Troy Briscoe
Overview
The
confidence about the future that arose in Africa after World War II faded over
time. Political stability was not successful in sub-Saharan Africa. Many coups
replaced civilians in newly independent states with military leaders. This
condition reflects the impact of colonization; European powers carved up
African territories whose boundaries did not respect the African economic or
ethnic divisions. As
a result, achieving national unity was difficult, especially because of
conflict between tribes within states.
The aftermath of decolonization
-The
Organization of African Unity (OAU) was created in 1963 by thirty two member
states, and they recognized some of the problems occurring in Africa and they
tried to prevent the conflicts that could lead to intervention of former
colonial powers.
-While the boundaries made by the European colonial powers were known as problematic to the OAU, they were still kept to prevent border disputes. |
A current map of Africa shows a political effect of European colonization in Africa. The Europeans split up the land with no regard to the ethnic groupings or tribes, which caused conflict between them.
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Kwame Nkrumah
-African
unity was promoted by Kwame Nkrumah and his faction.
-The reason for promoting African unity was for African states to resist interference and domination by foreign powers. But, unity was difficult to have because of the unstoppable internal conflicts. -For example, Kwame Nkrumah, the former president of Ghana was overthrown in 1966, and the Ghanaians tore down statues and photographs that celebrated him. -As a result, Ghana, just like many other sub-Saharan states, evolved into a dictatorial one-part rule. -Several African states fell to military rule. |
This brief video shows that Kwame wanted to get away from the colonial powers. He exemplifies his goal for a united Africa when he says, "tomorrow, the United States of Africa".
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South Africa
-South
Africa managed to solve its political crisis and disagreement by providing a
model for multiethnic African transformation even as ethnic violence flared.
-Even though South Africa gained its independence from Britain in 1910, black freedom did not arrive due to the large numbers of white settlers. -The ability for whites to resist majority rule came from the South African economy, the strongest in the nation. The strength came from extraction of minerals and industrial development, which had received a boost during World War II. Industrial growth opened many jobs to blacks, creating the possibility of a change in their status. -Changes such as black activism and calls for serious political reform after World War II caused opposition from the white South Africans. -In 1948, the Afrikaner National Party came to power. Being made up of the whites of South Africa, they wanted to stop any move toward black independence. -Under the Afrikaner National Party, the government issued a harsh new set of laws called apartheid or "separateness" that controlled the black population. |
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Apartheid
-The
system of apartheid asserted white supremacy and institutionalized the racial
segregation that had been established in years before 1948.
-The government designated 87 percent of South Africa's territory for white residents. The remaining land went to black or colored citizens.
-Like other imperial powers had done in Africa, white South Africans divided the black and colored population in order to prevent the rise of unified liberation movements.
-The apartheid system evolved into a system designed to keep blacks in a position of political, social, and economic inferiority.
-The government designated 87 percent of South Africa's territory for white residents. The remaining land went to black or colored citizens.
-Like other imperial powers had done in Africa, white South Africans divided the black and colored population in order to prevent the rise of unified liberation movements.
-The apartheid system evolved into a system designed to keep blacks in a position of political, social, and economic inferiority.
This picture shows the mistreatment of the blacks in South Africa under the apartheid.
Opposition to apartheid
-The
African National Congress (ANC), formed in 1912, gained new leaders like Nelson
Mandela who inspired direct action campaigns to protest apartheid.
-The ANC published its Freedom Charter in 1955, which declared the idea of multicultural democratic rule for South Africa. It directly challenged white rule.
-The government declared the black activists communist, and their actions escalated.
-Protests increased in 1960, and white police gunned down black demonstrators in Sharpville on March 21.
-The white government banned black organizations like the ANC, and jailed their members. International opposition to white South African rule grew.
-Protests against the system continued into the 1970s and 1980s. The effects of massive black agitation and a strong international antiapartheid boycott led to reform in South Africa.
-The ANC published its Freedom Charter in 1955, which declared the idea of multicultural democratic rule for South Africa. It directly challenged white rule.
-The government declared the black activists communist, and their actions escalated.
-Protests increased in 1960, and white police gunned down black demonstrators in Sharpville on March 21.
-The white government banned black organizations like the ANC, and jailed their members. International opposition to white South African rule grew.
-Protests against the system continued into the 1970s and 1980s. The effects of massive black agitation and a strong international antiapartheid boycott led to reform in South Africa.
the end of apartheid
-In
1989, when F.W. de Klerk became president of South Africa, he and the National
Party began to take apart the apartheid system.
-De Klerk released Nelson Mandela from jail, legalized the ANC, and worked with Mandela and the ANC to end white minority rule.
-A new constitution was written by the ANC, the National Party, and other African political groups, and in 1994 elections were held and Mandela became the first black president of South Africa.
-South Africa serves as a model for a continent that is split by hundreds of tribal and ethnic identities because of its use of democracy with Nelson Mandela.
-De Klerk released Nelson Mandela from jail, legalized the ANC, and worked with Mandela and the ANC to end white minority rule.
-A new constitution was written by the ANC, the National Party, and other African political groups, and in 1994 elections were held and Mandela became the first black president of South Africa.
-South Africa serves as a model for a continent that is split by hundreds of tribal and ethnic identities because of its use of democracy with Nelson Mandela.
the democratic republic of the congo
-
Political stability remained difficult to achieve outside of of South Africa.
-The disappearing African political identity and stability can be seen in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
-Mobutu Sese Seko took power in 1965 by having the prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, killed in a military coup. Lumumba was a Maoist Marxist, so the U.S. supported Mobutu's coup. Mobutu thereafter had support from the U.S. and other European democracies that wanted to stop uprisings.
-Mobutu ruled Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in a dictatorial fashion with international backing and financial support. He used his power to gather fortunes for himself, his family, and his allies, devastating Zaire's economy.
-This happened a lot with sub-Saharan nations: dictatorial one party military rule took over, then they would take the riches of the nation, then they get corrupt and they would get taken over by another military power.
-After Mabutu, Laurent Kabila took over.
-Kabila changed the name from Zaire to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
-Kabila was concerned with stability, which to him, it was him having all of the power. He promised that this was a transition stage in order to have a democratic and stable Republic. But, in 1998, only a year after his rebellion, Kabila came under attack of the rebels in the Congo aided by the governments of the neighboring states.
-The disappearing African political identity and stability can be seen in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
-Mobutu Sese Seko took power in 1965 by having the prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, killed in a military coup. Lumumba was a Maoist Marxist, so the U.S. supported Mobutu's coup. Mobutu thereafter had support from the U.S. and other European democracies that wanted to stop uprisings.
-Mobutu ruled Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in a dictatorial fashion with international backing and financial support. He used his power to gather fortunes for himself, his family, and his allies, devastating Zaire's economy.
-This happened a lot with sub-Saharan nations: dictatorial one party military rule took over, then they would take the riches of the nation, then they get corrupt and they would get taken over by another military power.
-After Mabutu, Laurent Kabila took over.
-Kabila changed the name from Zaire to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
-Kabila was concerned with stability, which to him, it was him having all of the power. He promised that this was a transition stage in order to have a democratic and stable Republic. But, in 1998, only a year after his rebellion, Kabila came under attack of the rebels in the Congo aided by the governments of the neighboring states.