Decolonisation in Africa (1951-1980)

Decolonisation of Africa was the period after World War II when the European countries gave up control of their African colonies and these territories became Independent Nations. It happened between the mid-1950s to 1975. Decolonization has become a crucial chapter in African history and impacts its political landscape, economy, and society even today. Africa faced many challenges after gaining Independence like building and forming New governments, addressing economic inequalities, and dealing with the legacy of colonialism.

In this article, we are going to learn about Decolonization in Africa, its positives and challenges. Let’s start.

About Decolonisation of Africa

• Africa was ruled by the European colonizers and many African countries were their colonies of the western countries. Ethiopia and Liberia were the only African countries that were never colonized by Europeans.

• They made their colonies because Africa was rich in resources it has precious metals like gold, diamonds, cobalt, and platinum and fossil fuels like Oil and gas.

• Portugal was the first colony in many African countries after that other Western countries like Portugal, Spain, France, Britain, and other European powers entered.

• In the late 19th century, nearly the entire continent, except for Ethiopia and Liberia, was under some form of European control. This period, known as the Scramble for Africa, lasted roughly from 1881 to 1914.

• Some countries, like Ghana in 1957, achieved independence through negotiations with the colonial power. Algeria in 1962, gained independence through armed resistance against colonial rule.

• Decolonization, the process of gaining independence, started in the mid-20th century and lasted for several decades. By the 1980s, most African countries had achieved independence.

List of Independence of Various African Nations Since 1951

Year	African Nations Independence	Colonial Power
1951	Libya becomes the first African nation to gain independence	Italy
1952	Mau-Mau insurgency in Kenya begins	Great Britain
1956	Morocco and Tunisia gained independence	France
1957	Ghana is the first British colony to gain independence	Great Britain
1960	Congo gains independence from Belgium.	Belgium
1961	Sierra Leone and Tanzania gains independence	Great Britain
1962	Algeria becomes an independent nation	France
1963	Kenya becomes an independent nation	Great Britain
1964	Malawi and Zambia become independent	Great Britain
1965	Gambia gains independence	Great Britain
1966	Botswana and Lesotho gains independence	Great Britain
1975	Angola and Mozambique become independent	Portugal
1980	Zimbabwe becomes independent	Great Britain

Scramble for Africa

The Scramble of Africa known as the Partition of Africa and Conquest of Africa, is a term that describes the invasion, occupation, division and colonization of Africa by seven Western European powers. In the 1800s, only a small part of Africa belonged to Europe.

Between 1880 and 1900, European countries colonized almost all of African countries, except for Liberia and Ethiopia. The starting point of the Scramble for Africa was the Berlin Confference in 1884. The conference regulated European colonization and trade in Africa.Seven European nations took control over African countries.

They were helped to do this by the opening of the Suez Canal, which linked the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and this helped them to reduce the time of travelling through the long route—the journey to the east coast of Africa and India. Between 1881 and 1914, the Scramble for Africa occurred under New Imperialism.

The Berlin Conference and British ‘New’ Imperialism, often known as the “Congo Conference,” began. At the invitation of Portugal, German Chancellor Otto von Bismark convened a meeting of the world’s leading Western nations in 1884. The meeting was to discuss and resolve issues about African dominance.

Historical Background of Decolonisation of Africa

• European colonizers big military power brought many African nations together they formed it as a one nation. But after the decolonization, they stated fighting one another inside these imposed artificial boundaries. This was because of their lack of shared cultural history and tribal hostility. The worst genocides occurred in Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, and Nigeria.

• The majority of African nations were resource-rich. As a result the civil wars started to gain the two resource rich region to their side . For instance, the war between Angola, Uganda, Burundi, etc.

• Colonizers used African countries as sources of raw materials. these countries were vulnerable to Neo-Colonialism due to their lack of industries and subpar agriculture.

• The majority of their economies depended on the export of one or two commodities. Political unrest and civil wars disrupted the countries trade and it was as a result of falling global prices.

• Most colonial nations stoped Africans from receiving education. they didn’t full fill africans basuc needs .Thats why there was a lack of wise leadership and faith in democratic processes. Due to this, most nations experienced civil war and corruption shortly after gaining independence.

• Disasters brought on by climate change have been reported to affect third-world nations over the past 20 years, particularly those in Africa.

• The decolonization process led to ethnic conflict in some nations. This could be seen in nations where a sizable white settler population existed.

• They were riots and hate towards white people in the country .White people were evicted from their residences forcibly, as happened in Zimbabwe. This resulted in a general decline in productivity and a financial crisis.

Causes of the Decolonisation of Africa (Internal and External)

There were many external and internal reasons for the Decolonization of Africa, like world war II, the rise of new superpowers like United States who supported Decolonization, the independence of Asian nations like India and others, the rise of enlighted leaders in Africa like Nelson Mandela.

External causes

• World War II weakened European powers, making them unable to maintain their empires.
• The United States and the Soviet Union, the strongest, victorious nations, opposed colonialism.
• The United Nations and other international organizations supported decolonization.
• Asia’s social, political, and economic development influenced decolonization in Africa.
• After African independence, India supported decolonization in West Africa.
• The rise of United States as World power after World War II and they supported decolonization .

