1 / 14

The Rise of African Nationalism

The Rise of African Nationalism. Nationalism(s). French Assimilation West Central Africa Algeria British Accommodation West African inclusion East African co-option Central African federation African Constitutionalists Afrikaner Nationalism in South Africa. Nationalist Politics.

mpartlow
Download Presentation

The Rise of African Nationalism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Rise of African Nationalism HI177 | A History of Africa since 1800 Term 2 | Week 4 | Dr Sacha Hepburn

  2. Nationalism(s) • French Assimilation • West Central Africa • Algeria • British Accommodation • West African inclusion • East African co-option • Central African federation • African Constitutionalists • Afrikaner Nationalism in South Africa

  3. Nationalist Politics • Political leaders • Conservatives v radicals • Traditionalists v modernisers • Political parties • Elite or mass? • Local or national? Or international • Campaigning • Ideology and programme? • Elections • What system? What constitution?

  4. The New African, March 1946 Pan-African Congress, Manchester, October 1945

  5. Nationalist Politics • Political leaders • Conservatives v radicals • Traditionalists v modernisers • Political parties • Elite or mass? • Local or national? Or international? • Campaigning • Ideology and programme? • Elections • What system? What constitution?

  6. Paths to Independence • Various paths to independence… • Election (e.g. Ghana) • Negotiation (e.g. Sudan, Nigeria) • Violent Struggle • Urban unrest, labour militancy (e.g. Belgian Congo) • Liberation wars (e.g. Algeria, Mozambique, Angola) • Role of guerrilla struggle (e.g. Zimbabwe) • Often a combination of these…

  7. Case 1: Gold Coast to Ghana • Legislative elections, 1946 - won by United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) • UGCC: Old-fashioned, elite party, led by traditional chiefs and educated urban businessmen • CPP: Convention People’s Party (Nkrumah) • Radical mass party, led by younger activists and graduates. Indian National Congress as model (Gandhi). Mobilised youth groups, urban and rural • Positive Action Campaign, 1950: Imprisonment of Nkrumah and others

  8. Case 1: Gold Coast to Ghana • Legislative elections, 1951: won by CPP, Nkrumah becomes ‘Leader of Government Business’ • 6 March 1957 – elections, full independence • Nkrumah becomes first Prime Minister

  9. Case 2: Mau Mau and Kenya • Large number of white settlers, conflict between African population (particularly Kikuyu) and European colonisers over land issue • Emergence of nationalist politics in 1940s • KAU: Kenya African Union • Moderates v Militants • Constitutionalists v Direct Action • State of Emergency, October 1952 • Arrest of KAU leaders, trade unionists and Mau Mau suspects • Thousands put in detention camps or subject to collective punishments in villages

  10. Suspected Mau Mau members at a detention camp in Nairobi, 1952 The arrest of Dedan Kimathi, 1956 Searching for Mau Mau, Karoibangi, 1954

  11. Case 2: Mau Mau and Kenya • Fight against Mau Mau largely over by end 1956 • Rebuilding politics after Mau Mau • British want to maintain peace • African nationalists and elites need to reform political parties • New constitution – more Africans elected to Central government • Independence – 12 December 1963 • Mau Mau – a complex legacy – anti-colonial war and/or civil war amongst African (Kikuyu) population?

  12. Conclusions • The paths and processes towards independence were not inevitable… • Avoid ‘reading history backwards’ (Frederick Cooper) • Different visions of independence • ’Winds of change’ not felt with the same strength everywhere • Portuguese hold on to their colonies (until 1975) • White settlers resist change (Algeria, Kenya, Southern Rhodesia, South Africa)

More Related