African History Final exam questions
ss3492
african_politics_since_independence.pptxAfrican Politics & Challenges since Independence
Independence was followed by optimism, great expectations; constitutions were democratic, attempts to forge nation-states, etc.
Search for legitimacy, aid from western nations,- Europe, etc. Voluntary Service Overseas from GB, Peace Corps from US, etc. Little from Russia and Easter Europe; not much from China, explain
Nkrumah’s united states of Africa- didn’t gain traction
OAU established in 1963- objectives, replace by African Union in 2002
Within a few years, most nations moved from multiparty system to one-arty rule; and others to military rule
Little attempt to break down linguistic and tribal barriers
Boundaries of nations were artificial, people didn’t have a common historical experience, and heritage; and so divisions remained
Colonial divisions created to serve colonial interests remained in place; hence conflicts: Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970); Katanga in the Congo (1960-1963); etc.
Nigeria: -secession, Lt. Colonel Ojukwu, governor of eastern state, proclaimed new state of Nigeria. Lt. Gen. Gowon, new leader of Nigeria led war to reinstate Biafra—explain context of conflict
1967-70- civil war
Congo, Moise Tshombe secession of Katanga from Congo, UN intervention, etc., eventual Mobutu
Concentration of political power: explain how many leaders have remained in power; one man rule became the order of the day
Soldier-politicians: military stepped in and out of politics, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Ghana, etc, etc
1961-67, military take-overs in Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, etc.
Muammar Gadhafi seized power in 1969, explain activities—intervened in several nations including Sudan, Egypt, Morocco, Chad, etc. overthrown in 2011
1970s: some of the worst abuses came to an end; Idi Amin in Uganda, Francisco Macias Nguema in Equatorial Guinea was overthrown in 1979; Jean-Bedel Bokassa (self-proclaimed emperor) was deposed
Horn of Africa, many problems. From 1962– Eritreans called for independence from Ethiopia, and was obtained in 1994
1974- Haile Selassie was overthrown and leadership eventually fell into the hands of Mengistu Haile Marian, who was himself ousted in 1991
Somalia– Siad Barre maintained power until country began to disintegrate—he fled from power in 1991, contextualize within events of end of Cold War, etc.
Collapse of Berlin Wall, and rising expectations, call for National Conference, collapse of many regimes, Kaunda, Hastings, Mobutu, etc.
Economic decline and increasing dependence: countries are heavily dependent on imported goods, limited industrialization translates into heavy importation of manufactured goods
By the mid-1980s, economic decline had near crisis proportion—Decade of lost development
IMF & WB imposed severe conditions on loans: devalue currency, increase in price of staple foods, freeze wages, etc; focus on programs such as Structural Adjustment Program, etc.
Political crises: near anarchy in the 1980s & 1990s, Liberia, Somalia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, -- to this is also added another class, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda
Sudan –Darfur
Popular revolts: consequence of changes including collapse of Berlin wall; nationalists calling for national conference; explain impact on regimes, etc
Economic change: by the 1970s more African nations were collapsing into poverty, dependency theory
Some causes of economic woes: rise in oil prices, civil wars, corruption, drought, etc
Decline of basic services, infrastructure, health services, etc
Devaluation led to loss of real income
African development crisis: in the 1980s it became clear that African economies were dropping significantly; explain impact of structural adjustment program
Characteristics of developing African nations:
Low life expectancy, less 50 in many nations; in Nigeria it is fifty
Medical services; almost non-existent in places; in Chad & Niger– there is one doctor for 73,000 & 56,000 respectively
Unemployment, very high especially in urban areas, explain
Exports, explain the dilemma of raw materials, etc
Income, real income is low; per capita income for roughly 25 nations less than $500; examples for the year 2006: Mali-$440; Sierra Leone-- $220; Ethiopia-- $180; Burundi-- $100; Liberia-- $140; Malawi-- $170, : implications for growth
Economic infrastructure; explain, roads, railways, etc
Capital, in limited,
Brain drain; explain & impact
Institutional failure; political institutions created following independence have failed the African people
Some hope: rate of literacy is up; many universities have been created since independence; most governments mandate attendance of elementary school.
Democracy developing in places: Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, etc
Africa continues to need capital and debt reduction
The Crossroads: traditionalism versus modernity? Which direction?
Emerging Crisis:
Radicalism, etc
