THE FIRST WORLD WAR (1914-1918)

The First World War broke out on 8^th July 1914 when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Austria was revenging for the assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo. He was killed by a Serbian youth, called Gavrilo Princip.

Serbia and Austria -Hungary were were within a short time joined by big powers. Hence Germany, Austria, Hungary and their allies faced Serbia, Russia, France, Britain and their allies.

What caused the First World War

On 28 June 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student, shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo. Princip was a member of Young Bosnia, a group whose aims included the unification of the South Slavs and independence from Austria-Hungary. The assassination in Sarajevo set into motion a series of fast-moving events that eventually escalated into full-scale war. Austria-Hungary demanded action by Serbia to punish those responsible and, when Austria-Hungary deemed Serbia had not complied, declared war. Major European powers were at war within weeks because of overlapping agreements for collective defense and the complex nature of international alliances.

Arms race

The naval race between Britain and Germany was intensified by the 1906 launch of HMS Dreadnought —a revolutionary craft whose size and power rendered previous battleships obsolete. Britain also maintained a large naval lead in other areas particularly over Germany and Italy. Paul Kennedy pointed out both nations believed Alfred Thayer Mahan's thesis of command of the sea as vital to great nation status; experience with guerre de course would prove Mahan wrong.

David Stevenson described the arms race as "a self-reinforcing cycle of heightened military preparedness." David Herrmann viewed the shipbuilding rivalry as part of a general movement in the direction of war. The revisionist Niall Ferguson, however, argued Britain's ability to maintain an overall lead signified this was not a factor in the oncoming conflict.

The cost of the arms race was felt in both Britain and Germany. The total arms spending by the six Great Powers (Britain, Germany, France, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Italy) increased by 50% between 1908 and 1913.

Plans, distrust, and mobilization

Closely related is the thesis adopted by many political scientists that the mobilization plans of Germany, France and Russia automatically escalated the conflict. Fritz Fischer emphasized the inherently aggressive nature of the Schlieffen Plan, which outlined a two-front strategy. Fighting on two fronts meant Germany had to eliminate one opponent quickly before taking on the other. It called for a strong right flank attack, to seize Belgium and cripple the French army by pre-empting its mobilization. After the attack, the German army would rush east by railroad and quickly destroy the slowly mobilizing Russian forces.

France's Plan XVII envisioned a quick thrust into the Ruhr Valley, Germany’s industrial heartland, which would in theory cripple Germany's ability to wage a modern war.

Russia's Plan XIX foresaw a mobilization of its armies against both Austria-Hungary and Germany.

All three plans created an atmosphere in which speed was one of the determining factors for victory. Elaborate timetables were prepared; once mobilization had begun, there was little possibility of turning back. Diplomatic delays and poor communications exacerbated the problems.

Also, the plans of France, Germany and Russia were all biased toward the offensive, in clear conflict with the improvements of defensive firepower and entrenchment.

Militarism and autocracy

President Woodrow Wilson of the United States and others blamed the war on militarism. Some argued that aristocrats and military élites had too much power in countries such as Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. War was thus a consequence of their desire for military power and disdain for democracy. This theme figured prominently in anti-German propaganda. Consequently, supporters of this theory called for the abdication of rulers such as Kaiser Wilhelm II, as well as an end to aristocracy and militarism in general. This platform provided some justification for the American entry into the war when the Russian Empire surrendered in 1917.

The Allies consisted of Great Britain and France, both democracies, fighting the Central Powers, which included Germany, Austro-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. Russia, one of the Allied Powers, was an empire until 1917, but it was opposed to the subjugation of Slavic peoples by Austro-Hungary. Against this backdrop, the view of the war as one of democracy versus dictatorship initially had some validity, but lost credibility as the conflict dragged on.

Wilson hoped the League of Nations and disarmament would secure a lasting peace. Borrowing a thesis from H. G. Wells, he described the war as a "war to end all war". He was willing to side with France and the Britain to this end, despite their own militarism.

Balance of power

One of the goals of the foreign policies of the Great Powers in the pre-war years was to maintain the 'Balance of Power' in Europe. This evolved into an elaborate network of secret and public alliances and agreements. For example, after the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71), Britain seemed to favour a strong Germany, as it helped to balance its traditional enemy, France. After Germany began its naval construction plans to rival that of Britain, this stance shifted. France, looking for an ally to balance the threat created by Germany, found it in Russia. Austria-Hungary, facing a threat from Russia, sought support from Germany.

