Major Comparisons and Snapshots

1914 to Present

1. Major Comparisons and Snapshots
   1. Patterns and results of decolonization in Africa and India
      1. Africa
         1. Patterns
            1. Began in 1950s and 1960s, later than Middle East/Asia
            2. Previous native political groups focused on living/working conditions
            3. By 1990s – 46 Independent countries
            4. Population 1960s – 300 million, 1990s – 800 million
         2. Legacy
            1. Security and economic stability problems rooted in European colonialism
         3. North Africa liberation – 1950s
            1. Several advantages for decolonization
               1. Relatively homogeneous religion, ethnicity, language
               2. Existed as political units for decades
               3. Colonizing powers left behind technology, industrial
                  1. Infrastructure – railroads, telegraphs, canals
            2. Egypt, Libya – 1952, Moroccoa, Tunisia – 1956, Algeria – 1962
         4. Independence in Sub-Saharan Africa
            1. Major freedom movements became radical after WWII
               1. Usually nonviolent led by intellectuals
               2. Some violent – Mau Mau in Kenya
                  1. Zimbabwe, S. Africa, Rwanda, Zaire, Angola, Moza
         5. Why varying transitions to freedom?
            1. Smoothly in Britain and France
               1. Native elites educated and prepared
                  1. Greater participation by natives in interim gov’t
                  2. Less chance for multiethnic conflict
            2. Conflict where white settler population maintains power
               1. War in Rhodesia
            3. Worst transitions in Belgium and Portugese colonies
               1. Colonial masters intensely exploitive
               2. No steps taken to educate population
               3. Either war against European aggressors and/or civil war
               4. Rwanda – left hated two tribes – Hutus and Tutsi
         6. South Africa
            1. Tainted by clash of white/black citizens
            2. Dutch Afrikaners given control by British
               1. Practiced apartheid – extreme racial segregation
            3. Diamond/gold resources make it most industrialized/richest in Af
            4. Extreme pressure on S. Africa to change
               1. Internal unrest
               2. Economic problems
               3. Extreme international pressure
            5. Nelson Mandela became sympathetic dissident while imprisoned
               1. 1990 Mandela released –
               2. African National Congress party wins in 1994
         7. Varying methods of modernization
            1. Capitalism – Kenya
            2. Socialism – Tanzania, Ghana, Congo, Guinea
            3. Pan-Africanism utopian goal
               1. 1991 – African Economic Community
         8. Problems facing Independent Africa
            1. Dictatorship – begin as democracies > turn into military strongmen
               1. Brutal, savage rule
            2. Corruption – function based on patronage, nepotism, graft
            3. Failure to modernize/diversify economies – maintain monoculture
               1. Exporting natural resources colonial masters set up
               2. Kept profits in hands of political rulers that inherited system
            4. Foreign debt – owe massive amounts of money to Western nations
            5. Cold War – nations became pawns in global chess game
            6. Rapid population growth/food shortages
               1. Not overpopulated, but rate has surpassed economic growth
               2. Many suffer from poor medical care/lack of food
               3. Only 22% of cultivatable land actually being used
            7. HIV/AIDS
               1. Containing disease impossible – too poor to afford medicine
            8. Lack of cultural/linguistic unity
               1. Political border lines meaningless
                  1. Drawn by Europeans for their convenience/benefit
                     1. Congo – 200 tribes, 75 languages
               2. Only common tongue – that of colonial oppressor
               3. How can single state govern equally?
            9. Intertribal/interethnic conflict – almost all wars fought w/in borders
            10. Uncontrolled flow of small arms/light weapons
                1. Small arms part of daily life, armed conflicts
                2. Thousands of children forcibly drafted into paramilitaries
            11. Treatment of women
                1. More developed countries, cities some benefits
                   1. Divorce, birth control, economic freedom, education
                2. Women still dominated by men
                   1. 20% of students women
                   2. Marriages arranged
                   3. Polygamy permitted
                   4. Clitoridectomy still practiced
         9. Comparing African/Indian Independence
            1. Tragically torn apart by ethnic/religious strife
               1. Tensions between Muslims/Hindus reemerged
               2. Africa – opportunity for long held tribal hatred to resurface
      2. Indian and Pakistani Independence
         1. Britain handed over power freely after decades of civil disobedience
            1. 1945 Britain ordered to turn over to “responsible Indian hands” 1848
               1. Hindu/Muslim clashes sped up process
            2. August 15, 1947 – India and Pakistan given independence
               1. Independence led to violence
               2. Transfer of population + border conflict = 1 million deaths
               3. Ghandhi assassinated in January 1948
                  1. Hindu extremist upset w/ Gandhi’s tolerance policy
         2. Pakistan – modern republic – major regional power
            1. Original goal of Muhammad Ali Jinnah not attained
               1. Democratic republic – progressive and modern, but also…
               2. remain true to Muslim traditions/principles
            2. Pakistan plagued by corruption, political repression, military rule
            3. Huge, expensive rivalry with India
               1. Gained nuclear capability in 1990s
         3. Modern India
            1. World’s largest democracy
            2. Huge inefficiency – can’t balance population growth w/ economic
            3. Continued interethnic/interfaith strife
            4. Congress Party – Jawaharlal Nehru – pushed for secular India
               1. Modern, educated, industrial power
            5. Diplomatic relationship
               1. Nehru balanced China, USSR, Pakistan w/ US
               2. Maintained friendly relations w/ both sides
               3. preserved nonaligned nation status
