This summary is from the IEB syllabus for Paper 2 History. In this paper candidates are required to have some knowledge on the topic in order to apply that knowledge and answer questions on the sources. Independent Africa is a short but difficult chapter that I have managed to summarise and divide...
Shira Woolf History Source Base Summary – Independent Africa 1
INDEPENDENT AFRICA
1960s – nationalist government forming after World War II
CASE STUDY: CONGO AND TANZANIA
CONGO (LEOPOLDVILLE)
Independence was very sudden à no political structure/ experience
COLONIAL PAST
Belgium colony until 1960: Congo – Leopoldville
• Divided into 4 parts: Leopoldville, Oriental, Kasai, Katanga
• Policy of ‘Paternalism’ à treated as kids, no gov. representation, no education
• Gov. attempted to stop spread of nationalism (wanted to maintain control) à banned
political parties & newspapers
MAY 1960: INDEPENDENCE ELECTIONS
Congolese believe independence will solve the problems à 7 ethnic parties formed after violence
PATRICE LUMUMBA = prime minister (head of state) à wanted central gov. (everything state owned)
JOSEPH KASAVUBU = president at the time
à coalition arranged between the two
Then…30 JUNE 1960: Lumumba + MNC party won with majority vote
JULY 1960: MUTINY IN KATANGA (MINERAL RICH PROVENCE)
Belgium officers still present + sending more troops as they hoped to maintain control of country à
violence broke out and people wanted removal of Belgium people
MABUTU SESE SEKO = head of military at the time
MOISE TSHOMBE = leader of Katanga political party felt that the new gov. meant communism and
started supporting Belgium troops that were there illegally
11 JULY 1960: announced Katanga + Kasai seceding from Congo à serious blow to new state + loss of
rich mineral land
Lumumba asked UN military aid à declined à accused of only repping West à went to USSR for
help à now involved in Cold War! (Located in central Africa … a good location for the USSR to have
control over… exploited by Central Western powers)
• Lumumba is now dismissed as Prime Minister
• CIA + Tshombe supporters want to assonate Lumumba
• Lumumba captured in September 1960 and kept in captivity until death: 17 January 1961
• Now seen as a communist martyr
SEPTEMBER 1960: NEW GOVERNMENT
Kasavubu is still president à Lumumba now dismissed (in captivity)
Renamed: Republic of Congo
, Shira Woolf History Source Base Summary – Independent Africa 2
NOVEMBER 1960: POWER STRUGGLE
Between Kasavubu and Thsombe
à while this was happening Mabutu Sese Seko started forming a military coup + was supported by
the CIA with money
Still common problems: Congolese people had to pay taxes + partake in forced labour
NOVEMBER 1965: MOBUTU SESE SEKO SIEZES POWER
• He created a one-party state-controlled Gov. à prevent ethnic wars + civil war
• Ruled as dictator for 32 years à supported by USA (useful against USSR because of Congo’s
central location + mineral rich land)
• USA gave money + support (ally) + flattered by USA president à needed for policy of
containment
1971: renamed Zaire à given a capitol + developed by USA because its so rich in minerals
MID 1970s: economy started to collapse à kleptocracy + corruption
• End of cold war = end of help from USA
• Sese Seko overthrown in civil war in 1977 à exiled à put to death
TANZANIA (TANGANYIKA)
British Colony until 1961 à British helped to prepare for independence
BACKGROUND
1954: JULIUS NYRERE formed TANU (Tanganyika African National Union) à wanted to unite country
9 DEC 1961: Independence à peaceful transition
1961-1962: Nyrere became prime minister (leader of Gov.)
1963-1985: Nyrere = president
1963: Zanzibar + Tanganyika = Tanzania
à Central Western Powers never regarded Tanzania as strategically important, was never involved in
Cold War
ORIGINS OF SOCIALISM IN TANZANIA
African socialism = support socialist ideas and communism while maintaining independence
• Used ideas from colonial era: welfare + development programs
• Education attempted to expand
• Promote indigenous entrepreneurship à peasants control marketing of own crops
• OVERALL = FAILURE
1966: MAJOR CONCERNS ABOUT LOW ECONOMIC GROWTH
• Dependent on investments from West = drained Africa’s wealth à sent it towards capitalists
• Relationships with West not as strong
• Poor rural farmers had not much improvement
• GOV. + politicians = more concerned with personal wealth à increased class division
1967: SOLUTION- ARUSHA DECLERATION
Self-reliance + African socialism à a classless society
Program of economic development + national building
WHAT AFRICAN SOCIALISM MEANT IN TANZANIA
Arusha Dec. = state now played a leading role in economy
à Institutions were nationalised (small = still private but state controlled)
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