When World War I broke out, these treaties only partially determined who entered the war on which side. Britain had no treaties with France or Russia, but entered the war on their side. Italy had a treaty with both Austria-Hungary and Germany, yet did not enter the war with them; Italy later sided with the Allies. Perhaps the most significant treaty of all was the initially defensive pact between Germany and Austria-Hungary, which Germany in 1909 extended by declaring that Germany was bound to stand with Austria-Hungary even if it had started the war.

Economic imperialism

Vladimir Lenin asserted that imperialism was responsible for the war. He drew upon the economic theories of Karl Marx and English economist John A. Hobson, who predicted that unlimited competition for expanding markets would lead to a global conflict. This argument was popular in the wake of the war and assisted in the rise of Communism. Lenin argued that the banking interests of various capitalist-imperialist powers orchestrated the war.

Trade barriers

Cordell Hull, American Secretary of State under Franklin Roosevelt, believed that trade barriers were the root cause of both World War I and World War II. In 1944, he helped design the Bretton Woods Agreements to reduce trade barriers and eliminate what he saw as the cause of the conflicts.

Ethnic and political rivalries

A Balkan war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia was considered inevitable, as Austria-Hungary’s influence waned and the Pan-Slavic movement grew. The rise of ethnic nationalism coincided with the growth of Serbia, where anti-Austrian sentiment was perhaps most fervent. Austria-Hungary had occupied the former Ottoman province of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which had a large Serb population, in 1878. It was formally annexed by Austria-Hungary in 1908. Increasing nationalist sentiment also coincided with the decline of the Ottoman Empire. Russia supported the Pan-Slavic movement, motivated by ethnic and religious loyalties and a rivalry with Austria dating back to the Crimean War. Recent events such as the failed Russian-Austrian treaty and a century-old dream of a warm water port also motivated St. Petersburg.

Myriad other geopolitical motivations existed elsewhere as well, for example France's loss of Alsace and Lorraine in the Franco-Prussian War helped create a sentiment of irredentist revanchism in that country. France eventually allied itself with Russia, creating the likelihood of a two-front war for Germany.

July crisis and declarations of war

The Austro-Hungarian government used the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand as a pretext to deal with the Serbian question, supported by Germany. On 23 July 1914, an ultimatum was sent to Serbia with ten demands, some so extreme that the Serbian reply included reservations and rejected the sixth demand. The Serbians, relying on support from Russia, removed acceptance of the key demand #six (the draft reply had accepted it), and also ordered mobilization. In response to this, Austria-Hungary issued a declaration of war on 28 July. Initially, Russia ordered partial mobilization, directed at the Austrian frontier. On 31 July, after the Russian General Staff informed the Czar that partial mobilization was logistically impossible, a full mobilization was ordered. The Schlieffen Plan, which relied on a quick strike against France, could not afford to allow the Russians to mobilize without launching an attack. Thus, the Germans declared war against Russia on 1 August and on France two days later. Germany then violated Belgium's neutrality by the German advance through it to Paris, and this brought the British Empire into the war. With this, five of the six European powers were now involved in the largest continental European conflict since the Napoleonic Wars.

This was purely a European war but by 1914, Britain and Germany had colonies in East Africa. As a result of this, East Africa became directly involved because of extended conflicts and suspicions of their colonies and also given the fact that German and Britain colonies were adjacent to each other.

Heavy demands were made on the resources of East Africa especially manpower. European settlers and a large number of Africans were taken for war duty from both German and British East Africa.

Another big number of Africans were used as carriers or porters, cooks and transporters. Men were forcefully recruited for service.

The conditions under which they worked under Germans were too bad. Many Africans died while the lucky ones became crippled and sick.

WHY EAST AFRICA WAS INVOLVED IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR

The military campaign that started in East Africa involved both European and African personnel. East Africa came to be involved because of the following reasons:

The causes of these wars were based on the long term conflicting interests between the European powers which were political, economic, and military.

The involvement of East Africa raises from the fact that those involved in war were the colonial masters. The British government wanted to disorganise German colonies before they could attack British area of interest hence Tanzania fell prey. The Germans deliberately provoked British colonies with the objective of delivering British resources from the war of Europe. This was because the British had strong attachment to the colonies.

