Methods for nationalistic movements in Africa
INTRODUCTION
The history of Africa in the first half of 19th
century is in a large sense of history of colonialism .At the beginning
of the 20th century almost the whole of Africa with the Exception of
Ethiopia and Liberia were under European colonial power. However the history of
Africa during this period was also a history of intensive struggle against
colonialism.
Nationalism can be defined as a feeling of
national conscious or awareness by the people that they are members of a nation
state and desire freedom from colonial rule. It is a patriotic sentiment or
activity on the part of a group of the community held together by the common
language and common historical experience to impose their rights to live under
a government of their own making for the preservation of their political,
economic and social interest. However, African nationalism is the desire of
African people to terminate all foreign rules.[i]
Basically, nationalism is the political will of the people of Africa in
opposition of foreign dominations but in favour of African rule. It represent
African struggle against western colonization and imperialism. Furthermore, it
is a feeling based on shared cultural norms, traditional institutions, beliefs
and practices, racial heritage and common historical experience.
Nationalism
in African began after the First World War but it was not effective in that
colonial governments used many methods such as the military to repress African
nationalist campaigns. However, with the advent of the Second World War,
nationalism was strengthened especially after 1945. Nationalism was a response
to African demand for independence and freedom from colonial rule. It is
important to note that African resistance to colonial rule for self-government
stretched from 1914 to the end and after the Second World War.
Factors for Nationalistic movements in Africa
Nationalistic
movements in Africa was much influenced by several factors both internal and external
such as
Unfavorable
economic policies and economic hardship; colonial government often imposed unpopular economy policy such as
forced lab our, taxation, and compulsory cultivation of cash crops. This policy
was unpopular not only because were arbitrary impositions, but also resulted in
a lot of hard ships for the people. Also under this policy Africans were forced
or compelled from their most fertility land to the infertile land. For example
Witu land in Kenya was displaced from their land. This had increased poverty,
malnutrition, hunger, which resulted to the emergence of national movements.
The
role played by colonial education; colonial education system bred generation of the
Nationalistic leader who raised consciousness
and awareness of the Africans against colonial powers also through that activities
led the struggle for the independence into a different part of Africa for stance
Milton Obete in Uganda Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, Kwamah Nkuruma in Ghana
Patrice Lumumba in Congo and Jurius Nyerere in Tanganyika. Also education was one of the most influential factor which nationalistic
movements in Africa since through it would enabled Africans to knew on how were
exploited by the colonial governments
The
influence of political parties; political parties was one among of the influential factor In West
Africa, such mass parties included the National Council of Nigerians and the
Cameroons (NCNC) founded in 1944 under the leader-ship of Nnamdi Azikiwe, the
Rassemblement Democratique Africaines founded in Senegal in 1946, the United
Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) formed in 1947, and the National Council of Sierra
Leone founded in 1950. In East Africa, although the Kenyan African Union (KAU)
was formed in 1944, it was not until 1960 that mass parties such as the Kenyan
African National Union (KANU) and Kenyan African Democratic Union (KADU)
emerged in the aftermath of the Mau Mau uprising. In Tanzania, the first mass
party, the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), appeared in 1954 under the
leadership of Julius Nyerere just as the first grassroots parties emerged in
Uganda between 1952 and 1956. Almost everywhere in Africa, the sudden and full
independence of the Gold Coast in 1957 was euphoric and inspirational,
encouraging the formation and consolidation of mass parties, and sharpening the
nationalist struggle. African nationalists were drawn from the ranks of
“modern” generation of African educated elements. First trained by mission
schools within the continent, most of these elites obtained advanced training
overseas as teachers, doctors, lawyers, journalists, etc. While they were
overseas, especially in the United States, they experienced blatant racism and
subsequently.
