Download Africa and the Second World War.

Africa and the Second World War.
Causes
1.Harsh terms of the treaty of Versailles imposed on Germany by
Allied powers.
These terms were challenged by Hitler who came to power in 1933
1934 Hitler begins to rebuild the German army through conscription
1935 Hitler denounced the treaty.
2. Ideological Conflict bet Fascism - Germany, Italy, Japan
and Democratic ideologies of Britain, ,France and USA.
The 2 ideologies were irreconcilable and led to war e.g.
Mussolini fascist leader of Italy stated “ The struggle bet the 2 words can permit no
compromise, it is either we or they”.
Fascism started in Italy and was developed by Mussolini & established in Germany, Portugal &
Spain.
Hitler, Mussolini and Fascism
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Anti- communism.
Believed in National prestige,
glorified use of force- Dictatorship
intense nationalism,
hero worshiping
and racial superiority.
Use of slogans “Mussolini is always right”&
“Heil Hitler”- Hitler is always right,
Thus German Nazi was a fascist state intense
nationalism “robot obedience”
Causes of Second World War
3. Imperial ambition of some European & Asian powers.
Italy decides to attack Ethiopia and avenge the shame of
defeat at the battle of Adowa by Menelik II in 1896. Add
more territories to her colonies in Africa of Libya, Eritrea &
Italian Somaliland.
So Benito Mussolini invades Ethiopia in 1935. Emperor
Haille Sellasie goes to the League of Nations in Geneva
and appeals for Intervention but Britain and France ignores. Ethiopians left alone and people
decided to fight using querrilar tactics despite the modern Italian weapons.
1936 Italian army invades and captures the capital Addis Ababa Not by Might but coz they used
Poisonous gas
Causes Continued
• Japan a fascist states starts aggression
in South East Asia. Japan starts
expansionist policy and starts to conquer
other regions for economic gains, invades
and occupies parts of China. The League
again failed to control Japan, was not
effective and had no army of its own to
enforce decisions
Japan & German aggression
• 1940 Germany overruns N. France
• 1941 Germany invades Russia
• 1941 Japan attacks US Navy at Pearl Harbor and draws
US into the war.
• Italians use poisonous gas to invade Ethiopia.
• 1940 Italian forces invade Egypt. Britain declares war
on Italy.
• British forces push Italy out of Egypt.
• 1941 British got African troops from Sierra Leone,
Nigeria and Ghana to liberate Ethiopia
• Addis Ababa is retaken and emperor Haile Selassie
returns.
Other initiatives
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Belgians sent African troops from Congo to join war against Italy in Africa.
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France send 80,000 African troops from Congo Brazzaville to fight in Europe against Germany.
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200,000 South African troops joined the war.
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Kenyan troops join British and American troops in Burma in the S. East Asia campaign
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During Italian campaign Hitler sends German troops Afrika Korps
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to help in Libya and British troops forced back to Egypt.
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1942 British& American troops land in Morocco and Algeria and push Germans and Italians
into Tunisia
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African troops from North Africa used in the Sicily Campaign
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1943 Afrika Korps surrender in Tunisia. War was over in Africa.
Results
1.
Death massive lose of life & destruction of property in E Ethiopia and Tunisia
2. Africa provided raw materials needed for war e.g. sisal, groundnuts , palm oil
cotton and food crops.
18,000 forced labor= men used in Nigeria to mine tin. Rubber from Zaire.
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3. Some peasant farmers benefited those who has land produced for market.
Ethiopian symbol –if Ethiopia can be liberated why not the rest of Africa.
4.African Americans link with African roots Pan Africanism.
Birth of African NATIONALISM = Kwame and Kenyatta dispatched home to lead in
Freedom struggle
5. Massive growth of Industrial development in South Africa e.g.
steel industry.
6. Knowledge brought by ex- service men; poverty, savagery of the war, weakness- demystifying of
European superiority.
Super powers changed attitude towards Africa e.g. Frances appreciated support given by Africans from her colonies
The Atlantic Charter
• 1941 Signed by British Prime Minister Churchill
and United States President Roosevelt.
• Among the terms -respect of right of people
to choose the form of government and self
government to be restored to those who
have been forcibly deprived of it.
• Churchill claimed it did not apply to Africans,
African Nationalist and educated people claimed
it applied.
• Enters the cold war in Africa bet Soviet and
USA.
• France removed indignant and corvee
labor systems.