The Rise and Fall of the Colonial Empire
HIS 1515-101: History of Modern Empires
The Rise and Fall of the Colonial Empire 1800-2000
According to the Traditions and Encounters, the process of decolonization refers to “a form of regime shift, a changed relationship between the colonizing power and colony.” Such decolonization occurred with the end of European empires in African and Asian countries after the pressures of the First and Second World War and the rise of nationalism. The period between the years 1900 to 1959 reflect a shift of power between the European colonial powers and the nationalist movements of their colonies. The strength and movement of key countries led others to follow suit on the movement for independence. Traditions and Encounters best describes the decolonization movement as: Decolonization, in essence the relinquishing of all colonial possessions by imperial powers of the ends to empires, brought the world to its current international standing. Imperial agents lost their control, new independent states gained autonomy and self-determination, and - given the concurrent developments in the cold war - the globe was no longer demarcated by clearly identifiable spheres of influence.
The factors that contributed to the rapid decline of the colonial empire in Africa and Asia between 1919 and 1949 are agreements such as The Atlantic Charter, the effects brought on by both World Wars, the achievements of the United Nations, the colonies’ desire for self-determination and the rise of nationalism.
The Atlantic Charter was a critical factor in the decolonization of European colonies in Africa and Asia that established a vision for post-war settlement. The meeting between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill changed the course of World War II, and therefore affected the course of world history. According to the documentary, The Atlantic Charter: The End of Colonialism, the Atlantic Charter provided a blueprint for the United Nations while
The Rise and Fall of the Colonial Empire 1800-2000
According to the Traditions and Encounters, the process of decolonization refers to “a form of regime shift, a changed relationship between the colonizing power and colony.” Such decolonization occurred with the end of European empires in African and Asian countries after the pressures of the First and Second World War and the rise of nationalism. The period between the years 1900 to 1959 reflect a shift of power between the European colonial powers and the nationalist movements of their colonies. The strength and movement of key countries led others to follow suit on the movement for independence. Traditions and Encounters best describes the decolonization movement as: Decolonization, in essence the relinquishing of all colonial possessions by imperial powers of the ends to empires, brought the world to its current international standing. Imperial agents lost their control, new independent states gained autonomy and self-determination, and - given the concurrent developments in the cold war - the globe was no longer demarcated by clearly identifiable spheres of influence.
The factors that contributed to the rapid decline of the colonial empire in Africa and Asia between 1919 and 1949 are agreements such as The Atlantic Charter, the effects brought on by both World Wars, the achievements of the United Nations, the colonies’ desire for self-determination and the rise of nationalism.
The Atlantic Charter was a critical factor in the decolonization of European colonies in Africa and Asia that established a vision for post-war settlement. The meeting between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill changed the course of World War II, and therefore affected the course of world history. According to the documentary, The Atlantic Charter: The End of Colonialism, the Atlantic Charter provided a blueprint for the United Nations while
Bibliography: Electric Pictures and Wildfilm Australia, 2002. DVD. Namibia: Genocide and the Second Reich. Dir. David A. Olusoga. BBC Productions Bristol, 2005 The Wind of Change: The End of Colonialism in Africa. Dir. Peter Du Cane. Humanities and Sciences, 2002 on the Past, edited by Michael Ryan. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Gewald, Jan B. Herero Heroes: A Socio-Political History of the Herero of Namibia, 1890- 1923 United Nations. “Global Issues: Decolonization.” Accessed October 7, 2011. [ 1 ]. Jerry H. Bentley, Traditions and Encounters (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008), 1096. [ 2 ]. “Global Issues: Decolonization,” United Nations, accessed October 7, 2011, http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/decolonization/index.shtml [ 3 ] [ 4 ]. Bentley, 1106. [ 5 ]. Jan B. Gewald, Herero Heroes (Athens: Ohio University Press, 1999), 31-32. [ 6 ]. Bentley, 1111-1112.