Decolonization After WW II victors lost almost all of their colonies
Latin America independence early 19th century After WW II political movements focus on independence from U.S. economic domination
India and Pakistan India secular republic led by Nehru inherited more industrial resources 90% Hindu Muslim Pakistan religious dictatorship Early 1970s Bangladesh leaves Kashmir claimed by both source of wars and ongoing tension
Other Areas in Asia Indonesia led by Sukarno Ousted by coup in ,000 “Communists” killed Burma (now Myanmar) and Philippines get independence in late 1940s
Independence in Africa France - Vietnam and Algeria (1962) Sub Saharan Africa most granted independence except where there were powerful white minorities Then it took armed struggle South Africa, Rhodesia, Kenya, Angola & Mozambique Ghana peaceful Kwame Nkrumah and Nigeria Belgian Congo - Cold War confrontation - assassination of PM Patrice Lumumba
Latin America Chile’s copper, Cuba’s sugar, Colombia’s coffee, Guatemala’s bananas controlled by American corporations like United Fruit, ITT, Anaconda Copper From 1930s on quest for economic nationalism grows
Mexico By 1938 political stability under corrupt rule of PRI Yawning gap between rich & poor A few thousand families benefit
Guatemala Arbenz elected in ‘51 United Fruit nation’s largest landowner Arbenz attempts to transfer fallow land to poor peasants United Fruit unhappy as is U.S. which fears ties to “communists” & expropriations CIA intervenes 1954 Guatemala doomed to decades of violence between government and guerilla’s - SEE El NORTE
Cuba Leave this space for notes
Challenges of nation building Comparatively few nations able to avoid coups, rewritten constitutions, regional wars, dictatorships Absence of constitutional traditions Overdependence on world demand for raw materials and on imported manufactured goods
Beyond Bipolar World Independent nations had more local and regional concerns Superpower arms race opened opportunities to expand industries & exports - play them off on each other
Non-aligned nations Sukarno calls conference in 1955 includes China, Yugoslavia
Japan and China 3 industries paved way for Japan’s emergence as economic superpower after 1975: electricity, steel and ship building Japan outside Cold War China & Soviets diverge after Stalin denounced in ‘56 Great Leap Forward 1958 and Cultural Revolution 1966 disastrous however Rift between SU & China allows anti Communist Nixon establish ties in 1971 and join UN on Security Council - goodbye Taiwan
Middle East Egypt in ‘52, Jordan in ‘56, Egypt in ‘58 - all get independence - overshadowing this is Israeli & Palestinian problem Concentration of oil wealth - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq leads to OPEC and first huge spike in prices 1974
Sukarno
Fidel and Che
Arbenz
Kwame Nkrumah