Africa after World War 2 presentation. Africa in the second half of the 20th century. Arab countries of Africa
Both world wars affected Africa. In each of them, the African continent, seemingly so far from European political conflicts, was forced to take an active part. However, the contribution of Africans to the victory over fascism remains largely underestimated.
For Africans Second World War began in 1935 when Italy invaded Ethiopia. In a sense, it continued - in the form of a struggle for independence - long after 1945, when Africans demanded recognition of their contribution to the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. The Second World War had a profound impact on the understanding of class, racial, political problems throughout the world. In fact, the Second World War became a catalyst for the crisis in the colonial empires and served to transform the nature of political activity throughout the African continent. If before 1945 the struggle of the African peoples against colonial oppression was for the most part not so much for self-government as for some degree of participation in existing governments, then after the war the demand for independence became the basis of the program of all African organizations that counted on popular support. “1945 was the greatest watershed in modern Africa. The most important factor contributing to the growing spirit of indignation in Africa during this period was the return home of African soldiers who participated in the Second World War. African troops were rarely completely reliable for the imperialists, and their uprisings and protests played an important role in the development of African national consciousness. Especially great unrest among the African troops occurred during the Second World War. Fighting in distant countries, they were imbued with the spirit of the anti-fascist war and returned home completely different. In their countries, former participants in the war were resolutely unwilling to return to low-paid hard work; in the war and post-war years, there were mass rallies, demonstrations, and mutinies by military personnel and former soldiers.
Not much is said about the African campaigns of World War II in Russia. However, by the beginning of the war, Africa (especially northeast) had become a strategic foothold, for which a fierce battle unfolded. Largely fighting on the "dark continent" they predetermined the delay in the opening of the second front. While the Allies were fighting for Africa, the Red Army had already launched a counteroffensive.
American soldiers land on
shore at Azreve in Algiers during an operation
"Torch"
The North African campaign (June 10, 1940 - May 13, 1943) was military operations between the Anglo-American and Italian-German troops in North Africa - on the territory of Egypt and the Maghreb during the Second World War. In its course, the famous battles of the British with the troops took place. German general Rommel, known as the "desert fox", and the landing of the American-British troops in Morocco and Algeria (landing operation "Torch", November 1942). The East African campaign officially lasted less than a year and a half - from June 10, 1940 to November 27, 1941, however, Italian soldiers continued to fight in Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea until the end of 1943, until the surrender order reached them. De Gaulle and British troops landed on Madagascar, which was a supply base for Japanese submarines in the Indian Ocean, in May 1942, and by November of that year the island was liberated from Vichy and Japanese troops.
Academician A.B. Davidson wrote that during the Second World War, military operations in Tropical Africa were conducted only on the territory of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Italian Somalia. “In 1941, British troops, together with Ethiopian partisans and with the active participation of the Somalis, occupied the territories of these countries. In other countries of the Tropical and South Africa no military action was taken. But hundreds of thousands of Africans were mobilized in the armies of the mother countries. More more people had to serve the troops, work for military needs. Africans fought in North Africa, in Western Europe, in the Middle East, in Burma, in Malaya. On the territory of the French colonies, there was a struggle between the Vichy and supporters of the "Free France", which, as a rule, did not lead to military clashes. The policy of the mother countries in relation to the participation of Africans in the war was ambivalent: on the one hand, they sought to use the human resources of Africa as fully as possible, on the other, they were afraid to allow Africans to modern species. Most of the mobilized Africans served in the auxiliary troops, but many still completed full combat training, received military specialties as drivers, radio operators, signalmen, etc. ”
By the beginning of the war, Africa (especially northeast) had become a strategic foothold, for which a fierce battle unfolded.
Over a million African soldiers fought on the side of the colonial powers in World War II. Few of them initially understood the causes of the war and the meaning of what they fought for. Only a few soldiers knew more about Hitler and fascism.
One of the veterans, John Henry Smith of Sierra Leone, recalled that his teacher gave him Hitler's Mein Kampf to read. “We read what this man was going to do to black Africans if he came to power. It was a book that would make every African revolt against someone like it happened to me." So John volunteered and joined the Royal Air Force of Great Britain, where he served as a navigator.
