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Was anti-imperial sentiment a reason for decolonisation in the post war period?
Was anti-imperial sentiment a reason for decolonisation in the post war period?
After end of the Second World War in 1945, the next thirty years were to see rapid disintegration of the European empires and the creation of many new independent states. There are many reasons why decolonisation occurred in this period, including the effects of the War itself, the role of the USA and the issue of economics, as well as anti-imperial sentiment and the struggle for independence from colonial rule.
There are 3 main schools of historical thoughts concerning decolonisation.
Metropolitan or domestic explanations illuminates how empire was fast becoming too burdensome and served no strategic or economic purpose for the country, was a desire to be rid of colonial links.
International – International climate – The United States and Soviet Union were hostile to the old-style imperialism, also newly independent states such as India also exerted international pressure through the UN to accelerate the process of decolonisation. European powers were obliged to give up colonies.
Nationalistic – rise of colonial nationalists, challenging imperial rule, sped up decolonisation process.
One of the effects of world war I was that all of the traditional great powers of Europe became secondary states. With this decline came two conditions; first was the external overthrow of European colonial rule; second was the rise of USA to great power status and the subsequent decline of Great Britain in particular, but of the other colonial powers as well, as they now came to depend on American arms and other support. America over-shadowed efforts of countries such as France to improve economic conditions to their colonies.
The anti-colonial attitudes of its leadership Roosevelt and other officials were discomforting to the British. Both USA and Soviet Union, super-powers after the war, tried to discourage middle-ranking European powers, like the Netherlands, from clinging on to Empire to salvage their self-esteem and prestige.
Opposition to traditional colonial rule was expressed in two ways; first there was a desire for international trusteeship of the colonial territories, and second there was a policy statement on future independence.
Britain had to appease America as the American alliance was essential and yet they had their own imperial interests to consider.
The aftermath of war displayed a weakness of all of the colonial powers, and this condition went beyond their dependency on the US for military and financial assistance.
The very nature of World War II – defensive at best for the colonial powers – forced change. With the conclusion of a war so disastrous for all of the colonial powers, any notion of continuing policy and practice as before was discounted.
Economic
At the end of the Second World War, the Labour government came to power in Britain. They had a different outlook upon the issue of decolonisation. Whereas the conservative government before them were unwilling to give independence to India the Labour government supported decolonisation in the right circumstances.
India had traditionally been regarded as the most valuable component of the British Empire, and its possession as [next page]