Cold War and Decolonization

I. Recovery

A. What was destroyed in the War

1. People, Cities, Nations

2. Ideologies

a. fascism

b. nihilism

c. social Darwinism

d. imperialism

e. nationalism

f. romanticism?

3. That leaves socialism and liberalism still standing

B. Economic devastation

1. Half of European economy destroyed

2. demand for economic security--pensions, health, education

C. Key steps to recovery

1. Centrist consensus for hybrid of capitalism and socialism

a. financial protections build consumer confidence

b. Marshall Plan grants from US (from 1947)

c. prosperity helps neutralize communism

2. Common Market created (1957)

a. learning painful lessons from European disunity

b. long-range goal of European economic and political unity

II. Cold War

A. Problem of Europe

1. Crisis in Turkey and Greece

2. Truman Doctrine (1947)

3. Disputes about Germany

a. treatment of Nazis

b. competing economic ideologies

c. Stalin closes Berlin � Berlin Airlift (1948-49)

B. Global Competition between USA and Soviet Union

1. NATO formed (1949)

2. Soviets test A-bomb (1949)

3. Mao's Communists take over China (1949)

4. North Korea attacks South Korea (1950)

5. Hydrogen bomb project begins (1950)

6. House Un-American Activities Committee formed (1950)

III. Decolonization

A. Reasons for Decolonization

1. U.S. and Soviet Union opposed to imperialism

a. ideological reasons

b. geopolitical reasons

2. European nations can no longer afford empire

3. Nationalist movements in the colonies

B. Problems of Decolonization

1. European powers reluctant to give up

2. Difficulties of translating colonies to nations

a. artificial boundaries and cultural divides

b. economic weakness and underdevelopment

3. Complications of the Cold War

IV. Key moments in the history of decolonization

A. India, 1947

1. Gandhi offers new vision of Indianness

a. undermines the notion that empire is for the benefit of governed

2. Bloody breakup of the Indian empire

B. Britain leaves Palestine; Israel created, 1948

1. the blood has never stopped flowing

C. Netherlands gives up Indonesia, 1949

1. communist insurgency lasts for many years

D. Mao takes over China, 1949

1. model for other nationalist movements

E. Korean War, 1950-53

E. Suez Crisis, 1954

1. British and French hope to retain military power in Egypt

2. U.S. forces them to back down

F. Vietnam

1. Ho Chi Minh defeats the French, 1956

2. Americans step in

--Did we fight communism or anti-imperial nationalism?

G. Africa

1. Ghana is the first African colony to gain independence, 1957

2. French fight to keep Algeria until 1962

3. Nigeria's independence leads to civil war, 1960

4. White nationalism in southern Africa

a. South Africa declares independence, 1960

--apartheid created

b. Rhodesia tries to follow suit in 1970s

V. End of the Cold War

A. Is the era of decolonization over?

B. Continuing problems in the Africa and Middle East