                  1. Daughter – Indira Gandhi – continued to modernize
                     1. Criticized for ethnic policy – against Sikh minority
                     2. Eventually assassinated
                  2. Son – Rajiv Gandhi led Congress Party – assassinated by Sri Lankan separatists
   2. Pick two revolutions (Russian, Chinese, Cuban, Iranian) and compare their effects on the roles of women – in West, change gradual over many generations,
      1. Russian
      2. Chinese
         1. Footbinding outlawed
         2. Wider educational/career opportunities
         3. Women advance
            1. Husbands and wives treated equal by law
            2. Women can divorce husbands
            3. Property rights, equal pay for equal work
            4. Encouraged to pursue professional/vocational
      3. Cuban
         1. Patterns of dictatorship and economic exploitation in Latin America
            1. Liberation/modernization dependent on US
            2. Great Depression forced L. America economies to diversify
            3. WWII forced Interwar dictators out of power
            4. Reverted to exploitative economies/dictatorial control
            5. Modernization merely put more wealth in upper class hands
            6. Military governments/right wing dictatorships
               1. 1970s only Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica democratic
         2. Dictatorship from other political spectrum – left – Fidel Castro
            1. Overthrew right-wing dictator – Fulgencio Batista
            2. Nationalizes industry, carries out land reform
            3. Goals – modernize, industrialize, increase literacy, eliminate inequality
            4. Castro and Che Guevera wanted to combat US imperialism
            5. Claimed to be Marxists – turned to USSR for assistance
               1. Terminates relationship with US
                  1. US supports failed attempt to invade Cuba
                     1. Bay of Pigs Invasion
               2. Relationship with USSR leads to Cuban Missile Crisis
         3. Effects on Women
      4. Iranian
         1. Most powerful dictatorships in Middle East – Iraq and Iran
         2. Since 1920s, ruled by secular Phalavi shahs
            1. Last shah ruled from 1941-1979 - Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
            2. Used oil wealth to industrialize/modernize
            3. Opposed Islamic traditionalism
               1. Encouraged Western dress, education
               2. No veil on women
               3. Eradication of sharia – Islamic law
            4. Ally of the United States
            5. Relied on repression to maintain order
               1. Regime anti-democratic
         3. Enter Shiite cleric Ayatollah Khomeini
            1. Islamic fundamentalist exiled by the Shah
            2. Iranian Revolution turned nation into anti-Western (U.S.)
            3. Theocratic dictatorship
            4. Held American hostages for a number of months
            5. Went to war with Iraq from 1980-1988
         4. Khomeini died 1989 – theocracy still exists
         5. Effects on women
            1. Initially women could vote, dress traditionally, divorce, become educated, pursue a career
            2. But…reversed immediately with Iranian revolution of 1979
   3. Compare the effects of the World Wars on areas outside of Europe
   4. Compare legacies of colonialism and patterns of economic development in two of three areas (Africa, Asia, and Latin America)
      1. Latin American economic development
         1. Huge influence from foreign national investment
            1. Sometimes protests against this role
            2. Sandinistas – protested US intervention – socialist revolution
         2. US supports governments that support US businesses
            1. United Fruit
         3. US supports regimes that profess being democratic/anti-communist
         4. Alliance for Progress – 1961 – develop economies of Latin America
         5. Gradually US pulls out influence
            1. Panama Canal returned to Panama
            2. But still…topples Noriega govt’ – authoritarian/controls drugs
         6. Large issues plague Latin American nations
            1. Large foreign debts
            2. huge international drug cartels threaten government stability
   5. The notion of "the West" and "the East" in the context of Cold War ideology
      1. West – led by U.S. – generally democratic, capitalist, prosperous
      2. East – led by USSR – communist, totalitarian, substantially less prosperous
      3. Japan part of the West – developed along Western lines
      4. After fall of Communism
         1. Bipolar description no longer works
            1. Satellite nations want to be considered West, but Russia?
            2. China opening up doors, but Westernizing? – democractic reforms
            3. Is anybody part of the East anymore
   6. Compare nationalist ideologies and movements in contrasting European and colonial environments
   7. Compare the different types of independence struggles
   8. Compare the impacts of Western consumer society on two civilizations outside of Europe
   9. Compare high tech warfare with guerilla warfare
      1. High tech warfare – fighter jets, missiles, tanks
         1. Sophisticated, but expensive
         2. Takes months to position weaponry, put together a war plan
         3. But…once implemented…devastatingly efficient
      2. Guerilla wafare
         1. Behind the scenes, stealthy, lower tech
         2. Individuals fight site to site
         3. Disrupt supply chains, target seemingly random sites
         4. Attacks flexible, random, hard to predict
         5. Effective against cumbersome, less flexible, high-tech opponent
   10. J. Different proposals (or models) for third world economic development and the social and political consequences

   Examples of What You Need to Know

   Below are examples of the types of information you are expected to know contrasted with examples of those things you are not expected to know for the multiple-choice section.

   • * Causes of the World Wars, but not battles in the wars
   • * Cultural and political transformations resulting from the wars, but not French political and cultural history
   • * Fascism, but not Mussolini's internal policies
   • * Feminism and gender relations, but not Simone de Beauvoir or Huda Shaarawi
   • * The growth of international organizations, but not the history of the ILO
   • * Colonial independence movements, but not the details of a particular struggle
   • * The issue of genocide, but not Cambodia, Rwanda, or Kosovo
   • * The internationalization of popular culture, but not the Beatles
   • * Artistic Modernism, but not Dada