Prescribed Subject 8: Independence Movements (1800-2000) — WHT8.1 Origins & Rise to Independence
Introduction
Between 1800 and 2000, hundreds of independence movements around the world challenged colonial rule and reshaped the global order. Their origins and success were shaped by a blend of nationalism, ideology, religion, race, and major social, economic, and international factors.
Key Focus: Understanding the relative weight of factors that drove movements from colonial subjugation to national independence.
Nationalism & Political Ideology
- Nationalism: Emerging sense of nationhood, a distinct identity, language, culture, and desire for self-rule. (Examples: India, Vietnam, Latin America)
- Political Ideology: Enlightenment ideas (liberty, equality, democracy), socialism, communism, and pan-Africanism inspired resistance to imperialism. Many leaders adopted or blended Western and local ideologies to articulate their vision.
Nationalist leaders: Gandhi (India), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), Simon Bolívar (South America), Nkrumah (Ghana), Mandela (South Africa).
Religion, Race & Social Issues
- Religion: Provided moral authority and networks for mobilization, as with the Catholic Church in Poland or Islam in Algeria.
- Race: Racial discrimination and "divide and rule" colonialism fueled resentment and solidarity among the colonized (e.g., civil rights in the US, anti-colonial movements in Africa).
- Social Inequality: Elites, peasants, and workers were often united—in stages—by the shared experience of oppression, forced labor, and cultural subordination.
Impact: National unity was sometimes challenged by ethnic, sectarian, or class divisions that endured after independence.
Economic Factors
| Issue | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Resource extraction | Colonial powers exploited natural resources and labor for their own gain | Congo, India, Latin America |
| Poverty & exclusion | Colonial systems left populations poor, landless, and denied education | Rural India, Indonesia, Africa |
| Emergence of new elites | Educated indigenous elites promoted reforms, using Western ideas to demand rights | Gandhi’s Congress, Nehru, Kenyatta, Nasser |
Wars, Violence & Other Factors
- World Wars: Both WWI and WWII weakened colonial powers, boosted demands for independence (colonial soldiers fought for freedom/returned home expecting change).
- Cold War: The US and USSR encouraged/pressured decolonization to win allies in Asia, Africa, Latin America.
- Wars of liberation: Armed struggle was sometimes required (e.g., Algeria, Vietnam, Kenya).
- International pressure: United Nations’ support for self-determination accelerated the end of formal empires.
Summary: Independence was achieved through diverse paths—negotiation, peaceful protest, revolution, and war—shaped by global events and local conditions.
Conclusion
The origins and rise of independence movements were driven by evolving ideas of identity, equality, and national destiny, interacting with economic grievances, international events, and changing power relations—a process that redefined the world by 2000.