reasons

When did India become independent?

August 15, 1947

What are some examples of nationalist pressures in India?

Gandhi, the civil disobedient campaign, quit India movement in 1942

What about Indian independence was significant in decolonisation

India supposedly the heart of the Empire, however, it did carry on for another 20 odd years without it, also gave example to other colonies

When did Burma become independent?

January 1948

What was happening in Burma prior to the end of World War II?

Turmoil building including Japanese occupation in 1942, and then Britain reconquering it in 1944 to 45

Who led the nationalists in Burma

Aung San

Why did the British Grant Burma independence?

They knew they couldn't use more violence and it was also not particularly economically valuable, and they wanted a pro-western state

When was the Gold Coast/Ghana given independence?

1957

What caused Ghanain independence?

Series of riots and unrest and an increase in African power in government led by kwame nkhruma, who became prime minister 1952

What can make nationalism seem like a bigger cause of decolonisation than it is

Violent Anticolonial movements seen as Nationalist, even though they weren't fighting for a United nation

Quote for stockwell

"Authorities were influenced more by the dangers of lawlessness on a colony than by the force of the nationalist's demands"

How many people died in the mau mau rebellion?

13,500 Kenyans and 32 white people

How many Kenyans were put in detention camps during the mau mau rebellion

24,000

What happened at the hola camp?

March 1959, 11 kenyans beaten to death, which disgusted the British back home

Who is Jomo Kenyatta?

Jomo Kenyatta was the first prime minister of Kenya. The British pinpointed him as the leader of the may mau rebellion, although he believed self-government should be achieved through reform not revolution, which shows that the rebellion was not a nationalist movement led by him.

What did hyam say of Kenyatta?

Describes him as the "most misunderstood nationalist leader in the history of British Africa"

How many languages spoken in Nigeria?

250

What was the geographical divide in Nigeria?

Less developed Islamic north, and an urbanised Christian south between which there were tensions

When was Nigeria made independent?

October 1960

When did Kenya gain independence?

December 12, 1963

How was Nigerian not nationalist movement?

Such a variety of ethnic groups and tribes that they were not fighting for any sort of joint nationality - nigeria did not really exist until its independence

What was the growing trend of the USA?

It was gaining power, and becoming much more influential than Britain was including over Britain itself, exposed most clearly in the suez crisis

What were the consequences of the Suez crisis?

Showed nationalists if they pushed harder, they could achieve independence; humiliated Britain and exposed its colonial ways as outdated; Anthony Eden forced to resign

How did the Suez crisis show that the USA held a lot of influence over Britain?

Eisenhower furious that Britain, France and Israel did this without consulting him, and he thought it was a very colonial act. He refused to support the sterling in the currency crisis in Britain, caused by the war, and so they had to announce a ceasefire in suez in order for the economy to not collapse

When was the Suez Crisis?

1956

When was the French withdrawal from Algeria?

1954-62

What about the French withdrawal from Algeria affected Britain's colonial policy?

It was very violent and difficult (even leading to a collapse of the fourth Republic). the British did not want to follow this example, so they were keen to not have conflicts with nationalists and therefore would meet their demands of independence

How did the Cold War affect colonial policy?

The main focus of foreign policy has shifted toward Europe and the Middle East, meaning colonial possessions were much less important

How did the rising power of the USA and the USSR affect colonial policy?

Britain no longer had a title to defend as much, and the USA and the USSR both very anti-imperial, showing the Empire to be outdated

What suggests public apathy remained widespread?

Imperial matters never played a significant role in an election, and in 1948, 1/2 of the population were unable to name a single colony

How did the welfare state affect colonial policy?

Funding to go to the welfare state rather than colonial possessions that didn't affect peoples lives

When was Clement Attlee's labour government voted in?

July 1945

When was the NHS founded?

1948

How did the Suez crisis change the Conservative party?

After Eden's resignation, Harold Macmillan took the party away from colonialism and aimed for a policy that would accelerate decolonisation. He acknowledged this in the winds of change speech.

What was the 'winds of change' speech?

Delivered to South African Parliament in Cape Town in 1960, McMillan acknowledged that changes were happening across Africa that would lead to demands for decolonisation

In what way did the Suez crisis have cultural impacts in England?

Made people lose faith in politicians and 'the establishment' and increased anti-imperialist views

What does Hyam argue is the most important way to look at decolonisation

To understand how Britain became "prepared to open the door to self-rule, when nationalist leaders knocked and asked"

How did britain's economic situation affect decolonization

Britain's economic situation no longer made the empire viable in its immediate post World War Two state - the profits and prosperity brought had been one of the principal reasons for its existence so once it became a financial burden it is understandable that its dissolution was not resisted

How did britain's economic situation impact its imperial and military power

Its imperial and military power had always rested on its industrial and commercial pre eminence relative to other powers and this was eroded from the late 19th century onwards and so the British Empire was eclipsed by larger, more dynamic economies such as the USA the USSR and Germany. post 1945, Britain's economy was unable to sustain the image as a great power

How can the statistics about exports and imports from the Commonwealth compared to the Western Europe in 1948/1965 be explained

Europe was a mess anyway economically in 1948 so it makes sense that there was a higher proportion to the Commonwealth at this point, but ultimately the economic future of britain clearly laid with Europe and in the EEC

What was some valuable economic assets in the empire

Malayan rubber however this was a form of informal empire because it was not officially a colony

What happened in the 1967 sterling crisis

Britain had to devalue the pound by 15% and the new chancellor of the exchequer Roy Jenkins was an ardent supporter of the European Community and an opponent of britain's overextended global commitments, which led to Harold Wilson the Prime Minister announcing in January 1968 that Britain was withdrawing all significant forces east of Suez

What was the impact of the 1967 sterling crisis

The withdrawal of all significant forces east of Suez meant that Britain would no longer be a power in the Middle East, the Indian Ocean and the Far East, effectively ending the British Empire

What did Wilson reference in January 1968 when he announced the withdrawal of troops from east of Suez

Rudyard kipling's poem recessional which was about the end of the empire written in 1897