Source Collection: Newly Independent States
Document 1
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Author |
François Marie Denis Georges-Picot (1870–1951) |
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Date and location |
1916, Great Britain and France |
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Source type |
Primary source—map |
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Description |
In May 1916, the British and French governments secretly agreed to split up Ottoman territories in anticipation of the Ottoman Empire’s fall. The Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy agreed with this arrangement. This agreement came to be known as the “Sykes-Picot Agreement.” The Arabs whom it primarily affected did not learn of it until November 1917, when the Russian Bolshevik government published the text of the agreement. Sykes and Picot sketched out their plans on an existing map, shown below. “A” designates areas of French control, including modern-day Syria, Lebanon, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. “B” designates areas of British control, including present-day Jordan and southern Iraq. The yellow-shaded area of Palestine would be controlled by an international administration, with Great Britain claiming control of ports in Haifa and Acre. François Georges-Picot and Mark Sykes, the lead negotiators of the secret treaty, signed the bottom of this map. |
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Citation |
“Map of Sykes-Picot Agreement. Royal Geographical Society, 1910–1915. Signed by Mark Sykes and Francois Georges-Picot, 8 May 1916.” |
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Glossary Designate: To mark something out; to identify. |
Document 2
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Author |
Hồ Chí Minh (1890–1969) |
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Date and location |
1945, Vietnam |
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Source type |
Primary source—political declaration |
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Description |
During World War II, the Japanese occupied Vietnam. Hồ Chí Minh, who was educated in France, led the Viet Minh forces against the Japanese. Upon the Japanese surrender to Allied powers at the end of the war, the Japanese allowed the Viet Minh and other Vietnamese nationalist factions to assume control of public buildings. On August 26, 1945, after the start of the August Revolution, Hồ Chí Minh called a meeting to declare independence and compose a proclamation to assert this independence. On September 2, 1945, Hồ Chí Minh read the proclamation and declared independence, vowing to defeat the French and other imperialists who wished to resume control over Vietnam. |
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Citation |
Ho, Chi Minh. Selected Works, Vol. 3. Hanoi: Foreign Languages Publishing House, 1960–62. |
[F]or more than eighty years, the French imperialists…have violated our Fatherland and oppressed our fellow-citizens. They have acted contrary to the ideals of humanity and justice.
…they have deprived our people of every democratic liberty.
They have enforced inhuman laws…to wreck our national unity and prevent our people from being united.
They have built more prisons than schools. They have mercilessly slain our patriots; they have drowned our uprisings in rivers of blood.
To weaken our race they have forced us to use opium and alcohol.
[T]hey have…impoverished our people, and devastated our land.
They have robbed us of our rice fields…mines…forests, and…raw materials. They have monopolized the issuing of bank-notes and the export trade.
They have invented numerous unjustifiable taxes and reduced our people…to…extreme poverty.
They have hampered the prospering of our national bourgeoisie; they have mercilessly exploited our workers.
The whole Vietnamese people… are determined to fight…against any attempt by the French colonialists to reconquer their country.
We are convinced that the Allied nations…will not refuse to acknowledge the independence of Vietnam.
A people who have…opposed French domination…a people who have fought…with the Allies against the Fascists…such a people must be free and independent.
…we, members of the Provisional Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, solemnly declare to the world that Vietnam has the right to be a free and independent country…The…Vietnamese people are determined to mobilize all their…strength, to sacrifice their lives and property in order to safeguard their independence and liberty.
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Glossary Bourgeoisie: The class of people who own property or wealth. |
Document 3
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Author |
Multiple authors |
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Date and location |
1958, Ghana |
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Source type |
Primary source—conference resolution |
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Description |
The First All-African People’s Conference was an event that revolved around the goal that Africa should be returned to its Indigenous communities. It also supported Pan-African ambitions. The conference had over 300 attendees. These political and trade union leaders represented over 200 million Africans in 28 different nations. The event was held in Accra, Ghana, from December 5 to 13, 1958. This document is an excerpt of the “Conference Resolution on Imperialism and Colonialism.” |
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Citation |
All-African People’s Conference, ed. All-African People’s Conference. Accra: AAPC, 1958. All-African People’s Conference News Bulletin I, no. 4 (1959), 1–2. |
Whereas the great bulk of the African continent has been carved out arbitrarily to the detriment of the indigenous African peoples by European Imperialists, namely: Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Portugal
Be it resolved …
- That the All-African People’s Conference vehemently condemns colonialism and imperialism in whatever shape or form these evils are perpetuated.
- That the political and economic exploitation of Africans by imperialist Europeans should cease forthwith.
- That the use of African manpower in the nefarious game of power politics by imperialists should be a thing of the past.
- That independent African States should pursue in their international policy principles which will expedite and accelerate the independence and sovereignty of all dependent and colonial African territories.
- That fundamental human rights be extended to all men and women in Africa and that the rights of indigenous Africans to the fullest use of their lands be respected and preserved.
- That universal adult franchise be extended to all persons in Africa regardless of race or sex.
10. That the All-African People’s Conference in Accra declares its full support to all fighters for freedom in Africa, to all those who resort to peaceful means of non-violence and civil disobedience, as well as to all those who are compelled to retaliate against violence to attain national independence and freedom for the people. Where such retaliation becomes necessary, the Conference condemns all legislations which consider those who fight for their independence and freedom as ordinary criminals.