Africans in World War II found themselves, as in 1914, drawn into a "not their own" war. Since 1939, hundreds of thousands of soldiers from West Africa have been sent to the European front. Many inhabitants of the British colonies served as porters or did other work in the service of the troops. Although there were Africans willing to fight fascism voluntarily, in most cases there was a forced mobilization of Africans to the front.
French African soldiers
colonial army
Whether soldiers or prisoners of war, Africans at the front were in close contact with European soldiers and the realities of European life. They realized that Europeans are the same mortal, vulnerable people, no higher and no better than themselves. It should be noted that the attitude towards black soldiers on the part of their white comrades in arms and commanders was often biased and unfair. Notable South African political figure Ronnie Kasrils noted in his article dedicated to the visit of South African President J. Zuma to Moscow to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany that "racial discrimination in the South African army was so deeply ingrained that the dead, black and white, were buried separately" . He gave examples of the feats that some of the South African soldiers had accomplished and noted that if they were not black, they would certainly have received the highest British military award, the Victoria Cross. Instead, black soldiers received overcoats and bicycles as rewards at the end of the war.
The war experience has changed Africans' understanding of their own situation in many ways. Many veterans took part in the liberation movements upon their return to their homeland, but some of them were reproached by the independence fighters for fighting on the side of the colonialists and oppressors. Many of the living African veterans of the second world feel bitterness, because their contribution to the victory over fascism was not appreciated. Deutsche Welle quotes 93-year-old war veteran Albert Kuniuku from Kinshasa (DR Congo), chairman of the Veterans Union: “I receive a monthly pension for participation in the war in the amount of 5,000 Congolese francs (this is equal to 4.8 euros, 5.4 dollars ). This is not worthy of someone who defended the Belgian interests.
Africans in World War II found themselves, as in 1914, drawn into a "not their own" war.
Africans also knew about the role Soviet Union in the fight against fascism. More educated, politically active Africans who participated in the war had, apparently, a sufficient idea about this. However, there were also curiosities. Senior member of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, veteran of the Great patriotic war P.I. Kupriyanov, at the celebration of Victory Day within the walls of the Institute in 2015, told a curious incident: a few years after the end of the war, he visited Liberia, where an elderly Liberian once came to his hotel, who, in war time I heard on the radio about the successes of the Red Army and came to see a Soviet soldier. He noted with surprise that the Soviet soldier was quite young, not huge, and his skin color was not red. From listening to the radio, he got the image of a giant soldier with a red skin tone, because only such amazing people, as it seemed to a simple African, could crush the Nazi army.
Congolese bugler, 1943
In the article already mentioned above, the South African politician Ronnie Kasrils noted that “the victory over fascism saved the world from slavery and catastrophe. It also led to the collapse of the colonial system and contributed to the independence of Africa and the emergence of armed liberation movements, such as ours, which received support from the USSR and the countries of the socialist camp. He noted that attempts are being made to downplay and distort the role of the USSR in the victory over fascism, to rewrite history, and pointed out the danger of such attempts. They are dangerous because the concealment of the truth about the Second World War for the sake of geopolitical interests entails the oblivion of the lessons of history by modern youth around the world. R. Kasrils noted that fascism is now on the rise in different parts Europe and that the world must work together to prevent its re-spread.
Despite the efforts to present England and America as the main winners, and despite the real importance of the Allied victories in North Africa, the Battle of Britain, the opening of the second Western Front, R. Kasrils emphasized that the main theater of the war was Eastern front, the confrontation between the USSR and Nazi Germany, where the outcome of the war was decided. “Propaganda and lies are generated by the West in order to hide the true nature of the Second World War and the huge debt in which humanity is in front of the Russian people and peoples former USSR. They, without any doubt, took the brunt and saved the world from fascism.
For African countries, as well as for Russia, it is important to remember the history of their participation in the Second World War as it was, not allowing it to be distorted, downplaying the role of those who fought against fascism, forgetting their important contribution to overall victory over this evil.
AFRICA VISIT
"Business card" of the region
Teacher Kuznetsov N.K.
Africa Africa- the second largest continent after Eurasia, washed by mediterranean sea from the north, Red - from the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean from the west and Indian Ocean from the east and south.Africa- the second largest continent after Eurasia, washed by the Mediterranean Sea from the north, the Red Sea from the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean from the west and the Indian Ocean from the east and south.
