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Decolonisation: Causes and

Consequences - World History
Notes for UPSC!
Decolonisation is the process by which a nation formerly controlled by another turns politically
independent. The time frame between 1945 and 1960 witnessed many countries achieving their freedom.
The initial countries to obtain independence from Great Britain in 1947 were Pakistan and India.
Decolonisation may take several forms, namely attainment of independence, incorporation with another
state or creation of a “free association” status. Decolonisation took place through peaceful negotiations,
aggressive revolts or non-violent protests. Even though there are more than 100 independent states
today, it is considered that these states still lean on their former colonial rulers due to neocolonialism.

In this article, let us look at what is decolonisation, the reasons, the Decolonisation timeline, its stages,
causes of decolonisation, its consequences and challenges for the UPSC IAS Examination.

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What is Decolonisation?

Decolonisation is the historical manifestation that occurs when a nation seeks independence from
foreign rule. That is, it is a movement that can be generated when the people of a nation attain
independence or are merged into another state through a law of free association.

This process can be viewed as the “natural way out” that the colonies find to liberate themselves from
secular administrations. It is commonly termed a natural way out since a revolution and citizen
involvement are generally required. The desire of the people is what provides the impetus to achieve
free will.

In this sense, decolonisation is specified as an anti-colonial philosophy that is inspired by national

advancement and growth, seeking the progress of its own values and culture. Decolonisation adopts the
below principles:

 a peaceful and independent policy

 the bolstering of liberal parties and
 not pertaining to any organization in which a foreign nation has direct influence.

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What was the main reason for Decolonisation?

 The second world war gave a significant blow to the colonial powers, depriving them of their
former reputation.
 The Netherlands, Belgium and France had been defeated and occupied, while the United
Kingdom was severely depleted.
 The people under colonial rule, who were frequently employed to fill the ranks of allied armies in
wartime, were determined to cut the ties that still tied them to Europe, now destroyed and
deprived of its resources.
 In addition, the development of two anti-colonialist superpowers, the United States and the
Soviet Union and the new global climate after 1945 fostered the colonies to make a bid for
freedom.
 Being informed of the new favorable global framework in which they found themselves,
colonized people commenced their fight for independence.

Also, study India After Independence here.

Decolonisation Timeline

A brief history of decolonisation is given below.

 1776 - 13 British American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain.
 1946 - Four African countries - Liberia, South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia - gained their
independence by this year. On July 4, 1946, the Republic of Philippines gained independence
from the United States of America.
 1948- On January 4, Myanmar became independent whereas Sri Lanka gained independence
on February 4, 1948.
 1956- Sudan became an independent state on January 1, 1956. Tunisia and Morocco became
independent from France.
 1957- Gold coast (Ghana) became independent on March 6, 1957. The Federation of Malaya
became independent on August 31, 1957.
 1960 - Seventeen African territories gained independence from the strong arm of European
colonial rule. (Congo, Somalia, Federation of Mali, Nigeria)
 1961- Sierra Leone became independent on April 27, 1961. Tanganyika (Tanzania) became
independent on December 9, 1961.
 1962- Rwanda and Burundi became independent on July 1, 1962. Algeria became independent
on July 3. 1962.
 1963 - Kenya became an independent state on December 12, 1963, after waging a rebellion
against British rule.
 1964- Malawi became independent on July 6, 1964.
 1965- Gambia became independent on February 19, 1965.
 1966 - Ghana was the first African state to emerge from colonial rule.
 1968- Various countries like Mauritius, Swaziland, Equatorial Guinea gained independence.

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Five Stages of Decolonisation

There exist five proposed stages of decolonisation and they are as follows:

1. The first is known as rediscovery and recovery, in which a colonized or formerly colonized
region actively finds its roots in order to regain the supremacy of its own culture, history and
traditions of its own particular region.
2. The second stage is named the phase of mourning, where people as a community, process and
understand any victimization or persecution that the colony might have experienced. This is
frequently voiced in the form of frustration and protest.
3. The third stage of decolonisation, commonly named the most crucial, is the process of
constructing the future of the proposed independent colony. This takes place most commonly
through debate or consultation, where discussions include the future of the colony, the guiding
procedures and body and the re-establishment of culture.
4. The fourth stage is about dedication to a single determining cause and direction for the colony.
This stage involves the gathering of the voices of all people, the voices that are united in a
direction so that the colony can move ahead to the final stage.
5. The fifth and the most common final stage of decolonisation is the action towards the
determined unified goal, which can articulate itself in a range of ways, specifically through
violence and reclaiming what was once a colony. The process of the previous four stages of
decolonisation, at times, cannot be afforded to a colony if they are under serious threat, in which
case the fifth stage tends to demonstrate itself rapidly.

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Causes of Decolonisation

The following are all the primary reasons why decolonisation took place.

 The Atlantic Charter

The Atlantic Charter was a document developed in 1941 that implicated the objectives of the allied
powers if they must win World War Two. One of the regulations of that charter was that all people had
the right to self-determination. In other words, all people/countries had the right to govern themselves.

 Aftermath or consequence of World War Two

Britain and France had just been in a war for the past 6 years, in which one of them was taken over
(France) and the other was being threatened to be taken over, since 1940 (Britain). Both the countries
were in debt and both militaries were exhausted.

