Historical Development of Decolonization and the Emergence of Independent States

General Overview: The historical transition from European colonies to newly independent and sovereign states occurred primarily during the middle of the $20th$ century.
Gandhi and Indian Independence: Gandhi, identified as a pacifist leader, began the famous "salt march" in March $1930$ as part of the campaign for India's liberty.
Algerian Conflict: The transcript highlights the intensity of the struggle through soldiers making prisoners of Algerian combatants during the Guerre d'Algérie, spanning the years $1954$ to $1962$ .
The Colonization Era ( $19th$ Century to $1914$ ): Europeans conquered vast territories in Asia and Africa, citing a "civilizing mission." - Justification: Press outlets like Le Petit Journal ( $19$ November $1911$ ) portrayed colonization as a source of progress, including railways, schools, and hospitals, often framing peoples as "inferior." - Religious Activity: Evidence from $1912$ shows European churchmen in Africa teaching from the Bible and converting local populations to Catholicism.
Key Definitions (Historical Structure): - Colony: A territory conquered, dominated, governed, and exploited by a European state. - Metropolis: The European state that controls and governs a colony. - Examples: Morocco and Indochina (France), Congo (Belgium), and India (Great Britain).

Impact of World War II: Europe emerged from the conflict weakened, significantly losing its prestige and global strength.
The United States' Position: As a former British colony, the USA condemned colonization. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt stated on $14$ August $1941$ : "One cannot fight against fascist servitude and, at the same time, not liberate peoples submitted to a colonial policy of another age over the whole surface of the globe."
The Soviet Union's Position: Andrei Jdanov (Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party) asserted in September $1947$ that the USSR was the "only true defender of freedom and independence" and an adversary of colonial exploitation in all forms.
The United Nations (UN): Recognized the "right of peoples to self-determination." A recommendation on $16$ December $1952$ stated members must promote the realization of this right according to the will of the populations.

Primary Phase of Decolonization: The years between $1947$ and $1962$ .
Peaceful and Negotiated Pathways: Occurred when the metropolis agreed to negotiate. - India ( $1947$ ): Negotiated between Lord Mountbatten (British Vice-Roi), Nehru (leader of the Congress Party), and Ali Jinnah (leader of the Muslim League). This resulted in the partition of India in August $1947$ . - French West Africa: Another example of negotiated independence occurring in the early $1960s$ .
Violent Pathways and Wars: Occurred when the metropolis refused to grant independence. - Indochina ( $1946-1954$ ): A struggle led by Hô Chi Minh and the Viêt-Minh movement against France. Following French defeats (such as Diên Biên Phû in $1954$ ), the Geneva Accords established a partition line at the $17th$ parallel. - Indonesia: A war for independence fought against the Netherlands.

Timeline and Geography: The war officially began with FLN attacks on $1$ November $1954$ .
Vocabulary and Actors: - Pieds-noirs: European colonists settled in North Africa. - FLN (Front de Libération Nationale): The political and military movement demanding Algeria's independence. - Harki: Algerians who voluntarily fought on the side of the French army. - Autochthones: Native persons originating from the land.
Military and Strategic Elements: - The French established the "Morice Line," an electrified and mined barrier. - FLN bases were established abroad and in mountainous regions like Kabylie and the Aurès.
Economic Interests: France sought to protect energy resources, specifically gas fields in Hassi R'Mel and petroleum in Hassi Messaoud.
Outcome: Algeria became a sovereign state in $1962$ after years of guerrilla warfare.

The Bandung Conference ( $1955$ ): A historic meeting of non-white heads of state (mostly African and Asian) to condemn colonization.
The Third World (Tiers-monde): A collective identity for newly independent, underdeveloped nations seeking a voice outside of the two Cold War power blocs.
The Belgrade Conference ( $1961$ ): Attended by leaders such as Nehru (India), Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana), Nasser (Egypt), Sukarno (Indonesia), and Tito (Yougoslavia).
Non-Alignment Policy: These states refused to align with either the USA (Western Bloc) or the USSR (Soviets). They aimed to reduce block antagonism and promote peace and cooperation among equal nations.
Socio-Economic Challenges: Most of these states remained rural and under-industrialized with low standard of living, facing massive demographic growth.
Economic Advocacy: - UNCTAD ( $1964$ ): Created by the UN to help developing countries improve trade. - Group of $77$ : A coalition formed in $1964$ to protect the interests of developing nations at the UN. - New International Economic Order ( $1974$ ): An initiative to ensure state sovereignty over natural resources and fairer prices for raw materials.

How did colonies obtain independence?: They achieved it either peacefully through negotiation (e.g., India) or through force and war (e.g., Algeria, Indochina, Indonesia).
What was the role of international organizations?: The UN provided a legal framework by recognizing the right of peoples to dispose of themselves.
What is the meaning of "Non-Alignment"?: According to the Belgrade declaration of $1961$ , it is the refusal to engage in the total division of the world into two blocs and the struggle to protect the independence and equality of all peoples.
What are the economic characteristics of the Third World?: These countries were often poor, faced demographic pressure, and sought to escape economic dependence on former colonial powers.
What represents the "Non-Aligned" perspective in media?: The Plantu cartoon from $1978$ (album Pauvres chéris) illustrates the economic struggle of the Third World and non-aligned nations while satirizing their position on the international stage.