Reaction Paper 2: Decolonization On different occasions, colonies of European states have been able to make the most of times when the metropole was involved in its own conflicts. While these European states were otherwise occupied, the colonies worked to assert their independence. One example of this is Spain, which was distracted by Napoleon’s invasion in 1808, and unable to reassert control in portions of the Americas, where it lost many of its colonies to independence, England, or France. England was distracted by the Seven Years War with France, seeing battle in North America where it lost the emerging US. The same can be said for the French loss of Quebec to the English, and later, Napoleon's sale of the Louisiana territory to the US to finance his European campaigns. While European states tended to view the colonies as properties they could buy or sell off, that perspective is problematic for us because it limits the agency of colonized people who, after all, had to fight for their freedom. In fact, at times these fights become quite violent and nasty as European states felt the depth of their losses and tightened control over what territories remained. After the Second World War, during the Cold War, a process historians call decolonization resulted in the emergence of new states. Some of these new countries gained diplomatic recognition after seeing minimal conflict. Others fought brutal, gruesome wars whose trauma echoes into the present. For this paper, consider the relationships between colonies and metropoles during this period. We have reviewed several cases of English and French colonies and their struggles for independence. Discuss at least two of these cases in your paper. Make an argument about the role of WWII, economic factors, colonial movements, or foreign intervention, where applicable. You may choose to discuss the Paris Peace Conference at the end of WWI, if relevant. You may wish to select cases that experienced different methods and modes of gaining independence. You may make brief comparisons to Haitian or other experiences from prior historical periods, but you should make the mid-twentieth century the focus of the paper. If you would like to talk over your case studies or other aspects of this paper, let me know. We can chat during office hours on Thursdays or make an appointment. I’m delighted to help. When organizing your ideas and drafting your essay, follow these guidelines: Length: This reaction paper should address the topic below in roughly 750-1000 words. That’s around 3-4 pages double-spaced. These instructions are near the lower end of that word count. Sources: DO NOT base your observations on evidence from the Internet or other outside sources. You may make a brief reference to content from another history course but be sure to focus your analysis on the materials assigned from this class. These include the primary documents from Module 10 on decolonization, other assigned media, and our discussion in class. Evidence: Choose the 3 to 5 examples from the texts. While you want to show that you understand the larger trends in the material, take the time to explore these specific examples in as much depth as the word count allows. Remember that this is a modern European history course, so be sure to address European perspectives and experiences when discussing relationships with the colonies. How to Cite: If you are comfortable using Chicago, MLA, or APA style, please feel free to do so. I have no preference. In fact, if you are not comfortable using a formal style, it’s perfectly ok with me to reference “decolonization is always a violent event” in this manner (Fanon, 1). As long as you give proper credit for the words and ideas of others, I am flexible with the style. When to cite: You must give credit for others’ words and ideas. Review when to use quotation marks and when to paraphrase. In either case, an in-text citation is required. Please be cautious of plagiarism. Academic dishonesty is a serious problem, as I’m certain you all know. Don’t do it! Quotation length: If you quote directly from the texts (and cite them), keep these quotations brief. I am interested in seeing the way you use evidence, but that evidence should always support your argument. Grading will be out of 100 possible points according to these criteria: Up to 30 points for the student’s grasp of the larger historical context covered in the modules. Up to 25 points for the appropriateness of the student’s choice of examples to analyze in depth. Up to 25 points for the quality of the student’s analysis of those examples. Up to 20 points for appropriate grammar and graceful expression. Sources MUST USE Media Notes Module 10 Europe and the World Video: Churchill, The Sinews of Peace This is more commonly known as the “Iron Curtain” speech. Focus on the portion highlighted in the transcript. Where is this iron curtain? Who is on each side? What countries does Churchill think are in danger of “falling” to communism? New World-Systems: The UN, NATO and the Warsaw Pact, and the Bretton Woods System Look over these brief pieces and think about what happened at the Berlin Blockade and Berlin Airlift, this early Cold War event that made it clear Germany was the focus of both western and eastern European strategic interests. What were the functions of each of these organizations? Why were they formed at the time when they organized? The Bretton Woods System established a new economic order. What were some potential pros and cons? Decolonization Looking at each of these cases, consider how these relationships varied, and how the process of decolonization differed from place to place. What circumstances worked for independence, both in the colonies and European metropoles? Against? Britain and India: Partition 70 Years on Britain and India: Nehru on Partitions A primary source document Britain and Ghana: Kwame Nkrumah, I Speak of Freedom A primary source document Britain and Ghana: Declaration of Independence of Ghana A primary source document France and Vietnam: video on Dien Bien Phu These short clips outline what happened in Vietnam, then French Indochina, at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. We know that the US intervened in Vietnam afterward. But think about the immediate aftermath of this battle and how other colonized people might have seen these events. France and Algeria: on Albert Camus, The Stranger This is a book review of this work, The Stranger. I rarely recommend reading the comments section, but this time please do. The comments address fundamental problems with the headline, Albert Camus, The Stranger, and the complicated senses of identity with relation to Algeria and France. On this note, this song “Killing an Arab” (1978) by The Cure has been pulled from Spotify and other streaming services. In fact, the included link may not work, but I thought I'd mention this controversial track since it refers to The Stranger and was The Cure's first single. France and Algeria: Roger Ebert on “The Battle of Algiers” Film review France and Algeria: Fanon “On Violence” book chapter from The Wretched of the Earth This is a key work. Fanon was a psychiatrist from Martinique practicing in Algeria, treating trauma from the use of torture by the French. For this week, feel free to skim the early part of the chapter and try to determine under what circumstances Fanon accepts the use of violence and why.