The Consequences of World War II for The Fate of Colonialism in Africa
World War II came as a blessing for the African nations; it ended colonialism. As a result, the USA and Russia dethroned Britain and France as the new superpowers enabling the doctrines of self-rule and decolonization. Likewise, the emergence of Russia as a superpower encouraged the spread of Marxist ideologies, particularly in French colonies. In other instances, the Asian countries motivated African liberation by the defeat of the British in Japan and Singapore, the Dutch in Indonesia, and the French in Vietnam. Some of the notable African fighters that assisted in the war are Ben Bella, leader of the Algerian revolution, and Jean Bedel Bokassa, later president of the Central African Republic. The conflict then led to the formation of the Pan-Africanism following the doctrines of Gandhi that encouraged liberation by non-violence means that sprouted the fight for independence in such countries as Ghana led by Kwame Nkrumah; this assisted in promoting freedom of many African countries between 1960 and 1970. Apart from the formation of Pan-Africanism, the war resulted in the inception of the UN to help in safeguarding the rights and interests of member nations from discrimination and the improvement of the living conditions of the colonies. Previously, American president Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter as a way of stimulating the end of colonization and self-determination. Besides, United Nations Trusteeship Council authorized the freedom of African nations from colonialism. Economically, the African countries experienced rapid expansion in agriculture, such as the growing of cash crops and the development of small-scale industries like the supply of groundnut oil from Senegal. Similarly, it instituted the growth of mining activities prompted by the need for various minerals by the European powers and the permission of other countries to cultivate crops that were previously prohibited, such as in Kenya, where they were allowed to grow tea and coffee.