3. Independence and Its Challenges
– Problem for Africa:
Europe grouped
many different ethnic
groups together with
long-standing rivalries
• Led to conflict
– Africa desired
independence
• Growing nationalism
in the 1900’s
• Pride in one’s
homeland
4. South African Independence
– 1912: South Africa
forms a political party
which fought for
independence and the
rights of the South
Africans
• Apartheid; system of
racial segregation
• Rights based on color
• Keep the white minority
in power
5. Desire for Independence
– 1920’s a movement known as
Pan-Africanism began
• It stressed unity and cooperation
among all Africans
• “Africa for Africans”
– WWII had a huge impact on
Africa’s history
• Africa was a crucial component to
the Allied forces
• Colonies supplied equipment and
soldiers
– African soldiers came home
victorious and desired
independence even more
• WWII also weakened Western
Europe
• Too expensive to keep colonies
– Some African colonies gained
independence peacefully
– Others went to war
6. Individual Countries
– Ghana: the people
began to boycott British
goods
• Protests, sent to jail
• 1952 gained
independence
– Algeria: French colony
• Bloody war in 1954
• 1962 won
independence, but at
the cost of 100,000
Algerian lives
7. Challenges
– Challenges for Independent
Africa
• Leaders had little experience
• Unstable governments
• Military governments
– Limited rights
– Jailed protesters
– Bloody coups
– Some countries established
democracies
• “Let Africa have time to
establish own democracies”
• Very young countries