The strategic importance of East Africa particularly to Britain would use her position to protect colonial interests else where. White settler population in East Africa volunteered to support their home countries. Germans proved trouble in East Africa to divert British forces and resources to be used in Europe.

Some Africans were recruited in sheer ignorance without knowing why they were getting to fight while some were opportunists who hoped to benefit from colonialists at the end.

Some Africans were militants and naturally loved war. The German community and commanders in East Africa participated in the war because of a high level of nationalism. The Germans officers and their commanders generally loved their homeland and had involved the people of East Africa.

Lettow Von Vorbeck, the military commander of the Germans in East Africa knew how important colonies were to Britain, therefore he deliberately provoked trouble on East Africa so as to divert British troops and resources from being used in Europe.

Course

Lettow Von Vorbeck knew he could not win the war in East Africa his only aim was to keep the British occupied as long as possible so German can be safe. He concentrated his forces around Kilimanjaro where there was ample food supplies, moved to attack Taveta. The British countered the attack from Kilimanjaro by invading Tanga on 3^rd Nov 1914, Germans resisted and heavy fighting took place but the invasion failed. July, 1915 Britain gun boats succeeded in sinking the Koinisberg in the Rufigi. It was a modern German Guiser which had been raiding British positions and merchant vessels in the Indian Ocean.

How East Africa was involved

The war was fought mainly in German, East Africa (Present Tanzania). This was because, the Germans who had started attacks, were later forced by the British back into their own territory. The German army consisted of about 2750 men and with a similar number in the police force. The British had about 4,250 soldiers scattered throughout Uganda and Kenya.

They were later joined by British and German volunteers. Many more Africans were trained and armed. However, this made the British more superior to that of the Germans.

The German force was commanded by a stubborn and skilful general Von Lettow Vorbeck. His first target was to cut the main line that is between the coast and the British hinterland. He immediately attacked and seized Taveta and Voi. He organised several raids on the Uganda railway to keep the British busy.

In response, the British re-enforcement from India attacked the port of Tanganyika. Initially the British force was defeated. But with the arrival of smuts and the South, General Northey arrived with a contingent of Rhodesian and Nyasa land soldiers. The Belgian troops also advanced on Tabora from Burundi and Rwanda.

General Von Lettow Vorbeck was so tactful that he was never captured. However in 1917, German forces were defeated and forced to out of East Africa. The Germans moved southwards to attack Mozambique and later Northern Rhodesia. With the end of European conflict in November 1918, peace returned to East Africa.

EFFECTS OF WORLD WAR 1 ON EAST AFRICA

The impact of World war one was both positive and negative.

Politically German was defeated and had to surrender its territories in East Africa to the newly formed League of Nations.

Britain took over control of German East Africa in 1920 and re-named it Tanganyika. It was mandate state supervised by Britain on behalf of the league of Nations.

Britain won the war in East Africa against German forces. Therefore the whole of East African territories became a British empire.

The number of Europeans settlers especially of British origin increased in Kenya soldiers settlers leading to more loss of better African land.

The British colonial government restructured the local administration of Tanganyika particularly under the period of Governor Sir Donald Cameroon. He introduced indirect rule and registered a lot of success.

There was growth of political power among the European settlers in British East Africa (Kenya). They agitated for representation in government.

Socially there was very serious outbreak of influenza epidemic of 1981-1919. Thousands of people were claimed by this disease.

There was misery and suffering of many Europeans, Asian and Africans families. Thousands were killed or wounded in the fighting, others were usually deported and more were permanently disabled in this totally unnecessary war. This affected soldiers and civilians.

Economically, internal and external commerce declined. In the long run, this affected people's standards of living as a result of poverty especially to the Africans.

There was a decline in agricultural production and general deterioration of set backs as plantations were abandoned and neglected for war effort. Africans cultivation had equally suffered hence famine.

A lot of property was destroyed by the end of the war. Towns, roads, buildings, villages and bridges were destroyed. Therefore the British colonial government had to raise funds for meeting these war cost.

In conclusion therefore, it can be summed up from the above analysis that the first world war was generally destructive to the people of East Africa.

Why Britain Introduced Indirect rule in Tanganyika After World War I

Indirect rule was introduced by Governor Donald Cameroon in 1925. Britain wanted to avoid rebellions that would come as a result of ruling Africans directly. Indirect rule could enable Britain to use the policy of divide and rule hence consolidate her administration in Tanganyika. Britain wanted to have a common system of administration in East Africa. Indirect rule had already succeeded in Uganda and Kenya.

The success of indirect rule elsewhere e.g. in India, Nigeria, Ghana forced Britain to introduce it in Tanganyika. Lack of good roads in the interior- of Tanganyika forced Britain to use traditional chiefs. Lack of enough manpower or British administrators to rule Tanganyika. Indirect rule was cheap because African chiefs couldn't be paid a lot of money to work. There was a problem of language barrier so African chiefs who could understand their people better, were used as rulers.

Britain claimed that indirect rule could help Africans to learn more skills of administration. Tanganyika had some centralized kingdoms from where traditional chiefs were got.

Britain wanted to use African chiefs as shock absorbers, in case of resistance.

The British feared tropical diseases, as a result traditional chiefs were used.

Africans in Tanganyika were willing to cooperate with the British rulers.

Britain wanted to create time for maximum exploitation of resources in East Africa.

The British felt that Africans were static and conservative therefore they restored to traditional rulers. Africans understood their traditional chiefs better than the Europeans.

First World War (1914-1918) and the growth of Nationalism

The contributions of World War I fought between 1914-1918 between Germany and the Allied - Powers leading to the defeat of Germany. Nationalist sentiments and convictions in Africa were strengthened but not weakened by the effects of World War I.

For instance African soldiers from French as well as British territories encountered German troops in Togo. Cameroons and Tanganyika. They fought side by side with the white man and gained better ideas of his strengths and weaknesses.

And during the wars, they gained knowledge of the outside world. Therefore, after the war they returned home with experiences which significantly influenced their desire for freedom and liberty.

The unjust division of Togo and Cameroons between Britain and France by the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919 without involving the local people in decision-making caused deep resentment of European colonialism.

No wonder, the educated West Africans formed the 'National Congress of West Africa' after World War I to protest against some of the problems caused by British rule in West Africa.

In January 1918 after the end of World War I, the US president Woodrow Wilson issued his peace aims in the famous Fourteen Points' one of the points stressed on the rights of small nations to determine their own future.

Similarly, the British Prime Minister Lloyd George had stated in 1918 that the idea of self- determination was applicable to both colonies and the occupied territories in Europe though attempts were made to modify this view to exclude its applicability to Africa, yet nationalists aspirations had been influenced by it.

The educated Africans, example, in Egypt and West Africa who read President Wilson's "Fourteen Points" and Lloyd George's ideas of self-determination and equality could feel that a new spirit sympathetic to their cause was abroad in the world.

Further still, the first Pan-African Congress held in Paris in the period 1918 - 1919 was a logical consequence of World War I.

SECOND WORLD WAR 1939 -1945

This World war began on 3^rd Sep. 1939. German was the aggressor under the leadership of Adolf Hitler who became the world's worst dictator of the 20^th century. Once more the countries of East Africa could not remain neutral since their colonial masters were at the battle field. The good thing is that there was no actual fighting in East Africa. Among the reasons why East Africa was involved in the war were:

East Africa did not experience much of the war on its territory but only the Italian invaders from Somalia and Germany population in Tanzania who wanted Tanzania to be returned to German.

The weakness of the British troops in Europe encouraged Italians to attack and control the borders post of Moyale in Kenya in 1940 but East Africa had remained neutral in the war.

This made the British to mobilise 7 battalions of the Kings African Rifles (KAR) and serious recruitment through East Africa. Troops also came from Nigeria, Ghana, India and South Africa.

Under the command of Lt. Gen Allan Ginningham, the East Africa army advanced into Somalia, Southern Ethiopia, and Kismayu were captured. This forced the Italians to surrenderin1941.

When Japan joined the war on the side of Germany in 1941, and destroyed British and American vessels in the East, massive recruitment was made in East Africa. The KAR battalions were expanded to 30 and thousands were taken to India, Burma among other areas. Japan was defeated with this effort.

Germany surrendered in May 1945 which marked the end of World war II with East Africa being affected.

HOW AND WHY E. AFRICA WAS INVOLVED IN WORLD WAR II

Much as the powers involved in this great war were at first the same European big powers the war spread to include other powers but unfortunately, this time there was not a single battle fought in East Africa. When war broke out between Germany, Italy and Japan on one hand and Poland, United Kingdom, France, Soviet Union and the United States on the other, war was fought in North Africa, Ethiopia, Somali land and Malagasy.

How East Africa got involved in this battle was in terms of providing the required manpower needed to scare off the Italian forces which posed a threat to the British in East Africa.

A big force of Africans, which came to be known as the king's African Riffles mostly, fought in Burma, Thailand and Malaysia alongside Europeans.

Some Germans in Tanganyika supported Adolf Hitler's aggression in Germany. Britain was worried that Germany might regain Tanganyika.

Britain recruited more manpower in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanganyika.

Italian invasion of Ethiopia under Mussolini threatened the British positions in East Africa. Italy was now an ally to Germany. When Italy invaded Ethiopia, Britain mobilized seven battalions of the king's Africa riffle (a type of a gun) to the Somali Border.

Britain brought more troops from South Africa, Ghana and India to Kenya. In 1940, the British army leader lieutenant General Allan Cunningham moved towards the Somali boarder and crushed Italians. The British then captured Kismanyu, Somalia and southern Ethiopia.

Italians finally surrendered in December 1941. By 1943 Japan joined the war and threatened the British positions in India and the India Ocean. As a result, Britain increased the king's African riffle to 30 battalions and thousands of East Africans were sent to India, to fight alongside British soldiers. By 1945 Japan had been defeated in Bamma. Britain also sent 12,000 soldiers to occupy and protect Madagascar. In May 1945, Germany surrendered. Japan surrendered in August.

EFFECTS OF WORLD WAR II ON EAST AFRICA

The war had both positive and negative consequences.

It disrupted internal and external trade and affected the East African economy.

It disrupted agriculture hence decline in production of cash crops.

Many people lost lives and many were wounded.

The war caused famine and starvation.

It distorted the African family system, Many Africans were left without family heads because men were taken to fight.

It increased the demand for sisal, rubber, cotton, and coffee to act as raw materials in European industries.

There was an increased demand for foodstuffs.

It led to the growth of modern Nationalism, hence the formation of political parties.

It led to the rise of Militant African Nationalism, e.g. the Mau Mau rebellion.

In Kenya the Kikuyu and the Luo looted Asian retail businesses.

The war brought misery and suffering hence fear and agony.

Africans dropped the respect and fear for Europeans because they saw them cry, die, or defeated in the battlefields.

East Africans met with other oppressed people of the world e.g. Asians and Indians. They therefore discussed ways of fighting for their independence.

It led to the formation of the United Nations Organization to maintain world peace and prevent war.

It encouraged African leaders to organize African congresses e.g. the Manchester Conference 1945 in which African leaders demanded for the right to self-determination (Independence).

It marked the end of the Italian threats in East Africa because Italians were defeated.

Tanganyika was not given independence as she expected until 1961.

It brought the problem of resettling ex-service men who were demanding for many reforms.

Economically, East Africa stood well though exports declined and production was affected due to lack of manpower. As for the demand since the market places were the ones locked up in serious fighting, for some years, East Africa's produce couldn't sell.

Since many men had gone away to fight and production fell low, maize had to be imported to save the situation and Uganda's coffee and cotton growers were only assisted by the government's buying schemes otherwise, the prices had gone too low.

This war stimulated demand for some goods especially sisal and cotton. When Malaya fell into Japanese hands, demand for rubber encouraged Tanganyika's farmers to increase production and as for cotton, the war necessitated much cotton wear for the soldiers.

The African population was for the first time, encouraged to produce cash crops and found ready market for any food stuffs they could sell. That is why wheat growing was started in many places.

Furthermore, many Africans notably Kikuyu and Luo now managed to break into the formerly Asian controlled retail trade.

By the end of the war, the value of all East African's major products had increased as a result of failure in other producing countries. For instance, the price of cotton had doubled by 1945.

On the political side, the war hastened (quickened) the developments of political movements among the Africans as we see the formation of the Mau - Mau movement. It also increased the impatience of African people with European leadership. In other words, the war had opened the Africans' eyes wide open to see the need for change. The only hard thing was that the many political associations, which were formed, were short lived by internal divisions among the people.

During the war, increased responsibilities were given to local African chiefs and administrators and these people did their work effectively: stabilising prices and wages, directing compulsory labour to farm and government projects.

The gap between Africans and Europeans was widening. Since many British officials were away on military services, this encouraged the Africans to focus on possibilities of having fellow Africans as leaders - this awakened African Nationalism.