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Africa is the birthplace of mankind Africa is the birthplace of the greatest ancient civilization Earth - Ancient Egypt In Africa is the largest desert in the world - the Sahara
Africa is home to one of the longest rivers in the world, the Nile.
Jordan
Mediterranean Sea
Africa occupies 20% of the Earth's land area (30.3 million km2), 56 states(with islands). - more than 1 billion people.
South Sudan
(Juba) -2011
Regions of Africa- Sev. Africa
- Severn. Africa
- Western Africa
- Centre. Africa
- Eastern Africa
- South Africa
Exercise. On the contour map plot any 10 countries in Africa that gained political independence after World War II. Indicate the date of independence and the metropolitan country. Why is 1960 called the Year of Africa?
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Year of receipt independence |
Country - metropolis |
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DE, VB Germany, FR, WB Germany |
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Year of receipt independence |
Country - metropolis |
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Germ. Belgium Germ. Belgium Portuguese. Portuguese. Portuguese. Portuguese. Portuguese. Germ, South Africa Italy (since 1950 part of Ethiopia) |
Table. African countries that gained independence after World War II.
Liberation from colonization
Animal world of Africa
Flora of Africa
Riches of Africa
The wealth of Africa - in terms of reserves and gold production - 1st place in the world At present (2015) OPEC includes 12 states, 4 of which are African: Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Angola
Riches of Africa
Tourism in Africa
In the village of the pygmies
In the land of the pyramids
Diving in the Red Sea
Photo safari in nature reserves
Homework- Topic 8, part 1 to the population
Causes In the interwar years, the role of oil fields, discovered and operated British companies in Iraq and Iran. Control over North Africa made it possible to "block" both water and land routes to India, Malaya, as well as to the British dominions of Australia and New Zealand. The same can be said about the routes connecting the Black Sea ports with the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic.
Mussolini's reasons beckoned a tidbit " living space”and hopes for an easy victory over the undermanned “Nile group” of the British commander in chief, General Wavell. As conceived by the Duce, activity on the African front was to become an important contribution of Italy to the geopolitical strategy of the Axis countries and to tie down significant allied forces in Africa. Beginning in 1940, National Socialist geopoliticians studied the project of a "small victorious safari in North Africa" extensively. However, for Hitler, this theater of operations was of secondary importance. Meeting with Hitler at the Berghof July 13, 1940 - ... In Africa, we claim the coast (apparently, together with Spain). Italy wants rear areas. We ourselves claim the French and Belgian Congo. The British were well aware of the weakness of their position in the area. They feared an Italian offensive against their strongholds in the Middle East, especially if it was supported by Germany. From the memoirs of W. Churchill - ... the war cabinet was determined to defend Egypt against anyone using any resources that could be allocated in the situation of that decisive struggle that took place at home ...
The forces of the parties at the beginning of the war In North Africa, Italy had two armies. The total number of troops was: 236 thousand people, 1800 guns and 315 aircraft. Almost all types of tanks and armored vehicles with which the troops were equipped were inferior to British tanks and armored vehicles in speed, armament and armor quality. The commander of the troops is the Governor General of Libya, Air Marshal Italo Balbo. By June 10, 1940, the troops of Great Britain, including parts of the dominions and colonies, in Egypt amounted to 66 thousand soldiers and officers (including 30 thousand Egyptians) - the Nile Army. Air Force England, available in Egypt and Palestine aircraft. The commander-in-chief of British forces in the Middle East was General Archibald Percival Wavell.
