Partition of India and Pakistan

1. In what ways do economic and financial factors influence power relations between nations? What economic role did World War One, the global depression of the 1930s, and World Two play in the weakening of colonial power prior to decolonization? What economic roles did Talaat Harb, Ismail Sidqi, and Gamal Abdul Nasser play in the independence of Egypt?

2. What significance did the example and teachings of Gandhi in Indian independence? What is satyagraha? Although satyagraha worked in helping gain independence from Britain, was it able to prevent violence between former Indians following independence? Why or why not?

3. Why have commonwealths proved enduring, while the Non-aligned Movement failed? What are the differences between them?

4. How significant was the UN in the decolonization process? In what ways did it promote decolonization, and to what extent?

5. General Emile Janssens, commander of the Force Publique at the time the Congo became independent, summed up his estimation of conditions in the country by writing “before independence = after independence” on a blackboard in front of his disgruntled troops. To what extent was Janssens correct, that conditions and practices before independence would continue after independence? To what extent was he incorrect?

6. What role did Cold War superpower politics and ideology play in decolonization general, and in the case of the Congo particularly?
Selected Internet Sites

Colonial participation in the two world Wars:

The Muslim Brotherhood

Using the websites suggested here or other scholarly historical sources complete the following assignments.

1. 
   Analyze the role of education in producing a nationalist elite as a precursor to establishing a successful independence movement.
   

2. 
   Did decolonization proceed differently in colonies that had large number of foreign residents (i.e., the “settler” states), as compared to those colonies with few settlers?
   

3. 
   Describe the significance of World War One and World War Two in creating armies comprised of colonial soldiers and commanders and their role in the decolonization of any given country.
   
4. 
   Analyze the significance of religion in decolonization.
   
5. 
   Discuss the significance of commonwealth organizations in promoting stability and peace in post-colonial countries: does participation in a commonwealth make a difference?
   
6. 
   Several colonies are mentioned here without details of their history. Investigate and narrate the history of one of these in a manner similar to the case studies given in this chapter.
   

Find a map of the world, and mark those former colonies that are plagued by ongoing violence (such as Angola). What patterns, if any, emerge? Were the most troubled countries colonies of a particular nation? Are they concentrated into geographical areas, and if so, why?

• 
  Review the importance of economic factors in decolonization.
  

• 
  List all the nationalist/independence organizations mentioned in the chapter.
  

• 
  List significant persons mentioned in the chapter, and their role in maintaining colonies or in decolonization.
  

• 
  Create a timeline of the chapter.
  

• 
  Write a brief essay on preconditions to decolonization
  

• 
  Select the most significant factor leading to decolonization and defend your selection
  

• 
  Write a brief essay on post-colonial heritage.
  

• 
  Compare or contrast the decolonization of India with the Congo.
  

• 
  Compare or contrast the decolonization of Egypt with the Congo.
  

Aburish, Said K. Nasser: The Last Arab. Thomas Dunne Books, 2004.