Role of the Second World war to the growth of nationalism

The war exposed the military weakness of the white men. Before the 2^nd World War, Africans thought that the white men were invincible (unbeatable) and feared to make any military challenges to them.

Waruhiu Itote (who later became General China during the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya) among others saw how whites feared gunfire and the bush war. This made Africans to reduce their fear for the white men.

Africans got exposed to the entire world. They were sent to fight in North Africa, Asia and Europe. These travels opened their eyes and minds. They met new people with new ideas.

African soldiers were discriminated in the army, which made their nationalism to rise to the fore. One Kenyan soldier Bildad Kaggia managed to rise to the rank of a s staff sergeant but found it difficult to give commands to white corporals below him.

Africans obtained military skills. During the war, they were exposed to up to date European weapons such as artilleries , which they learnt to fire and in some cases to repair. They also drove military vehicles, threw grenade bombs and the like. On their return to Africa, they put this technical knowledge and tactics into practice by fighting the white man.

The superiority complex of the white man was shattered. In Europe, African soldiers came into contact with dirty slums, unemployed whites, illiterates, beggars, criminals and prostitutes. They shared drinks, cigarettes and prostitutes with elites.

They also witnessed the disunities amongst Europeans. These experiences made them reduce the respect and dignity they had accorded to white in Africa. On returning to Africa they became militant.

African soldiers were exposed to democracy: For example Bildad Kaggia found a democratic atmosphere in the United Kingdom. He made friendship with European communists and missionaries who criticised colonialism. He witnessed democratic and constitutional governance and wondered why the British settlers in Kenya were so oppressive, why they couldn't allow political freedoms etc.

Africans were exposed to the press and mass media. They came to learn English and French, read newspapers and listened to radio news daily. They came to learn that Britain, France and their allies were fighting against German and Italian imperialism in Europe. On their return to Africa, hey also demanded for an end to colonialism.

Unfulfilled promises made them nationalistic. While persuading them into war, African service men were promised rewards for example democratic constitutions, employment in the civil service, promotion in the army etc.

It led to militant nationalism in Africa. When ex-service men reflected about their comrades who died while rescuing Britain and France from Germany Nazism and Italian fascism, they became ready to sacrifice their lives for mother Africa.

The Liberation of Ethiopia in 1941 stimulated nationalistic feelings. As the 2^nd World War raged on a combined force of Africans under British command defeated Italians in 1941

The slow pace of economic progress and poor living standards in Africa made ex-service men indignant. During war, they had witnessed the developments in European and some Asian countries.

It led to economic boom in Africa. During and after the war, the demand for both food and cash crops increased. Since the Far East, which had acted as an alternative Africa. As the demand for raw materials increased, prices rose and Africans obtained exports also increased.

 

African service men witnessed disunities amongst Europeans. At first, Africans looked at Europeans as demi-gods and patrons of civilisation.

It led to urbanisation in Africa. During the war, small scale industries were set up by colonialists to supply their soldiers with good and uniform for example fish canning factories, cotton ginning and saw milling started in East Africa.

Present Day Kampala City. All started after World War II

 

It led to the rise of the Labour Party into power in Britain. The Labour Party under Clement Atlee campaigned against the Conservative Party of Churchill Winston and won the 1945 elections.

Sir Winston Churchill was defeated. He had signed the Atlantic Xharter with American President Franklin Roosevelt

It led to the formation of the United Nations Organisation as a new body charged with peace keeping in world. The UNO was born to correct the mistakes of the hypocritical League of Nations and to replace it.

It led to the emergence of U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. as new superpowers. These replaced the war torn and exhausted France and Britain.

The war shattered the economies of Britain and France. German forces under Hitler destroyed a number of roads, factories and schools. The treasuries of Britain and France had run bankrupt due to heavy expenses during war; there was no medicine in hospitals etc. Their ability to sustain colonialism in Africa was broken.

It accelerated land grabbing in Africa. During the war, more white settlers arrived in Africa to escape the poor economic situation in Europe. These increased the grabbing of African land, forced labour on European farms and racial discrimination.

It led to the 1945 Manchester conference. This was the fifth Pan African Congress held in Manchester-England. Ever since the Italian attack on Ethiopia, Pan Africanism had grown strong amongst Africans in the Diaspora.

The above were some of the African Nationalists who attended the Fifth Pan African Conference