General Wavell adopted the tactic of harassing the enemy with counterattacks. In skirmishes on the border, the Italians lost 3500 people killed, wounded and captured during the first three months of the war, and the British only 150. Marshal Balbo also died at the same time: on June 28, Italian anti-aircraft gunners mistakenly shot down the plane on which he was flying, which was landing in Tobruk . He was replaced by Marshal Rodolfo Graziani. War of the Anglo-French coalition was declared by Italy on June 10, 1940. However, the rapid defeat of France and her withdrawal from the war concentrated aggressive plans in the direction of Egypt. The first three months of hostilities were positional in nature. R. GrazianiA. WavellI. BalboItalian soldiers 1940 British patrol
Capitulation of France Annexation of the USSR from Romania Bessarabia and North. Bukovina, Hitler issued Directive 17 on conducting a broad air war against England, the Battle for England began. At the same time ... German patrol on the streets of Paris
However, the lack of fuel, water and food stopped the offensive near the city of Sidi Barrani, where the Italians created a chain of military camps. On December 9, 1940, British troops under the command of Major General Richard O'Connor begin Operation Compass, which lasted until February 12, 1941. Within two days, all camps are destroyed. In the course of a further operation, the cities of Torbruk and Benghazi were already taken on the territory of Libya, and the 10th Italian army was defeated. 136 thousand soldiers and 7 generals surrendered. Threatened over Tripoli. However, on February 10, 1941, the British headquarters ordered the suspension of the advance of troops at El Agheila. A column of Italian troopsTank "Matilda" On September 16, 1940, Italian troops under the command of Marshal Graziani invaded Egypt R. O'ConnorItalian prisoners of war
Invasion of Japanese troops in Indochina Signed "Triple Pact": Germany, Italy and Japan on a military alliance Italy's invasion of Greece The beginning of the British offensive on Eritrea The German High Command orders the deployment of large-scale military preparations to attack the East. At the same time... At the signing of the "Triple Pact"
E. RommelGerman officers in TripoliCaptured British soldiers. Germany decided to take advantage of the weakening of the Italian forces in Libya in order to help them create a strategic foothold in North Africa, necessary in the future to capture all of Africa. In addition, the capture of Egypt and the Suez Canal was also in the interests of Germany. During February 1941, German troops were transferred to Libya, commanded by General Erwin Rommel. The hasty retreat of the Italian troops was halted in mid-February 1941. The Italo-German combined forces began to move back to El Agueila and on February 22 met with British troops stationed at El Agheila and on the eastern border of the Sirte desert. On March 31, the German command struck the British with a blow that turned out to be sudden. On the night of April 4, the Italo-German troops occupied Benghazi without a fight, and on April 10 they approached Tobruk, which they blocked the next day, but failed to take the city. In mid-April, Rommel was forced to stop the offensive on the border of Egypt and Libya.
At the same time ... Winston Churchill in his speech on March 6, 1941, in connection with the sharply increased losses of the English merchant fleet, set the task of starting the Battle of the Atlantic. German troops captured Yugoslavia and Greece. The Germans landed an airborne assault on Crete. German motorcyclists on the streets of Belgrade
German soldiers under Thorbrook AuchinleckEnglish soldiers in Torbruk In June 1941, the British command made an attempt to release Tobruk with large forces. On June 15, 1941, in the area of Es-Sallum and Fort Ridotta-Capuzzo, an attack began by British troops, who recaptured several settlements. However, the German counterattack on the night of June 18 threw the British back to their positions. On November 18, 1941, British troops under the command of Claude Auchinleck launched their second offensive in Cyrenaica - Operation Crusader (Crusader), the purpose of which was to push Rommel back to Tripolitania. Thorbrook has been released. The offensive stopped on December 31 in the El Agheila area. The British were already celebrating their victory.
Plan "Barbarossa" in action: German troops invaded the USSR Smolensk battle"Atlantic Charter" between England and the USA on the post-war order of the world Introduction English-Russian troops in Iran The failure of the German offensive on Moscow Japanese aircraft makes an unexpected raid on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, the United States and Great Britain declared war on Japan. Simultaneously… June 22, 1941. German bombers over Soviet territory December 7, 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor
E. Rommel at the head of the tank column H. Alexander B. Montgomery However, the Italians managed to lead a large convoy to Libya that delivered tanks and other weapons. On January 21, 1942, Rommel attacked the British troops and pushed them back to Thorbrook. British troops fortified on the line near Ain el-Ghazal. On the heels of the retreating British 8th Army, Rommel's troops invaded Egypt. The offensive was stopped at 100 km. from Alexandria near the town of El Alamein on July 1, 1942. Despite the reinforcements received (164th Light Division "Africa"), it was not possible to break through the defenses of the 8th Army immediately. Hot battles broke out. Until 27 July, Rommel unsuccessfully tried to break through the Allied defenses. On August 15, General Harold Alexander was appointed to replace General Claude Auchinleck. The 8th Army was led by General Montgomery. From August 31 to September 5, Rommel renewed his attacks in the Alam Halfa area near El Alamein, but Montgomery successfully repulsed them. From May 26 to 27, 1942, Rommel launched a new offensive, attacking the British positions on the "Gazala Line" west of Tobruk, and broke through the British defenses. On June 20, German-Italian troops captured Tobruk. German column in Egypt
Japanese troops cross Thailand, invade Burma The Treaty of the USSR and England on an alliance against Germany was signed From June 4 to June 6, naval battle at Midway Atoll Capture of Sevastopol by German troops Battles for Stalingrad began. At the same time… Stalingrad. Fight on the streets of the city
Australian soldiers 1942German prisoners of warD. EisenhowerThe landing of American troops On October 23, 1942, British troops under the command of General Montgomery went on the offensive against the Italo-German troops and broke through the enemy defenses in the El Alamein area in early November. On November 2, British troops broke through the enemy defenses after 3 days and the German-Italian tank army"Africa" was forced to retreat under the blows of the enemy. During the pursuit, British troops occupied the city of Tobruk on November 13, 1942. Operation Torch (Torch) began on November 8, 1942 - the American-English divisions under the command of General Eisenhower, having met only symbolic resistance from the troops of Vichy France, landed in Algiers, Oran and Casablanca. By the end of November, Anglo-American troops occupied Morocco and Algeria and entered Tunisia. Italian soldiers in Tunisia By order of Hitler on November 9, 1942, German troops begin to land in Tunisia. On November 11, the Germans enter troops into French territory controlled by the Vichy government. German soldiers in Tunisia Meanwhile, the persecution of the Rommel group in Libya continues. Overcoming the minefields left by the retreating British troops on January 23, 1943, they occupied Tripoli and in the first half of February they stopped at the Maret line west of the Tunisian border with Libya.
The battle began (from November 12 to 15) near the island of Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands) between the US and Japanese naval forces. Soviet troops near Stalingrad The blockade of Leningrad was broken Simultaneously… Leningrad. Victims of the shelling of German artillery
Von Arnhem German tanks on the Kesserin Pass American soldiers on the Kesserin Pass On February 19, Rommel attacked American troops in the area of the Kesserin Pass, but the allies repelled the attack, counterattacked, and by the end of February, Rommel retreated, after which he was recalled to Germany, and took up the post of commander of the Axis forces in Africa Colonel General von Arnhem. On March 21, 1943, Anglo-American troops launched an offensive from the south to the Maret line and from the west in the Maknasi region and broke through the defenses of the Italo-German troops, who retreated to the city of Tunis in early April. On May 7, the allies captured the cities of Bizerte and Tunisia. On May 13, 1943, the Italo-German troops, surrounded on the Bon Peninsula (250 thousand people), capitulated. Italian prisoners of war May 1943 Allied victory parade. Tunisia
Hitler's order for total mobilization (January) - Conference of the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Great Britain in Casablanca (Morocco) The battle of Stalingrad ended At the same time ... Interrogation of Field Marshal Paulus who surrendered
Results In connection with the defeat at El Alamein in 1942, the plans of the German command to block the Suez Canal and gain control over Middle Eastern oil were destroyed. After the liquidation of the German-Italian troops in Africa, the invasion of the Anglo-American troops into Italy became inevitable. The defeat of the Italian troops in Africa led to the strengthening of defeatism in Italy, the overthrow of the Mussolini regime and Italy's withdrawal from the war. Side losses British Empire USA Fighting France Germany Italy Vichy French State total losses total losses, aircraft, artillery, tanks and vehicles
Decolonization in Africa covers almost all of the post-war years. First, all Arab countries gained independence North Africa except Algeria. Most of the states Tropical Africa gained independence in 1960, it is called the year of Africa. Further decolonization went more difficult. Portugal tried to the last to keep its colonies. In Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, in response to this, an armed liberation movement began. The colonial wars eventually bled the mother country, in 1974 a revolution took place in Portugal, the colonies became independent.
A difficult situation arose in Southern Rhodesia. There was a significant white minority, mostly farmers. Whites in 1965 declared the independence of Rhodesia. Neither Great Britain, which belonged to Rhodesia, nor the UN recognized this independence, and the Africans - the inhabitants of the country - began an armed struggle. Once isolated, whites sat down with Africans at the negotiating table in 1979. A new constitution was developed, in 1980 elections were held on its basis and the independence of a new state, Zimbabwe, was proclaimed.
