8.6

Newly Independent States

Introduction to Newly Independent States

  • Quote by Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950): "India is free but she has not achieved unity, only a fissured and broken freedom."

  • Essential Question: What political changes led to territorial, demographic, and nationalist developments and the economic shifts that resulted?

Growth of Independent States

  • Between 1945 and 2000, the number of independent states more than doubled from approximately 75 to around 190.

  • The establishment of new boundaries often resulted in:
      - Conflicts
      - Population displacement
      - Resettlement

  • Case Study: India
      - Partitioned into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan.
      - Later division of Pakistan created Bangladesh.

  • Case Study: Middle East
      - Creation of Israel displaced Palestinian residents.
      - Newly independent countries enacted strong policies to promote economic development.
      - Migrants from former colonies maintained cultural and economic ties with colonizing nations, particularly in large cities.

Israel's Founding and Its Relationships with Neighbors

  • Zionist Movement:
      - Originated in the 1890s in response to the Dreyfus Affair.
      - Theodore Herzl urged the establishment of a separate Jewish state at the First Zionist Congress in 1897.
      - Aimed to create a safe haven for Jews, particularly in Palestine.

  • Balfour Declaration (1917):
      - Issued by the British government, favoring the establishment of a "national home" for the Jewish people in Palestine.
      - Claimed that rights of existing non-Jewish communities should not be prejudiced.

Complications Post-World War I

  • British officer T.E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") made promises to certain Arabs for an independent state to secure their support against the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

  • After World War I, Britain received a mandate over former Ottoman territories in the Middle East.

  • Increased Jewish immigration into Palestine led to protests from local Arab populations who sought to protect their land and way of life.

Impact of World War II

  • The Holocaust, which resulted in the deaths of six million Jews, significantly increased Jewish immigration to Palestine.

  • Global sympathy for Holocaust survivors grew, leading to UN intervention.

  • In 1948, the UN partitioned Palestine into Jewish and Arab sections, leading to the declaration of Israel.

Multiple Wars Involving Israel

  • Following the establishment of Israel, several conflicts erupted:
      - 1948 Arab-Israeli War: Immediate war between Israel and neighboring Arab nations.
      - 1956 War: Israel, with France and Britain, invaded Egypt's Sinai Peninsula over the Suez Canal.
      - Six-Day War (1967): Israel gained control of Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Golan Heights.
      - Yom Kippur War (1973): Israel repelled surprise attacks from Egypt and Syria.
      - After years of conflict, Camp David Accords (1978) facilitated a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.
      - Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) led by Yasser Arafat sought the return of occupied lands and the establishment of an independent Palestine.

Ongoing Violence and Tensions

  • By the 21st century, divisions intensified:
      - Palestinians split into Fatah (controlled the West Bank) and Hamas (controlled Gaza).
      - Israeli government tightened border controls leading to widespread economic sanctions, increasing tensions.

  • Between 2000 and 2014: Over 7,000 Palestinians and over 1,000 Israelis killed due to ongoing violence.

Partition of Cambodia and Aftermath

  • Cambodia Independence (1953): Gained from France after pressure during Vietnam War.

  • Khmer Rouge Regime (1975-1979):
      - Led by Pol Pot, targeted intellectuals in a cultural revolution, leading to massive famine and death toll exceeding two million.

International Involvement and Recovery of Cambodia

  • Vietnamese Invasion (1977): Invaded Cambodia to support anti-Khmer Rouge forces, leading to stabilization.

  • UN Mediated Peace Agreements (1991): Allowed for democratic elections.

  • Prince Norodom Sihanouk became monarch, leading to a multi-party democratic government.

Partition of India and Pakistan (1947)

  • British division of colonial India into India (Hindu-majority) and Pakistan (Muslim-majority):
      - India had a population about ten times larger than Pakistan.
      - Women in both nations received the right to vote in 1947.

  • Consequences of Partition:
      - Approximately 10 million displaced as communal violence broke out, resulting in 500,000 to 1 million deaths.

Kashmir Conflict

  • Kashmir: Region claimed by both India and Pakistan but predominantly Muslim with a Hindu leader.

  • Nuclear Arms Development: Heightened tensions when both countries developed nuclear capabilities.
      - Territorial divisions: India ~45%, Pakistan ~35%, China ~20%.

Women in Leadership in South Asia

  • Elected female leaders emerged in new countries:
      - Sirimavo Bandaranaike: First female prime minister, Sri Lanka, 1960.
      - Indira Gandhi: Became India's leader in 1966, implementing economic programs.
      - Benazir Bhutto: First elected female prime minister of Pakistan in 1988.

Economic Development and Modernization in Tanzania

  • Tanganyika Obtained Independence (1961): Became united with Zanzibar to form United Republic of Tanzania.

  • Julius Nyerere: Advocated for African socialism defined in the Arusha Declaration (1967) focusing on educational reforms and cooperative farming.

Emigration Trends Post-Independence

  • Newly independent nations produced significant migration towards former colonial powers:
      - Large communities of refugees and immigrants from countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh moved to London.
      - Vietnamese, Algerians, and West Africans migrated to France, while Filipinos emigrated to the United States.

  • Environment: Emigration, metropole, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Indira Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto.