External Factors/Impact of World War II

i.Impact of World War II

Although World-War I encouraged the spread of idea of self-determination, but World War II had significant weakening impact on colonial empires in Africa. The war not only destroyed the myth of white superiority, it also significantly weakened European economies and made it difficult for them to sustain their empires. During the war, Britain was particularly humiliated by the Japanese, while France was occupied by Germany. For Britain, it was a double jeopardy for her, for a non-European power to humble her until Britain and France were rescued by the Allied forces. Britain’s World War II trauma spurred discontent in the West Indies and led to the institution of the Royal Commission to probe the unrest. Its aftermath was the granting of independence to India in 1947, making her the first non-white country to join the Common wealth.

ii. Atlantic Charter

At the peak of World War II in 1942, the Atlantic Charter which provided under Article 3 for the principle of self-determination of all peoples was signed between US’s F.D. Roosevelt and UK’s Winston Churchill. African nationalists employed the charter as an additional weapon to intensify nationalist struggle, and rejected Churchill’s belated remark that the charter was a guide and not a rule. In frustration Churchill later retorted: “I have not become the Queen’s chief minister to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire”.

iii.The Anti-Colonial Posture of USA

The United States of America from the days of its declaration and war of independence had proclaimed the pursuit of liberty and freedom as article of faith. From the period of Woodrow Wilson when U.S intervened in world war I to make the world safe for democracy, to the era of Roosevelt, when America nurtured the idea of the United Nations and championed the principle of self-determination, successive U.S governments have not hidden their opposition to colonial empires. America’s disassociation from colonial policy was promoted through the activities of American Negro leaders and scholars such as Dubois and Ralph Bunch.

iv.The Role of the British Labour Party

Churchill led Britain to victory in World War II but his party lost the first post war General elections to the labour party, led by Clement Atlee. The labour therefore promptly translated its known programme of rejection and repudiation of colonialism to the official policy of the British government. The Atlee government speedily enacted the Development and Welfare Act for the colonies in 1948, which accelerated the pace of constitutional reforms; leading to the grant of early self-government in British colonies.

v.The Pan African Movement

The pan-African movement exploded the fallacy that Africa unity is not possible because the continent lacks a common race, culture and language. From the first pan African Congress held in Paris in 1919; the second in London in 1921, the third in London in 1923; the fourth in New York in 1927, and the fifth in Manchester in 1945, the flame of African nationalism was spread across the globe. The Manchester congress attended by over 200 delegates called on African elites to be awake to their responsibilities to their people, and made definite demand for constitutional change and for universal adult suffrage (Nkrumah 1963:134).

vi.The West African Students Union

The role played by the West African students union was also significant. The union was formed in 1925 by Ladipo Solanke, a Nigerian. Member of the union were not satisfied with the rate of progress made by Britain in granting constitutional reforms in West Africa.

As a result, they wrote series of petitions, to the British government demanding self-government for West African colonies.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

• Examine the factors that stimulated nationalist activities in Africa.

CONCLUSION

Nationalism in Africa, especially in the second half of the 20th century was essentially opposition to alien rule and demand for political independence. The movement succeeded largely because nationalists were able to deploy the same liberal weapons of self – determination and democracy, also employed by the West in their own struggle in the two world wars. However, with political independence, African struggle for genuine national liberation was far from being won.

 SUMMARY

In this unit we have examined the phenomenon of nationalism in Africa. We recognized that resistance and opposition to alien rule took different forms, but were all aimed at the same objective. We also identified the internal and external factors that stimulated nationalist activities; yet the role of World War II as a major catalyst to nationalism was noted.

TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. How valid is the view that the Second World War was a major catalyst to nationalist agitations in Africa?
2. Examine the various forms of nationalist activities in Africa and how they arerelated to one another