The last territory that did not have independence was the former German South-West Africa, the mandate for which was transferred to South Africa after the First World War. South Africa tried first to annex this territory, then to create a white minority government there. Africans since 1966 began an armed struggle for independence. The United Nations in 1973 officially deprived South Africa of the mandate for this territory. Only in 1989, realizing the doom of attempts to maintain control over it, South Africa entered into negotiations with the Africans. Thus, another independent African state appeared - Namibia.
Arab countries of Africa
The development of the Arab states of North Africa followed different paths. If Morocco and Tunisia consistently adhered to a pro-Western political orientation and a course towards the modernization of the country in line with a market economy, then in Algeria and Libya in the 60s supporters of socialist transformations came to power. Since the 1970s, oil revenues have given them the funds they need to do this.
Egypt
The largest Arab country in terms of population - Egypt - gained independence after the First World War, its rulers pursued a pro-Western policy. British troops were in the Suez Canal zone, and the canal itself remained foreign property. In 1952, King Farouk was overthrown in a military coup and Gamal Abdel Nasser became the leader of the country.
In 1956, Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal. By challenging England, Nasser shook the imagination of the Arab world, in the same year he began preparations for another war with Israel, the pan-Arab enemy. But Israel struck a surprise blow and captured the entire Sinai Peninsula. England and France entered the war, trying to regain control of the Suez Canal. In response, the USSR declared its full support for Egypt. The US did not support its allies. The UN demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops from Egyptian territory. Nasser suddenly appeared in the eyes of the astonished Arabs as the winner of three states at once, including two great powers.
United Arab Republic
In 1958, the creation of the United Arab Republic, consisting of Egypt and Syria, was announced, Nasser became its president. It was thought that in the future other Arab states would join them. In Egypt, foreign capital was nationalized, and since 1961 a course has been taken for the "building of socialism." Now the property of Egyptian entrepreneurs has already been nationalized, from agrarian reform switched to cooperation. At the same time, it was transformed political system, it has become one-party.
However, further failures awaited Nasser. Also in 1961, Syria withdrew from the United Arab Republic. An even greater blow to Nasser's prestige was the defeat of the Egyptian army in the Sinai in 1967, although again a blow Israeli army was provoked by Nasser himself, who blocked access to the Israeli port of Eilat on the Red Sea. He even announced his resignation, but then, at the “request of the people,” he remained as president.
The war caused enormous damage to Egypt, the Suez Canal ceased to function - main source country's income. The public sector was inefficient. The overgrown bureaucracy absorbed all budget revenues. After Nasser's death in 1970, change became inevitable. His successor Anwar Sadat, after an unsuccessful attempt in 1973 to liberate Egyptian territory, was forced to recognize this.
Sadat abandoned the ambitious plans of uniting all Arabs, the country became known as the Arab Republic of Egypt. The economic policy changed dramatically: private capital was encouraged, many Egyptian entrepreneurs were given back their property. The doors were also “opened” for foreign capital.
Realizing that he could return the Suez Canal and Sinai only by agreeing with Israel, Sadat in 1976 broke ties with the USSR. In 1978, with the mediation american president Carter, he and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin negotiated a peace treaty signed in 1979.
The treaty caused a sharply negative reaction in the Arab world, Egypt was expelled from the Arab League. Sadat himself became a victim of an Islamic fanatic: in 1981, he shot him during a military parade. However, Sadat and his successor Hosni Mubarak managed to bring Egypt out of the crisis. A multi-party system was restored in the country. Egypt's ties with the Arab world also gradually improved.
Tropical Africa
The development of the countries of Tropical Africa turned out to be fraught with the greatest difficulties. It is the most economically backward region in the world. By the time these countries gained independence, most of the population was concentrated in the traditional sector. The modern sector was small and in most cases had little connection with the traditional. Modernization in these countries has led to the fact that the rate of destruction of the traditional sector has significantly outstripped the rate of creation of the modern one. The resulting "surplus" population found no use for itself. It accumulated in cities, creating belts of poverty around them. These people lived on odd jobs or on handouts from the state, which was afraid of a social explosion.
