The Decolonisation of Africa 1959-1964
To what extent was Britain able to retain control over decolonisation in Africa between 1959 and 1964?
By 1959 decolonisation in British Africa was well under way, for example, the Gold Coast in West Africa had become independent in 1957, Nigeria and Sierra Leone were well on their way to independence, and agitation and advances towards independence were already taking place in Kenya and Tanganyika in Eastern Africa. By 1964 this had spread throughout Britain’s African territories and many more had either become independent or started their journey and development towards independence, as the “political face of the continent was transformed”[1].
This essay will examine what it was that led to this huge change in policy towards Africa, from a time at the beginning of the 1950s when no one expected any of Britain’s colonies to become independent within a generation, let alone within a decade, to a time in the mid-1960s when Britain’s colonial possessions in Africa were severely dwindling and there was a clear line of policy towards decolonisation there. Even in 1959, as Hemming recognises, “a conference of East African governors agreed that the likely timetable of independence would be: Tanganyika in 1970, Kenya in 1975 and Uganda somewhere between the two”[2]. In fact Tanganyika gained independence in 1961, Kenya in 1963 and Uganda in 1962. As Hemming identifies, “a fifteen year timetable had been reduced by 80 percent”[3].
This essay will look at such questions as: How can we judge if Britain was in control?; Was Britain in control of the pace, or the actual process of events of how independence came about?; Was Britain in control of who to transfer power to? This essay will attempt to answer these questions by examining all of the various problems, and pressures with which Britain was faced regarding its African colonies, which can been seen to have taken the control of decolonisation in Africa between 1959 and 1964 out of Britain’s hands. It will
By 1959 decolonisation in British Africa was well under way, for example, the Gold Coast in West Africa had become independent in 1957, Nigeria and Sierra Leone were well on their way to independence, and agitation and advances towards independence were already taking place in Kenya and Tanganyika in Eastern Africa. By 1964 this had spread throughout Britain’s African territories and many more had either become independent or started their journey and development towards independence, as the “political face of the continent was transformed”[1].
This essay will examine what it was that led to this huge change in policy towards Africa, from a time at the beginning of the 1950s when no one expected any of Britain’s colonies to become independent within a generation, let alone within a decade, to a time in the mid-1960s when Britain’s colonial possessions in Africa were severely dwindling and there was a clear line of policy towards decolonisation there. Even in 1959, as Hemming recognises, “a conference of East African governors agreed that the likely timetable of independence would be: Tanganyika in 1970, Kenya in 1975 and Uganda somewhere between the two”[2]. In fact Tanganyika gained independence in 1961, Kenya in 1963 and Uganda in 1962. As Hemming identifies, “a fifteen year timetable had been reduced by 80 percent”[3].
This essay will look at such questions as: How can we judge if Britain was in control?; Was Britain in control of the pace, or the actual process of events of how independence came about?; Was Britain in control of who to transfer power to? This essay will attempt to answer these questions by examining all of the various problems, and pressures with which Britain was faced regarding its African colonies, which can been seen to have taken the control of decolonisation in Africa between 1959 and 1964 out of Britain’s hands. It will
Cited: in Hyam, R., page 267. [72] ‘Trouble in Africa’, Leading Article by Iain Macleod, Editor, The Spectator, 31 January 1964. [73] Porter, B,. page 342.