'The Wind of Change': Decolonisation in British West Africa Author(s): Kevin O'Sullivan Reviewed work(s): Source: History Ireland, Vol. 14, No. 4, Ireland & Africa (Jul. - Aug., 2006), pp. 40-45 Published by: Wordwell Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27725487 . Accessed: 07/02/2013 20:58 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Wordwell Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to History Ireland. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded on Thu, 7 Feb 2013 20:58:13 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions CURRICULUM THE WIND OF CHANGE': decolonisation in British West Africa Kevin O'Sullivan discusses the four-year period (1960-4) during which eight African states were granted independence from British rule. The wind of change is blowing through this continent and, whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact. We must all accept it as a fact, and our national policies must take account of it.' Western Sahara occupied by - Morocco 1976 British Prime Minister Harold 1960 Macmillan's speech to the Senegal South African houses of Gambia 1965 Djibouti yi977 parliament on 3 February 1960 has become firmly associated with the process of decolonisation in British Africa. Macmillan's speech, however, had first been delivered almost unnoticed to an audience in the of 'Rwanda Accra, capital 1962 independent Ghana, only a few days "Burundi 1962 previously. If in South Africa he to the future of British attempted explain British mandate Britain in Africa to an apprehensive French French mandate audience, in Accra his speech was delivered to a nation free from Belgian ambique already Belgian mandate colonial rule. Ghana, formerly known Portuguese as the Gold Coast, had been one of Spanish Italian Zimbabwe 1980 Britain's greatest successes in Africa. South African (Rhodesia UOI1965) and South African mandate Swaziland Economically strong politically r 1968 well it Lesotho relatively developed, provided 1966 (SarahGearty) an obvious starting-point for the implementation of reform on the continent of Africa. demands emanating from Africa, but undertake an extended tour of Britain's also to activity elsewhere in the empire African colonies. His travels produced Britain readjusted its approach to and to the weight of international the 1941 report Native administration one of 'partnership' after World events. It had become clear to some and political development in British Warll British analysts that changes were Tropical Africa, which questioned Although independent Ghana would necessary in order to maintain their whether the colonial authorities could prove an inspiration to Africans, influence in Africa. The system of expect the continuation of 'that degree whether under British, French, 'indirect rule', by which authority was of acquiescence in our rule which is a Belgian, Portuguese or Afrikaner rule, wielded through local chiefs and necessary condition of administrative their own march to freedom was rulers, had by 1939 become somewhat progress'. Hailey believed that Britain heavily dependent on London and the restrictive as African needs and should readjust its approach to one of colonial authorities. From the years demands evolved. 'partnership', giving the colonial immediately preceding the Second In December of that year one Lord peoples a greater say in their economic World War, British colonial policy Hailey, who had produced the and social development. came to react more perceptibly to the encyclopaedic African Survey in 1938, A reaction to international pressure political, social and economic was asked by the Colonial Office to to replace empire with trusteeships, 40 History IRELAND July/August 2006 This content downloaded on Thu, 7 Feb 2013 20:58:13 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Right: British prime minister Harold Macmillan in conversation with South African prime minister Hendrick Frensch Verwoerd in the course of his 1960 tour of Africa. (Macmillan Archives) Hailey's ideas highlighted the British counter-argument that their approach to rule remained the most conducive to development. By then the British were facing increasing pressure not only from African but also from international quarters. The Atlantic Charter signed in August 1941 expressed 'the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under African members were appointed to empire'. The policy of 'new new which they live'. If for Britain and administrative councils in Nigeria, the colonialism', developing grand France this document referred solely to Gold Coast and Sierra Leone. In the projects and investing further in the liberated states of Europe, for the latter year the Elliott Commission African economies, had a great impact United States its central tenets were produced a report that stated that on the African populations. The more widely applicable and were 'somewhere in West Africa within a growing encroachment into their arguably incompatible with the century, within half a century, a new ordinary lives, coupled with the maintenance of empire. African State will be born'. From increased development engendered by While these influences became Hailey's proposal to concede political investment, served only to raise levels more pronounced in London, in the advances once the majority had of discontent. In the Gold Coast, post African colonies themselves the war developed sufficient political war opposition to the colonial had a significant effect on colonial consciousness, policy became centred administration was fanned by controls more to administration. New demands were on consistent development, on foreign trade, limitations placed on the African populations to affording concessions first to the educational advance and the hard-line service ports and airfields and to African ?lites before spreading them approach of the administration to the raw shoot disease that increase production of materials, slowly to the lower strata of society. problem of swollen and there was a large increase in British thinking focused on securing hit the territory's most important African service in the armed forces. their continued influence by ensuring export, cocoa. While the war led to unprecedented that it was they who shaped the In spite of this simmering levels of integration between the colonies' political and economic discontent, opposition had not yet African and British economies, futures. When Alan Burns was developed into a coherent call for shortages also encouraged the appointed governor of the Gold Coast independence. The United Gold Coast was development of self-sufficiency and a in 1941, he believed that any anti Convention (UGCC) party a degree of economic independence. British resentment was 'due to the founded in 1947 to provide political These pressures, and the new thinking policy of deferring concessions until it focus for African grievances, yet its within the administration, created is too late for them to be appreciated membership was based predominantly room as men and increasing for reformers such by the people'. around professional Andrew Cohen (who later became merchants from coastal towns. In head of the African division of the Discontent in the Gold Coast keeping with the general direction of Colonial Office) to influence future In spite of their concessions, it was British policy, it was the authorities policy. clear that the Colonial Office themselves who initiated significant To both coloniser and colonised it envisaged a slow and deliberate process change. In 1946 new constitutions became obvious that the war had towards independence spread over a were introduced in both the Gold accelerated the need for a further long period of time. Indeed, in the Coast and Nigeria that again increased redefinition of the basis of political immediate post-war period, the degree African representation. The degree of was collaboration. London responded by of investment in developing the change, however, tailored to suit developing ideas that quickly overtook British colonies was such that one the individual colony. The Gold Coast those contained in Hailey's influential commentator, R. F. Holland, has was seen as politically and document. Between 1942 and 1943, described it as 'the heyday of African economically more advanced than its 41 History IRELAND July/August 2006 This content downloaded on Thu, 7 Feb 2013 20:58:13 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions - - -~~~~~~~d --s l -~~~~~~~~~~~~~W1 S eo S : IMF~~~~xP ; : ~ -.44.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ k wD nA. |. all ~ jIi di f A8} t ... 9 ;*e1Z~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~sSA @;*z!*-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l ..AJ-*L. ,w...: ^4 S',i a; ...ok ;W;. #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A g..i:s'Xg was neighbours and was thus afforded general secretary of the UGCC and 'bogus and fraudulent', based concessions. future of around a more dramatic call for 'Self greater ASl,...,..;.....,4..4 president independent While the British learned from Ghana. The men became heroes government?NOW'. In January 1950 a their experience of decolonisation in during their imprisonment,