Internal causes

• After World War II, African nationalism emerged in many West African countries.
• The political oppression of Africans by colonial powers, which denied them basic rights and freedoms.
• African nationalists formed political parties and labor unions to fight for independence. They also organized strikes and protests aginst the colonial pwers.
• The first major victory for African nationalism when some countries, like Ghana in 1957, achieved independence through negotiations with the colonial power.
• In 1960s, most of Africa had gained independence. This was a major turning point in African history, and it profoundly impacted the continent’s political, economic, and social development.

Effects of Decolonization in Africa

Decolonization in Africa, which primarily occurred in the decades following World War II, led to profound and lasting impacts on the continent. The process of decolonization reshaped Africa’s political, economic, and social landscape, leading to both positive outcomes and significant challenges. Here are some key effects:

Political Effects

1. Sovereignty and Independence: African countries gained sovereignty and independence from European colonial powers, leading to the formation of new nations and the redrawing of political boundaries.
2. Formation of New Governments: Many African nations adopted various forms of government, including democracies, military dictatorships, and one-party states, as they sought to establish their own systems of governance.
3. Nationalism and Pan-Africanism: The struggle for independence fostered a sense of nationalism and unity among Africans, as well as the growth of Pan-Africanism, emphasizing solidarity and cooperation among African nations.
4. Conflict and Instability: Decolonization led to political instability in some countries, manifesting in coups, civil wars, and border disputes, often due to artificial colonial borders that disregarded ethnic and cultural divisions.

Economic Effects

1. Economic Challenges: Post-colonial states inherited economies that were structured to benefit the colonial powers, leading to challenges such as poverty, inequality, and dependence on a limited range of exports.
2. Efforts at Economic Diversification: Some countries sought to diversify their economies through industrialization and development projects, though success varied widely.
3. Debt and Dependency: Efforts to modernize and develop often led to significant debt, with many countries becoming dependent on foreign aid and loans from international financial institutions.

Social and Cultural Effects

1. Cultural Renaissance: Independence movements fostered a resurgence of African cultural identity, arts, and literature, celebrating indigenous traditions and histories.
2. Education and Literacy: The establishment of national education systems led to improvements in literacy rates and higher education, though access and quality varied.
3. Social Change and Challenges: Decolonization brought social changes, including shifts in gender roles and family structures, as societies adapted to new economic and political realities.
4. Urbanization: Economic changes spurred urbanization, with people moving to cities in search of jobs and opportunities, leading to the growth of urban centers but also to challenges such as overcrowding and inadequate infrastructure.

International Relations

1. Non-Aligned Movement: Many African nations joined the Non-Aligned Movement, seeking to avoid entanglement in the Cold War conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union.
2. Continued Foreign Influence: Despite political independence, many African countries continued to experience significant economic, military, and political influence from former colonial powers and new global superpowers.

Decolonization in Africa was a complex and multifaceted process with outcomes that continue to shape the continent. While independence brought sovereignty and the opportunity for self-determination, the legacy of colonialism has continued to influence Africa’s political, economic, and social development.

Aftermath of Decolonisation of Africa

Africa gained independence in the early 1980s, but civil wars broke out due to problematic border issues and hostile tribes within nations. Colonial policies, political instability, and religious/tribal conflicts worsened the situation, leading to poverty and oppression. European settlers’ desire for control caused problems in Algeria, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

South Africa experienced apartheid from 1948 to 1990, denying voting rights to locals. After apartheid’s end, Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first black President in 1994. The political dynamics of the Cold War era further contributed to the disunity of African states.

African Independence

• Peaceful negotiations: Some countries, like Ghana in 1957, achieved independence through negotiations with the colonial power.
• Armed struggle: Others, like Algeria in 1962, gained independence through armed resistance against colonial rule.
• Gradual transitions: A few countries, like Tunisia in 1956, experienced a more gradual transition towards independence.

Conclusion

Portugal was the first colonizer who colonized African countries. They colonized it due to its resources like gold, spices, diamonds and land. Colonizers took control over African land, resources and trade. The independence movement in Africa’s resistance to colonization began early but gained momentum in the mid-20th century. Independence movement involves peaceful protests, and boycotts and sometimes it turns into armed struggles.

Nelson Mandela in South Africa was one of the leaders of the fight for freedom. Between the 1950s and 1970s most African countries gained their independence. Even after gaining independence most of the African nations struggle with poverty, lack of education, infrastructure, resources, political instability, and no International valuable trade.

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FAQs on Decolonisation of Africa

When was Africa decolonized?

Africa was decolonized at the cold war era in mid 1950s to 1975 beacuse it is a continent and it is comprised of 54 indiviual countries .They got the independence from thier European colonial rulers .

What are the factors of the decolonization of Africa?

The factors of decolonization of Africa are World War II was a major factor in the decolonisation of Africa. Britain and France, the main colonial powers in Africa, were broke after WWII and simply could not afford to keep their colonies and America was turning into a superpower, while Britain was on the wane.

Which African country was never colonized?

Ethiopia and Liberai were the only African countries that were never colonized by Europeans.

Who invaded Africa first?

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish a physical presence in Africa, in the 1480s, but through the 1870s European outposts were restricted to ports along the African coasts focusing on trade and diplomacy.

Why was 1960 called the year of Africa?

1960 called the year of Africa because of a series of a events that took place during the year mainly for the Independence of seventeen African nations that were colonized by the Europeans.