1. Who suffered serious discrimination in the USA in the early 20th century? 2. What was racial segregation? 3. Who was the main leader of black Americans? 4. Name one of the actions that black Americans took to demand fairer treatment. 5. What was the Civil Rights Act? 6. What was the Voting Rights Act? 7. How did Martin Luther King die? 8. Who was the first black American President? 9. What problems did black Americans still face at the end of the 20th century? 10. Name one feature that made the civil rights campaign important in the 1960s.
5. Decolonisation in Africa and Asia 1
World War II
World War II showed European empires could be defeated
4
Growth of educated leadership in the colonies
3
USA and USSR favoured
decolonisation
European countries such as Britain, France, Germany and Belgium had built up huge empires in the 19th century. Most of their colonies were in Africa. ● They exploited their empires for raw materials and markets. ● They also developed railways, harbours and education and health systems there.
Germany lost its colonies at the end of World War I, and the other countries were very much weakened by World War II.
After World War II, India achieved its independence in 1947 and during the 1950s so did other countries. However, the greatest number occurred in the 1960s. ● In 1960, 17 African countries got their independence. ● In all, 35 African countries got their independence in the 1960s, much higher than the decades before and after the 1960s.
This process whereby countries in Africa and Asia got their independence from European empires was called decolonisation.
391
weakened European economies
Debate the importance of decolonisation in Africa and Asia
Key Words Empire
European economies could not afford to maintain imperial armies