Decolonization and Nationalism Triumphant: Crash Course World History #40

CrashCourse
25 Oct 201212:48
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThis Crash Course World History video discusses the era of decolonization following World War II, when European powers granted independence to their colonies. It highlights the nonviolent campaign led by Gandhi that ended British rule in India, though this process also involved mass migration and violence. The video also covers Indonesia's bloody battle for freedom from Dutch rule, the rise of Arab nationalism in Egypt, and the challenges facing newly independent African states, like lack of institutions and infrastructure. However, many African nations now show promising economic growth, so while progress is uneven, there is some cause for hope.

Takeaways
  • 😀 The late 20th century saw the dissolution of many major empires and the creation of numerous new nation states
  • 👨‍🏫 Gandhi and other Indian nationalists pushed for an independent, unified India through nonviolent protests
  • ⚔️ India's partition into India and Pakistan was violent, with up to 500,000 killed in sectarian violence
  • 🔥 Indonesia won independence from the Dutch after a 4+ year armed struggle
  • 🗽 Vietnam transitioned from French to American then communist control via decades of violence
  • 👑 Many new African states suffered from arbitrary colonial borders and lack of institutions for self-governance
  • 🚸 Some former colonies like Botswana and Kenya show signs of developmental progress despite challenges
  • 🌎 Decolonization created the nation state dominated world we know, ending centuries of empire
  • 😈 Dictators like Mugabe and Amin took power in some newly independent African states
  • 🎓 Many independence leaders like Ho Chi Minh and Sukarno gained prominence under Japanese occupation in WW2
Q & A

  • What led to the downfall of European empires in the 20th century?

    -World War II was a major factor, as the Allies were fighting against imperialist ambitions of the Nazis. After defeating the Nazis, the colonial powers like Britain and France could not justify continuing their imperial rule over their colonies.

  • How did Gandhi and other Indian nationalists view independence?

    -Gandhi and Nehru believed India could become an independent nation ruled by Indian elites that transcended tensions between Hindus and Muslims. Jinnah thought this view was too idealistic given the religious divides.

  • What happened when the British partitioned India into India and Pakistan?

    -Partition displaced 12 million people and caused massive violence with estimates of up to 500,000 killed as Hindus and Muslims migrated between the new states.

  • How did the Dutch exploit Indonesia during colonial rule?

    -The Dutch used the cultuurstelsel system where peasants had to devote 20% of land to growing cash crops for export back to the Netherlands, which provided up to 25% of the Dutch national budget.

  • What happened in Vietnam after the French defeat in 1954?

    -The U.S. took over fighting the communists until their own defeat in 1975, after which Vietnam was unified under communist control but opened up trade and manufacturing ties to the West.

  • How did Gamal Nasser change Egypt?

    -As army commander he overthrew the Egyptian king in 1952 and played the U.S. and U.S.S.R. against each other during the Cold War to benefit Egypt.

  • What legacy of colonialism caused problems in Africa?

    -Arbitrary colonial borders became national borders in Africa, sometimes forcing rival groups into one nation. Focus on resource extraction didn't develop institutions for self-governance.

  • What signs of progress are some African nations showing?

    -Many nations show signs of economic growth, improving literacy, life expectancy, and declining poverty and mortality rates.

  • How did most dictatorships form in Africa after independence?

    -With collaborationist local elites seen as illegitimate, military strongmen like Mugabe, Mobutu, and Amin were able to seize power in the power vacuum.

  • What was the attitude towards empire and imperial ambitions after WWII?

    -The defeat of the imperialist Nazis seriously discredited the idea of empire globally. This made it very difficult for the colonial powers to justify holding onto their colonies after the war.

Outlines
00:00
🎥 Overview of India's independence from Britain and the violence surrounding Partition

Paragraph 1 provides an overview of India's independence from Britain, focusing on leaders like Gandhi and Jinnah. It discusses the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, which involved significant violence and displacement as 12 million people migrated, with up to 500,000 killed.

05:06
🌅 Continued violence after independence and partition in India and Pakistan

Paragraph 2 highlights the continued violence after independence and partition in India and Pakistan, as Gandhi's hunger strikes had mixed success in halting the devastation. Up to half a million were killed in total.

10:09
📈 Progress and development in some African nations post-independence

Paragraph 3 notes that while some post-colonial African nations have seen dictatorship and instability, many are also seeing signs of growth and development. Examples like Botswana, Benin, Kenya, Ethiopia and Mauritania are highlighted.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡decolonization
Decolonization refers to the process of European empires and colonies becoming independent nation-states in the 20th century after WW2. It is a major theme in the video, which discusses how the age of imperialism and colonialism gave way to new nation-states in Asia and Africa.
💡empire
Empire means a group of nations or peoples under centralized political control of one ruler or governing power. Historically empires expanded control over territories through conquest and colonization. The video traces different empires through history and how the age of empires dominated for centuries until post-WW2 decolonization.
💡India
India was a major British colony for nearly 200 years before gaining independence in 1947. The non-violent independence movement under Gandhi and partition into India and Pakistan is discussed as a prominent case of decolonization.
💡violence
While ideals of nonviolence defined India's independence movement, the video notes violent partition and displacement of millions occurred when British Raj ended. Decolonization often involved violence as in French Indochina wars.
💡nationalism
Nationalism means loyalty and attachment to a national identity, often driving movements for self-governance. Rise of nationalist leaders and movements in colonized regions was a major force compelling the end of colonial rule after WW2.
💡Cold War
Cold War politics and battle for influence between capitalist West and communist Soviet blocs impacted decolonization, as new nations had to choose alignments.
💡Africa
A major part of the video focuses on decolonization in Africa as colonies like Congo, Zimbabwe, Uganda etc transitioned to self-rule, often with military strongmen taking power.
💡segregation
Colonial policies like dividing Rwanda into Hutus and Tutsis led to ethnic conflicts, challenging development of African nation-states after decolonization.
💡development
Video discusses how European colonization focused on resource extraction and left few institutions for economic progress in African states after independence.
💡progress
The video ends on a cautiously optimistic note highlighting progress and growth seen in some African economies, while challenges remain with new nation-states.
Highlights

The empires European states formed in the 19th century proved about as stable and long-lasting as Genghis Khan’s

The Ally defeat of the Nazis discredited the whole idea of empire

Gandhi managed to hearken back to a past that used nonviolence to bring change

The emergence of the independent states involved really wasn’t nonviolent

About 12 million people were displaced as Hindus in Pakistan moved to India and Muslims in India moved to Pakistan

The system was rather less popular in Indonesia, and the Dutch didn’t offer much in exchange

Over in the French colonies of Indochina, so called because they were neither Indian nor Chinese, things were even more violent

Despite still being ostensibly communist, Vietnam now manufactures all kinds of stuff that we like in America, especially sneakers

Nasser and the army banned the Muslim Brotherhood, forcing it underground, where it would disappear and never become an issue again. Wait, what’s that? ...Really?

Colonial boundaries became redefined as the borders of new nation states, even where those boundaries were arbitrary or pernicious

When the Europeans left, African nations did not have the institutions necessary to thrive in the post-war industrial world

NOW, THIS PROGRESS IS SPOTTY AND FRAGILE, but it’s important to note that these nations have existed, on average, about 13 years less than my dad

Of course, past experience with the fall of empires hasn’t given us cause for hope

Many African nations show strong and consistent signs of growth

It’s hard to say. I mean, now more than ever, we’re trying to tell the story of humans... from inside the story of humans

Transcripts

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