Decolonization Three-Part Paragraph
- Sarah Zhou
- Feb 2, 2016
- 2 min read
Many newly independent nations in Africa and Asia share similarities despite being on two separate continents. These new countries obtained independence using similar methods, struggled through political upheavals, and suffered economic problems following their independence. One popular method of gaining independence among the Asian and African colonies was using force to fight back. Leaders from Kenya, Vietnam, and Ghana all advocated for pushing back the imperialist forces through fighting wars for independence. Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s first president and leader of Kenya’s fight for freedom, declared, “When Europeans came, they kept us back and took our land. The freedom tree can only grow when you pour blood on it” (Doc. 6). Likewise, the Vietnamese nationalist Ho Chi Minh, also expressed the willingness of the Vietnamese to combat the French against any intentions of recolonization (Doc. 2). These convictions of the colonized people reveal their loathing of being controlled by outside forces. Colonized countries in both Africa and Asia viewed the European countries as hostile invaders and resented them for taking control of their homes and enforcing alien rules. In addition to using force to achieve independence, newly independent countries also experienced political instability. Colonial powers left Asia and Africa without providing any instruction for the government, and as a result, there was no political infrastructure in the new countries. In Cambodia, the government went through several phases, including a parliamentary democracy, before falling into the hands of dictator named Pol Pot. Similarly, Burma went through political upheavals after independence before ultimately being controlled by a military state under a dictator named Ne Win. After driving out the European powers, the former colonies were left on their own without any effective governments in place. This led to brutal dictators taking advantage of the disorder and seizing control, causing huge losses of rights and freedoms of the people. This seizure of power was seen in multiple countries and was often at the cost of the citizens. Furthermore, the economies of the newly independent countries were unstable and could not support the people. Most of the former colonies continued to grow cash crops after their independence. This was not sustainable because they sold the cash crops to countries overseas for less profit. To add on, industrialization was scarce among the former colonies and all manufactured goods were imported. This caused the economies of the new countries to have no room for growth. European countries did not bring industrialization to Asia and Africa because their sole goal was to obtain raw materials and create new markets. New countries all over Asia and Africa had no choice but to remain dependent on the imperialist countries, and they suffered economic problems as a result. Although the former European colonies were scattered across two different continents, many of the countries experienced the same path to freedom and endured the problems and issues that became the cost of independence.
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