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Economic Impact:
United States Prosperity: The U.S. prospered by selling war materials and agricultural products to the Allies. European countries, severely damaged by the war, faced economic devastation.
Treaty of Versailles: Forced Germany to pay billions in reparations, leading to economic instability. Germany printed more money, causing inflation and further economic issues.
Effects on Colonial Lands:
Independence Hopes: Nationalist movements in South Asia and West Africa were strengthened. Colonial troops contributed thousands of soldiers to the Allies, showing that imperial powers were not invincible.
Local Rebellions: German propaganda predicted colonial uprisings, but only a few occurred. Notably, villages in French West Africa united to drive out the French between 1915-1916, but were ultimately suppressed.
Raised Expectations: Colonized peoples hoped for self-determination based on Wilson’s Fourteen Points. However, the Big Three at the peace conference were not interested in freeing colonies, granting self-determination only to white countries in Eastern Europe.
The Mandate System:
Middle East Mandates: Arab rebels were promised self-rule but were instead placed under the League of Nations mandate system controlled by France and Britain, leading to Pan-Arabism.
Balfour Declaration: In 1917, Britain supported the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, leading to increased Jewish immigration and tensions in the region.
Indian National Congress:
Growing Voice: By the end of World War I, the Indian National Congress became a strong voice for independence.
Amritsar Massacre: In 1919, British forces killed 379 unarmed Indian protestors, radicalizing many Indians and convincing moderates that independence was the only way forward.
Gandhi's Movement:
Civil Disobedience: Gandhi led a campaign encouraging Indians to break unjust laws. His satyagraha movement aimed to expose the injustice of British rule.
Salt March: In 1930, Gandhi led thousands to produce their own salt, defying British law. This nonviolent protest featuring British oppression.
The Two-State Solution:
Muslim-Hindu Unity: Muslim leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah initially supported unity but later proposed creating a separate Muslim state, Pakistan, due to concerns over Muslim interests in a Hindu-majority India.
Nationalism in East Asia
The March First Movement in Korea:
Japanese Control: Korea had been under increasing Japanese influence since the 1890s and was formally annexed by Japan in 1910. In 1919, Korean protests against Japanese rule were harshly suppressed, demonstrating Korean nationalism.
The May Fourth Movement in China:
Chinese Discontent: China supported the Allies in WWI but was disappointed when the Paris Peace Conference sided with Japan over German-controlled land. This led to widespread protests and the rise of Chinese nationalism.
Rise of Communism: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was founded in 1921, inspired by the Russian Revolution. Led by Mao Zedong, it gained support among peasants.
Chinese Nationalist Party:
Sun Yat-sen: The Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, aimed for full independence and industrialization. After Sun's death, Chiang Kai-shek took over and opposed communism, leading to the Chinese Civil War.
The Long March:
Mao's Retreat: In 1934, Mao's forces retreated 6,000 miles, gaining admiration for their stamina. This support was crucial for the Communists' eventual success.
Resistance to French Rule in West Africa
Pro-Independence Movements:
Educated Elite: European-educated African intellectuals, like Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta and Senegal's Léopold Senghor, recognized racial discrimination and led resistance movements.
Strikes: Black workers in French West Africa staged strikes in 1919 and 1936, protesting discriminatory policies and sometimes achieving compromises.
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