the universal declaration of human rights in 1948: this UDHR
emphasized the dignity and equality of all human beings.
-- The UNO recognized liberation movements in Africa: where as the
colonial masters looked at Africa nationalist groups are label movements,
the UNO recognized them and allowed liberation leaders to explain their
grievances to UN members.
-- It gave military support to keep peace: In some cases, the UNO has sent
its peace keeping forces to bring order among nationalists and hence
streamline the struggle for independence.
-- It gave constructive advice to nationalists: In 1964, the UNO advised
Senegal and Gambia to remain as sovereign states and avoid political
integration that was likely to produce ethnic conflicts.
-- UNO extended financial support to Africa: The UNO has since the 1946s
showed economic interests in Africa but has also desired to promote the
standard of living of African people.
-- The UNO helped in training African leaders: During the decade of
decolonization, the UNO trusteeship council embarked on man power
training in African territories.
ii. The impact of the 2nd world on the growth of African nationalism
-- The war exposed the military weakness of the white men: before the 2nd
WW, Africans thought that the white men were invincible (unbeatable)
and feared to make a military challenges to them. However, during the
war African soldiers saw white men dying retreating. This made Africans
to reduce their fear for the white men.
-- Africans get exposed to the entire world: They were sent to fight in
South Africa, Asia and Europe. These travels opened their eyes and minds
they met new people with new ideas.
-- Africans obtained military skills: During the war, they were exposed to
up to date European weapons which they learnt to fire and in some cases
to repair on their return to Africa, they put this technical knowledge and
tactics in practice by fighting the white men.
-- African soldiers were exposed to democracy: They made friendship with
European communists and they witnessed democratic and constitutional
governance and wondered why they should not have the same democratic
rights.
-- Unfulfilled promises made the nationalistic while persuading them
into war African service men were promised rewards. For example,
democratic constitutions, employment in civil service, promotion in
army… However, when the war ended most of them were demobilized,
remained unemployed and lived in very poor conditions as compared to
the situation during war.
-- It led to militant nationalism in Africa: Before African nationalists used
old methods of demanding for independence through negotiations became
irrelevant they formed militant movements to fight for independence.
-- African service men witnessed disunities amongst Europeans: At first,
Africans looked at Europeans as demi-gods and patrons of civilization.
However, during the Second World War, Africans were exposed to quarrels
and fight amongst Europeans. For instance, the British against German,
French against Germany… on returning to Africa, they turned the Bullet
against Europeans.
-- It led to the formation of the United Nations Organization (UNO):
The UNO was born to correct the mistakes of the hypocritical League of
Nations and to replace it. From the start, the UNO condemned colonialism
and advocated for the political rights of the all colonized people of Africa
and Asia.
iii. The rise of super powers
In 1941, USSR and USA joined the Second World War after WW II, they emerged
as the new super powers to replace the war ravaged France and Britain their
roles in decolonization were as follows:
-- They wanted to spread their ideologies in Africa: After the 2nd WW, cold
war (war of ideas) started it was between USSR, which wanted to spread
its ideology of socialism, communism in Africa and USA which wanted
to spread its ideology of capitalism in Africa. The two powers allowed
sympathy with the colonized Africans so as to get supporters of their
ideologies.
-- USA exposed African students to democracy: America not only gave
scholarship to African students like Nkrumah to study abroad, lent also
allowed them to form or join democratic students’ organization. It also
published a monthly magazine “African interpreter” by granting students
freedom to express themselves democratically.
-- Interaction of USA troops with African soldiers: During the 2nd WW,
American troops were dispatched to north and West Africa. They valued
the dignity of blacks unlike Europeans. they could share meals, toilets,
bars and dancing halls with them above all, American troops criticized
British and French colonialism in Africa.
-- USA and USSR had anti colonial traditions: The USA had once been
colonized and oppressed by the British they fought for independence and
joined it 1976. They understood clearly the status of Africans and worked
hard to change it.
-- USA and USSR influenced the formation of the UNO: After 2nd WW,
the major powers of the world met at San Francisco and signed to UNO
charter article 13 made it clear that colonialism was an evil that had to be
abolished. It declared the right of all people to choose best suited to them.
