The process of European retreat from the world was quite sudden. It occurred in the aftermath of World War II. Although independence, self government anf self determination was not entirely foreign before the 20th century, the fact it occurred on such a large scale in places such as Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America in the period of time it did is beyond anything history has seen.
Decolonization began in Africa in 1848 with the independence of Liberia, South Africa, and Ethiopia. By the late 1960s, nearly all African colonies, except for the ones conquered by the Portugese, received independence. The decolonizatin process in sub-Saharan Africa had many layers of causes and effects alike. What many argue to be the major cause was the time frame with which the Europeans decolnized their settlements at the end of World War II, and the way it occurred. In coalition, these things suggest that the war was a direct cause of decolonization. Though the war was a major onsett in the termination of the European empire, many other factors, including African nationalism cannot be ignored in any regard. Other forces for change besides this not-so-newfound nationalism included the U.S’s and Soviet Union’s race for arms in the Cold War. While some European political leaders felt that self government within their empire was ideal, most believed any chance of complete independence was relegated to the future. Surprisingly, within this incredibly short period almost all European colonies in sub-Saharan Africa became completely independent. World War II and its aftermath changed nearly everything; it strengthened African nationalism overall and encouraged rejection of European colonialism, therefore making Europeans colonial powers take notice and begin to consider a graceful exit. In regards to African nationalism, the end of World War II marked a pivotol point with wihich the African move for independence became quite extesive. The sitautions African soldiers faced abroad and at home exposed the European beliefs and claims to be the better civilization which aligns with the concepts of the “‘West versus the Rest”’ (Craig, 869). The major lesson for African natives was the fact they successfuly fought alongside their coloizers for a cause that they themselves did not hold. Due to the war, it became clear that the long standing claim of European superiority and the White Man’s Burden. This caused a sort of revamp in nationalism which had an everlasting impact on African society as a whole and resulted in what was easily the most dramatic process of twentieth century. Because of all of this the impact World War II held was crucial to the cementation of decolonization, but, as stated before, many other significant forces played a part. Despite their leave, European powers, as they often do, wanted to retain a connection to their former colonies even long after they had left. In this lies the basis of the influence, whether justified or not, that has and will continue to define relationship between Europe and Africa, colonizer and colony.
Following the conclusion of World War II, European formal empires in the Middle East began to unravel. Many countries withdrew from their colonies: France from both Syria and Lebanon in 1946, as wel as the British from Egypt, Iraq, and Palestine in 1948. Eventually, Sudan was also able to gain independence. Just as in Africa, despite the dismantement of formal empires in the mid 20th century, the former colonial powers have a continued presence in the region. Interests, specifically oil, because of the Cold War were now a commodity. The process of indepencence, to whatever degree, has and continues to be quite challenging in the Middle East. The first of many, continuing, attempts of self government throughout this region, began with World War I. Consequently, the course of decolonization over time has taken different forms in these areas, as issues arose with the new nations. Similar to Africa, Arab nationalism or Pan-Arabism was and is force to be reckoned with in today’s society. The various people of the Middle East have all endured decolinization and indepedence in different ways. Although Islam is a common aspect that binds them together, many other differences in culture exist as well. As far as relations between the Middle East and the rest of the world go, the nations and people of the region view themselves as a singular peiece of a larger whole who wish to remain independent and to govern in their own way.
The process of retreat by European colonizers from the world was a dramatic, drastic and quick change. It occurred in the aftermath of World War II. Although the granting of self-government and determination was not entirely unknown prior to the end of the war in 1945, the fact it occurred on such a large scale in places such as Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America in the period of time it did is beyond anything history has seen.