Population explosion
These problems were exacerbated by a sharply increased population growth rate. The new ruling elite of African countries, educated in a European way, sought, first of all, to put an end to the most egregious signs of backwardness. It was unsanitary conditions, lack of access of the population to modern medicine. Enormous funds were thrown into this. Assistance from international organizations was sent there as well. As a result, it was possible to eliminate or limit the centers of epidemic diseases, such as malaria, relatively quickly. Vaccination of the population, sanitary and hygienic measures - the construction of water treatment facilities and sewer systems in cities, the use of disinfectants - all this led to a sharp reduction in mortality. But people continued to adhere to traditional ideas about the family, according to which the more children, the better. The birth rate has risen. This created the conditions for an unprecedented rate of population growth, in which Africa ranks first in the world.
Political regimes in sub-Saharan Africa
In conditions where the majority of the population are poor and unsettled people, it is impossible to achieve civil peace - necessary condition stable democratic society. This civil peace is all the more impossible due to the extreme ethnic diversity of African countries. After all, the borders of African states were established by the colonial powers, they are artificial. Independence in Africa was gained not by nations, but by colonial territories. South of the Sahara there are no one-national states. At the same time, some large nations are separated by state borders. So, the Fulbe people, whose number is more than 20 million people, live in 6 states of West Africa and are nowhere the largest. This, in particular, led to the fact that even after independence in most countries of Tropical Africa state language remained the language of the metropolis, it was the only means of interethnic communication. But, as we know from the example of Europe, the destruction of a traditional society, the formation of an industrial society lead to the emergence of national self-consciousness and national movements. For Africa, therefore, modernization has turned into an increase in interethnic, interethnic conflicts within African states. Often they pose a threat to the integrity of these states. Thus, in 1967, the Ibo people in Eastern Nigeria announced the separation and creation of the independent state of Biafra, Civil War continued until 1969. The territorial integrity of Nigeria has been preserved. But the long-term war of the Eritreans for independence from Ethiopia ended in victory. Ethiopia was forced to recognize Eritrea as an independent state. The armed struggle between the Hutu and Tutsi peoples in Rwanda led not only to huge casualties, but to the collapse of the state. Ethnic violence continues in Sudan, Liberia.
Complicated ethnic composition African states gives rise to another feature of political life - tribalism (from the Latin "tribus" - "tribe"). Tribalism means adherence to ethnic isolation, in this case all socio-economic relations are refracted through ethnic ones. Political parties are created along ethnic lines, they tend to do business only with fellow tribesmen, etc.
All this has left its mark on political development countries of tropical Africa. The absence of civil peace caused the failure of the first post-independence attempts to create democratic states. Soon, authoritarian regimes were established in these countries, usually relying on the army, the only real force. The political struggle in Africa for a long time took the form of periodic military coups and counter-coups. But all this, in turn, did not contribute to the formation of civil peace. Rather, on the contrary, violence, turning into the main means of retaining power, gave rise to retaliatory violence.
In 1965, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, commander of the army of the Central African Republic, seized power and soon proclaimed himself emperor. In order to carry out the coronation at the proper level in his poor country, he collected taxes for years to come, brutally persecuting all the discontented. When he gave the order to shoot a demonstration of schoolchildren, this caused general indignation. French paratroopers landed in the republic (it was a French colony in the past) and overthrew him. In Uganda, in 1971, General Idi Amin, a former boxing champion, seized power. He proclaimed himself president for life and bloodily suppressed any manifestation of discontent. During the years of his reign, 300 thousand people died. Amin was overthrown only with the help of the Tanzanian army. In Uganda, after him, a civil war continued for several more years.
Political instability, in turn, made it difficult to solve economic problems. There were few domestic sources of investment, and foreign ones were simply impossible due to the unpredictability of most local rulers. In many countries, modernization was carried out in the form of "building socialism" (Ghana, Guinea, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Congo), where, as a rule, foreign property was simply confiscated. The struggle for economic independence in these countries often took the form of abandoning the production of traditional "colonial" goods. In Tanzania, which was the largest supplier of sisal to the world market, a decision was made to get rid of it. As a result, the country has lost a reliable source of foreign currency. Over time, the relative prosperity of those countries that have retained or even increased their export potential has been revealed. These are exporters of oil (Nigeria, Gabon), copper (Zaire, Zambia), cocoa (Ivory Coast), tea and coffee (Kenya).
Difficulties of the 80s
In the 1980s, the countries of Tropical Africa faced particular difficulties. Their growth rates have fallen, external debt has increased. Urgent measures were needed to save the economy. All forces were thrown at building up the export potential. With the assistance of international financial organizations, the restructuring of the economy began. Experiments on the introduction of a planned economy and the development of the public sector were over. The establishment of market relations began. Instead of restricting foreign capital, they everywhere switched to its encouragement. So far, these measures have led to some economic recovery.