-- Super powers threatened sanctions or colonial masters: USA and
USSR exerted pressure on Europeans colonialists to decolonize their
African empires, hence facilitating nationalistic activity in Africa. USA and
USSR even threatened to improve sanctions on Britain, France, Belgium
and Portugal if they didn’t decolonize.
-- USSR embarked on spreading socialism in Africa: this ideology
condemned land grabbing, oppression, exploitation and racial segregation.
-- Both USA and USSR supported Pan-Africanists: In America Negro
intellectual like WEB Dubois expressed better criticism against colonialism.
He was never arrested for his view. The same to George Padmore, the great
West Indian Pan African intellectual. The free atmosphere accorded to
pan Africanists in diaspora enabled them spread their views up to Africa
and hence influenced decolonization.
iv. The pan Africa movement
African living in Diaspora, especially in America started this movement. Pan
Africanists like WEB Dubois, Marcus Garvey and George Padmore appealed to
Africans all over the world to be proud of their role and to unite against whites
in Africa. Marcus Garvey “go back to Africa” policy and “Africa for Africans”
Slogan inspired the growth of nationalistic feelings amongst African students
who went study abroad. For example Kwame Nkrumah.
v. Western education
Colonial masters’ scholarship to some Africans students who went to study
abroad. Those students came into contact with white’s liberals, socialists
and communists who were against colonialism. In addition, they witnessed
democracy at work in European countries and America and wondered why
such democratic governance was denied to them on returning to Africa, theelites demanded for democratic governance and an end to colonialism.
There were four types or methods that Africans applied in the struggle to
liberate Africans from the colonial domination
14.2.1. Peaceful liberation/non-violence means.
Peaceful liberation involved intensive negotiation between the colonialists and
African Nationalists for instance the political independence of Tanganyika,
Ghana, Uganda and Zambia applied negotiation or peaceful means to get their
independence.
14.2.2. Liberation by revolution.
The liberation by revolution involved complete overthrow of the existing
political system. This existed in colonies where independence was given to the
minority at the expenses of the majority; the case in point is in Zanzibar where
minority Arabs were granted independence by the British which prompted the
majority blacks to make a revolution in 1964 supported by the masses. It took
place even in Egypt and Libya. Liberation by revolution is always sudden and
involves bloodshed.
14.2.3. Liberation by armed struggle/violent method.
The struggle was conducted in the situation where peaceful means failed and the
imperialists were reluctant to negotiate or to give independence to the Africans.
In such situation the Africans picked up arms to fight the imperialists by force
as a method to achieve the independence. For example, in Zimbabwe, Algeria,
Kenya, Angola, South Africa and Mozambique the fight involved bloodshed useof guerrilla warfare.
14.2.4. Combination of peaceful means and armed struggle
In some countries, the liberation movement combined both peaceful means
and armed struggle. Firstly, the Africans resorted to armed struggle as a way
to achieve their independence and then applied dialogue/peaceful means to
solve the problems of their independence. This situation happened in Kenyaand Zimbabwe.
-- African nationalism had effects as it led to present political freedom
for Africa and reversed the African tragedy and humiliation that was
orchestrated at the Berlin Conference.
-- It brought about the Organization of African Unity. Its spirit led to assisting
African Liberation Movements of Southern Africa against colonialism.
-- African nationalism affirmed the worth of black people and therefore
rejected the inferiority ascribed by racist thought in the late19th and 20th
centuries.
-- It helped to launch the struggle for rights and equality for black people in
the Diaspora;
-- In Africa, African nationalism asserted the right of independence forAfricans “Africa for the Africans”.
-- In addition to the slogan, African nationalism contributed in at least 3
ways:
• Early in the century, for the newly emerging African elite, it was a
source of ideas and contacts, especially for students studying abroad;
• It helped to provide an ideology of unity in the process of mass
mobilization of Africans for the independence struggle;
• It also helped to build a constituency in Europe and North America
which was sympathetic to and supportive of independence of Africa
and this came to form important ‘public opinion’ in the1950s and 60s.
-- African nationalism played a role in history after independence by unifying
nations with diverse groups and gave all its citizens a sense of belonging.
It bound people living in one nation together even if they did not have a
common background. Due to this unity when opportunities were given to
all people, they feel proud in their country and stand together in times ofhardship such as natural disasters.
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