The
returning of Ex-soldiers;
during the first world war and second world war the Africans were recruited as
soldiers to fight for the imperial armies in the first world war after the war
the Africans back to their
countries with great anticipation of granted
their freedom and dignity which they
promised by the colonial masters when could help them in fighting against their
enemies but become contrary to what had
been promised as result of veterans to started to mobilize and organize their
fellow Africans to struggle against the colonial rule Africa example Dedan
Kimath in Kenya who organized mau mau war against Germany rule in 1952
The
emergence of the new super powers; that is U S A and Soviet Union, replaced Britain, France, and Germany
which had failed to protect world peace .The new powers wanted to be free to
pursue their trading interests in African societies, wanted to spreads the
ideology of capitalism. Also Russia wanted to spreads communism, therefore put
pressure on colonial powers to decolonize through provision of moral and
materials supports for liberations movements for example, scholarship for
education
The
influence of decolonization in Asia also played a big role in the growth of
African nationalism; The
independence of India Burma and Pakistan in 1947 encouraged Africans also to
struggle for political independence of
particular importance was mhatma gandhis strategy of non –violence this was borrowed by Nkurumah who called it
positive action which involved political campaigns , education ,newspapers, boycotts and strikes therefore African nationalists decided to use
such strategies to promoting nationalism
The
influence of Pan Africanism Movements; In the 20th century Pan Africans become a powerful
ideological force and organized national movements across Africa .the movements organized among
persons of African descents in the
Americans in Britain and the Caribbean
under the one of key leaders of the movements such as Marcus Garvey a west Indian who moved to the us during the first
world war , he called for the return of Africans back to Africa and founded the Universal
Negro Improvements Association in 1914
and William DU Bois who always advocated
that All People of African
descent had common interest should work together in the struggle for the
freedom. Also the major aim of Pan Africanism was to create a connection
between people of Africa and those who were in
America or Diaspora and to spreads consciousness and awareness among the Africa
people about colonialism and how to struggle against it.
Methods
for nationalistic movements in Africa
During nationalistic struggle or movements African
Nations were used different methods or ways to fighting against colonialists
such as
Armed
struggle or bloodshed methods; This method involved the direct
demanding freedom from the colonial
powers through a physical means of physical means most of the countries that had been colonized by colonial master that were very harsh at all upon which the colonial peoples due to such
harshness made difficultness for them to grand
independence easily for the
Africans peoples. For stance the
Portuguese in Mozambique forced peoples to use such method in 1975
Combined
methods (Armed and Peaceful methods); this method was used by Africans when table discussion means failed to brought freedom to the peoples
enhance to the application of another methods [Armed struggle methods ] which
become the last anticipation for them.
For example in South Africa during the struggling of independence in 1990 s
Peaceful
or use of constitutional method; This method was employed by the Africans in the area where there were
no active resistance from the colonial master through such situation Africans
decided to use table discussion method to grand independence from the colonial
masters. Example this method used in
Tanganyika under political figure of Jurius Nyerere in 1961 against British
rule.
Revolution Method; this was the last method which had been used by the Africans during the Nationalism movements it
involved the direct overthrowing through
military support of nationalistic
peoples under the purpose of
achieved or received their were lost
political freedom . Example this method was used by the people of
Zanzibar against Arabs in 1962 the
Impacts
of nationalistic movements in Africa
Nationalistic movements brought many
positives impacts on the African countries such as
It
led to the formation of organization of African unity (OAU) in 1963, such organization was formed as a result of
nationalistic movements in Africa to present the voice of African people
towards their challenge in case of politics, economics and as well as socially,
most of the African countries in 1960s were already tired with the bad politics
and intensive exploitation which done by European countries/power upon which
the African people, as an organizations had as power to compelled the colonial
master to granted independence immediately to those countries which were
colonized. For example Kenya was granted her independence in 1963.
It
marked the end of direct colonialism in Africa; nationalistic movements in Africa marked to
the end European influence towards the African countries since the African
peoples were raised up their voice against those evils, which done by the
colonialists through different methods such as armed struggle, peaceful or
table discussion also until 1960s most of the African countries were granted
their flag independence or political independence for example Tanganyika in
1961 in peaceful means.
It
emphasized awareness and consciousness among Africans about colonist’s evils; before the independence African were not
allowed to express their difficult in political, economically as well as
socially matter. Through nationalistic movements which waged by the African
elites into different parts of Africa would enable African majority to be aware
and conscious about their rights in politics, economics and even socially
rather than to be on the hands of their colonial master.
It
encouraged the formation of political parties; through nationalistic movements enabled to the
emergence of the massive political parties in Africa which used as a political
means to addressing political, economic and social demands of the African
people against colonialists. For instance there were various political parties
formed such as, Kenyan African National Union (KANU) was formed in 1944,
Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), appeared in 1954 under the leadership
of Julius Nyerere and conventional people party in Ghana formed in 1947 under
Kwamah Nkuruma.
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