 Colonies were Discontented after World War Two

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Many of these colonies offered resources and manpower to their colonial resources during World War
Two, since they thought they would attain their independence if they offered assistance because that was
what they vowed in the Atlantic Charter and by their colonial rulers.

 Colonial Nationalism

These colonies wished to become independent and were ready to do whatever it took until they obtained
it.

 The Emergence of Two New SuperPowers

Post World War Two, the United States and the Soviet Union sprung up as the two superpowers of the
world. Both nations had one thing in common, they both were against colonial rule and they put pressure
on colonial powers to end their colonial rule.

 Nationalism

Nationalism is one of the vital causes for decolonisation to be formalized since nationalist movements
consolidate the emancipatory project. Within this expression there are three major aspects:

1.
o Opposition to the Colonizing Nations

This takes place when the conquering nations assume all the commercial and social benefits, displacing
the subjugated nations, who end up rebelling to uphold their rights.


o Democratic Ideology

The concept of supremacy and autonomy are disseminated and assimilated, which cause patriotic
sentiment and are exhibited in two ways. The first is conservative nationalism which concentrates on the
past and the relevance of culture, while progressive nationalism seeks to copy the positive actions of
power states.


o Radical Animosity

The propagation of the concepts of liberty and democracy establishes the denial of extreme ideas. For
this reason, colonies seek to shed the supremacy and influence of empires.

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Consequences of Decolonisation

 Decolonisation not just represented liberty and national power, but also fueled both
neocolonialism and underdevelopment.

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 In other words, the countries that attained their independence did not find an economic
arrangement appropriate for their progress, which is why they still rely upon the developed
nations today. They continue to remain reliant, even though they have professed their liberation.
 Underdevelopment also includes the lack of a steady social-administrative arrangement, which
is the reason for the high population growth that leads to increased hunger, starvation and
illness.
 This context also creates a lack of infrastructure and technical means since there exists no local
production, which indicates that vital resources must be imported.
 On the other hand, these countries tend to cause an imbalance in the social system by
nationalizing industries and progressively dissipating capital. For this reason, external debt
arises, resulting in a higher reliance on foreign states due to the liquidation of interests.
 At present, a few underdeveloped people generally demand a political negotiation, due to the
inability of paying off their foreign debt, acquired over the course of the decolonisation process.

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Challenges associated with Decolonisation

 State-building


o Post-independence, the new states were required to set up or bolster the institutions of a
sovereign state – governments, laws, a military, educational institutions, administrative
systems, etc.
o The amount of self-rule conferred prior to independence and support from the colonial
power and/or global organizations after independence varied considerably between
colonial powers and between individual colonies.
o Apart from a few absolute monarchies, most postcolonial states are either republics or
constitutional monarchies. These new states had to formulate constitutions, electoral
systems and other organizations of representative democracy.

 Language Policy


o “Linguistic Decolonisation” involves the substitution of a colonizing (imperial) power’s
language with a given colony’s native language in the function of the official language.
o With the exclusion of colonies in Eurasia, linguistic decolonisation did not take place in
the previous colonies-turned-independent states on the other continents.

 Nation-Building


o Nation-building is the system of establishing a sense of identification with, and loyalty to,
the state.
o Nation-building projects seek to switch loyalty to the old colonial power, and/or tribal or
regional loyalties, with loyalty to the new state.
o Elements of nation-building comprise establishing and promoting symbols of the state
like a flag and an anthem, monuments, official histories, and national sports teams,
codifying one or more indigenous formal languages and substituting colonial place
names with indigenous ones.
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 Settled Populations


o Decolonisation is not a simple matter in colonies where a huge population of settlers live,
especially if they have been there for multiple generations.
o These inhabitants, in general, had to be repatriated, generally losing substantial
property.
o Example: A large Indian community resided in Uganda as in most of East Africa, as an
outcome of Britain colonizing both India and East Africa.

 Economic Advancement


o Newly independent states also had to build independent economic institutions – a
national currency, banks, firms, regulations, tax systems, etc.
o Many colonies were serving as resource colonies which generated raw materials and
agricultural goods and as a captive market for goods produced in the colonizing nation.
Many decolonized nations established programs to foster industrialization.
o Some nationalized firms and infrastructure had to involve themselves in land reform to
redistribute land to individual farmers or establish collective farms.

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Conclusion

 Even though the decolonisation process was a complicated one, the nations have learnt a lot
from their struggles. This is the reason that today the focus has turned toward third-world
nations for international matters.
 Post World War II, European countries were unable to have control of their colonies due to
strong and constant opposition by the colonies along with pressure from new super powers i.e.
USA and USSR. However, decolonization extended for years in Asia and Africa and many were
liberated after huge struggles.
 Overall, decolonization and the concept of national self-determination led many nations in
several continents or regions including Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe to
experience new administrations and self-rule, changes in the economies and social
reorganization.
 However, in these newly decolonized areas today, the liberty of certain people and groups is
seriously confined. For instance, the Free Press map at the Newseum in Washington D.C.
indicates how in much of Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe freedoms of speech and press are
considerably limited or non-existent, a result of the situation left behind by the sudden
discontinuation of Western influence.

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Decolonisation UPSC Practice Questions

Q1. Give a brief explanation of the reasons that led to the large-scale decolonisation post World War II.

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Q2. Analyze the issues encountered by newly decolonized nations of Asia and Africa. How far have
they been effective in addressing these problems?

We hope that all your doubts regarding the topic of Decolonisation UPSC have been addressed after
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