Struggle for Independence

• Decolonization


  The process by which colonies become independent of the colonizing country
• Forms of Decolonization


  • Negotiated Independence
  • Armed Conflict
• Decolonization after WWII


  • European countries generally lacked the wealth and political support necessary to suppress faraway revolts
  • European countries faced opposition from the new superpowers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union, both of which had taken positions against colonialism
• Ghana's Independence


  1. African leaders in the Gold Coast established a convention to demand greater participation in government in cooperation with the British

  2. Nationalist movement called Convention People's Party (CPP) led by Kwame Nkrumah led strikes and demonstrations

  3. British eventually agreed to allow national elections and the CPP won

  4. Kwame Nkrumah became the first Prime Minister of Ghana and their President for life
• Kwame Nkrumah


  • Pushed for the country's industrialization and wanted to improve social services
  • Wanted to push for Pan-Africa (vision of strengthening all countries in Africa) to create "United States of Africa" but failed due to lack of money
• Ghana only experienced to have an open election in 2000
• Kenya's Independence


  1. Conflict between white Kenyan farmers and the native Kikuyu people over land ownership and independence

  2. Kikuyu formed a violent movement called Mau Mau

  3. British eventually gained control and accepted the decolonization of Kenya in 1963 with Jomo Kenyatta as the first prime minister
• Jomo Kenyatta


  • Believed that Africa can only soar to greater heights if they're given the chance to practice self-rule
• Various ethnic groups in Kenya became very challenging to unite
• Jomo Kenyatta's death resulted to the rise of Daniel Arap Moi, who faced issues of corruption that made Kenya submerged more in poverty and chaos
• Algeria's Independence


  1. French aimed to assimilate their African colonies into France, yet Algerians were not granted equal rights

  2. Algerians wanted independence which led to an armed conflict headed by the National Liberation Front (FLN)

  3. Charles de Gaulle opened peace talks with the FLN and granted Algeria independence in 1962
• Ahmed Ben Bella


  • Became the first president of Algeria and tried to make Algeria a socialist state but failed
• Unemployment and dissatisfaction with the government in Algeria gave rise to religious fundamentalism
• Democratic Republic of Congo's Independence


  1. Patrice Lumumba became the first Prime Minister, but his government faced internal conflicts and external pressures

  2. Mobutu Sese Seko seized power in a coup in 1965 and ruled for 32 years

  3. Laurent Kabila successfully seized the throne in 1997 and renamed Zaire to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• African Dictators


  • Maintained power through patronage, giving loyal followers well-paying positions in the government
  • Some corrupt officials required bribes for government contracts or licenses
  • Ran government enterprises for their own personal profit and sometimes stole money from the public treasury
• Mobutu Sese Seko amassed a personal fortune of about $5 billion and built a $100 million palace while his nation's people fell into poverty
• Laurent Kabila promised democracy and free elections, but failed to fulfill his promises and instead became an autocratic ruler
• South Africa's Independence


  1. Issues on apartheid policy (complete separation of races) promoted by Western colonizers

  2. Desmond Tutu wanted to end apartheid by appealing to the masses not to conduct business with foreigners

  3. President F.W de Klerk agreed to have an election that would allow people from all races to vote, and Nelson Mandela won
• Nelson Mandela


  • Did his best to unify the people and alleviate discrimination of all races
• Nelson Mandela was succeeded by Mbeki who focused his agenda on how to combat the challenges of unemployment, high crime rate, poverty, and AIDS epidemic
• Iran's Independence


  1. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi faced opposition from Iranian nationalists against Western companies

  2. Prime Minister Muhammed Mossadeq led efforts to nationalize the British-owned oil company, leading to a coup supported by Britain and US

  3. Shah Pahlavi modernized Iran, but many Iranians felt threatened by this rapid change

  4. Grand Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini emerged as Iran's new leader, establishing an Islamic state based on Shia Islam
• Anti-US sentiments grew in Iran due to perceived US interference in Iran's political affairs, leading to anti-US policies
• Iran's goal of unifying Muslims under Shia Islam posed threats to Sunni-majority nations
• Iraq's Independence

  1. Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, attacked Iran in 1980 due to border disputes and differences in Islamic beliefs

  2. The Soviet Union supported Iraq, posing a challenge to US interests

  3. Hussein strengthened Iraq's military and invaded Kuwait in 1990, leading to the US-led Gulf War
• Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Gained independence after the fall of The Soviet Union.