Interethnic conflicts spill out beyond state borders, giving rise to interstate clashes. To prevent border conflicts, African countries agreed to adhere to the principle of respect for existing borders, which was included in the Charter of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).
Republic of South Africa
This state arose on the site of the only European migrant colony in Africa. After the war, it turned into a fairly highly developed state with a developed mining industry. The political regime that prevailed in this country, however, sharply distinguished it from other developed countries. It was based on the idea of apartheid - the artificial separation of the white minority from the black majority. He was justified by the desire to preserve the national identity of these communities and save white workers from competition from the cheap labor of the local population. Blacks and whites lived separately. The white minority also owned all the power in the country. The struggle of the black population for equality was led by the African National Congress (ANC). At first, she advocated only non-violent means of struggle. After the Second World War, when the decolonization of Africa began, there was an upsurge in the liberation struggle, but the authorities responded to it by intensifying persecution. Then supporters of violent methods of struggle also appeared in the ANC. Among them was Nelson Mandela.
Meanwhile, Africa was liberated. South Africa remained the only state on the continent where the local population was discriminated against. All the liberated countries united in the struggle against apartheid. South Africa has fallen into a real international isolation. The situation of the black population itself has also changed. A large working class was formed from it, the mining industry could no longer work without attracting hundreds of thousands of Africans. A formidable black middle class emerged. The maintenance of apartheid threatened with unpredictable consequences for the regime. Gradually, among the white population, an understanding of the need for political reforms was established. Frederick de Klerk became the leader of the supporters of change.
The following year, he granted amnesty to Mandela. He led the ANC. The South African Parliament began one by one to repeal the laws on which the apartheid regime rested. The bans on cohabitation and study of whites and blacks were lifted, the ban on interracial marriages was lifted. The proximity of the abolition of apartheid sharply increased the political confrontation between supporters and opponents of the former regime among whites, but most of them supported the president in a 1992 referendum. The struggle among the various factions of the black population also intensified. The authority of Mandela as the leader of all blacks began to be challenged by representatives of the Zulu tribe. The rivalry has become violent. With difficulty, de Klerk and Mandela managed to achieve the signing of a non-violence pact by all political parties in the country. In 1993, with the participation of representatives of all parties, a new constitution was drafted. According to it, South Africa has become a democratic multiracial state. The presidential elections held the following year, in which blacks participated for the first time, brought victory to Mandela. South Africa emerged from international isolation, it was admitted to the Organization of African Unity and became integral part world community of democracies.
Kreder A.A. recent history foreign countries. 1914-1997
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Lesson plan
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The collapse of colonialism and apartheid
Year of Africa. 17 countries gained independence.
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What is the peak period of decolonization?
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Page 258. Explain the meaning of the words: apartheid, bantustans.
How do you feel about apartheid?
Review the posters. How was apartheid treated in other states?
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Page 259-260 compile a chronology of the national liberation war of the peoples of South Africa. What are its results?
Nelson Mandela in 1994 became the first black president of South Africa in history.
- 1990 South African President F. de Klerk allowed the activities of opposition parties.
- 1993 The apartheid system is abolished.
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Conflicts on the African Continent
- 1963 The Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established.
- Separatism is the desire of a small people to secede from the state and gain independence.
- 1961 civil war in Zaire.
Page 261 - 263. In which countries and when did military clashes occur? List their causes and outcomes.
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Problems in the development of African countries
mineral
Industry I Agriculture underdeveloped (p.263-265)
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Anchoring
Questions and tasks
1. Why did the colonial empires begin to disintegrate after World War II?2. Describe the process of liberation of the dependent countries of Africa. Describe its features in a number of African states.3. What are the main problems that stood in the way of the development of the liberated countries of southern Africa?4. Describe the similarities and differences in the ways of modernizing Africa and Asia.5. What does the term "apartheid" mean? In the history of which non-African countries have you encountered the concept of racial discrimination? When and for what purpose was the OAU established?6. Based on the text of the textbook and the document, determine the role of the UN in the liberation of African countries from colonial dependence.7. On what legal framework Does the UN General Assembly Declaration formulate requirements for the world community regarding colonial and dependent countries?