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Glossary Expedite: To make something happen faster. |
Document 4
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Author |
Kwame Nkrumah (1909–1972) |
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Date and location |
1961, Ghana |
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Source type |
Primary source—political essay |
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Description |
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana, the former British colony of the Gold Coast. Ghana was the first European colony in Africa to achieve majority rule and independence. Kwame Nkrumah was deposed by a coup d’état in 1966. For decades, he was a major spokesperson for Pan-Africanism and anti-imperialism. The following is an excerpt from one of his essays. |
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Citation |
Nkrumah, Kwame. I Speak of Freedom: A Statement of African Ideology. London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1961. |
For centuries, Europeans dominated the African continent.…Europeans robbed the continent of vast riches and inflicted unimaginable suffering on the African people.
…but now we must be prepared to bury the past with its unpleasant memories and look to the future. …
…we must find an African solution to our problems, and that this can only be found in African unity. Divided we are weak; united, Africa could become one of the greatest forces for good in the world.
Although most Africans are poor, our continent is…rich. Our mineral resources… range from gold and diamonds to uranium and petroleum. Our forests contain some of the finest woods…Our cash crops include cocoa, coffee, rubber, tobacco and cotton.…This is…why we have in Africa the paradox of poverty amid plenty, and scarcity amid abundance.
Critics of African unity often refer to the wide differences in culture, language and ideas…This is true, but the essential fact remains that we are all Africans, and have a common interest in the independence of Africa.…If the need for political union is agreed by us all, then the will to create it is born; and where there’s a will there’s a way.
The emergence of such a mighty stabilizing force in this strife-worn world should be regarded…as a practical proposition, which the peoples of Africa can, and should, translate into reality…This is our chance. We must act now. Tomorrow may be too late and the opportunity will have passed, and with it the hope of free Africa’s survival.
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Glossary Abundance: A lot of something. |
Document 5
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Author |
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (1917–1984) |
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Date and location |
April 24, 1966, New Delhi, India |
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Source type |
Primary source—political speech |
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Description |
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was the third prime minister of India. She was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister. In this transcribed broadcast of a speech on All India Radio, she describes her economic plans and discusses her understanding of socialism. She insists that her commitments to socialism are tailored to India’s needs, rather than a promotion of socialism as an ideology. |
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Citation |
“India Pledged to Build Socialist Society.” Women on the March, Issued by The Women’s Department of All India Congress Committee, New Delhi 10, no. 1 (May 1966): 28–9. |
…This growing interest in the state of our economy is a good thing. Ever since we won our independence, we have been striving for better life for our people, to see that they are better fed, better clothed, better housed and better educated. It is towards these ends that we have embarked on planning.
The Government is fully committed to the objective of a socialist and democratic society. But it is not wedded to any dogma. Our socialism is one that is [tailored] to India’s needs and aspirations…We will be judged by our performance…What you all want is a better life, with food, employment and opportunity, conditions of economic justice, equality and individual freedom…
Is there a country today which needs nothing from others? The fear that we have “sold out” under Western pressure…is absurd.…Taking the economy as a whole, the amount of foreign investment that might come will be only a fraction of what we ourselves propose to invest in the public sector.
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In whatever we do, we need a sense of participation and involvement on the part of every Indian. This is the beginning of self-reliance. I have every confidence in our people and more especially in our young people who have demonstrated their excellence in many fields.
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A tremendous job of work has to be done. It has to be done urgently. It has to be done well. Together, we can do. it We will do it.
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Glossary Aspirations: Hopes. |
Document 6
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Author |
Henry Lyle Adams (1943–2020) |
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Date and location |
1972, United States and Canada |
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Source type |
Primary source—position paper |
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Description |
The Trail of Broken Treaties was a cross-country procession of Indigenous American and First Nations organizations. They started on the West Coast of the United States and traveled to the Department of Interior headquarters in Washington, DC. The goal of the action and paper was to reestablish Indigenous American sovereignty. This source is a position paper; meaning it is an essay that argues for one side of a dividing issue. It was drafted by activist Hank Adams and represents the position taken by many activists, demanding a restructuring of the relationship between Indigenous Americans and the American federal government. Note that in this context, the word Indian refers to Indigenous Americans, not Southeast Asians. |
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Citation |
“Trail of Broken Treaties 20-Point Position Paper—An Indian Manifesto.” American Indian Movement (AIM), 1972. Accessed December 1, 2021. http://www.aimovement.org/archives/. |
1. RESTORATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL TREATY-MAKING AUTHORITY:
The U.S. President should propose by executive message, and the Congress should consider and enact legislation, to repeal the provision in the 1871 Indian Appropriations Act which withdrew federal recognition from Indian Tribes and Nations as political entities, which could be contracted by treaties with the United States, in order that the President may resume the exercise of his full constitutional authority for acting in the matters of Indian Affairs—[so] that Indian Nations may represent their own interests in the manner and method envisioned and provided in the Federal Constitution.
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ALL INDIANS TO BE GOVERNED BY TREATY RELATIONS:
The Congress should enact a Joint Resolution declaring that as a matter of public policy and good faith, all Indian people in the United States shall be considered to be in treaty relations with the Federal Government and governed by doctrines of such relationship.
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10. LAND REFORM AND RESTORATION OF A 110-MILLION ACRE NATIVE LAND BASE:
The next Congress and Administration should commit themselves and effect a national commitment implemented by statutes or executive and administrative actions, to restore a permanent non-diminishing Native American land base of not less than 110-million acres by July 4, 1976. This land base and its separate parts, should be vested with the recognized rights and conditions of being perpetually non-taxable except by autonomous and sovereign Indian authority, and should never again be permitted to be alienated from Native American or Indian ownership and control.
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Glossary Administrative: Related to running an organization or government. |
Document 7
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Author |
Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, also known as Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1916–2000) |
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Date and location |
1976, Sri Lanka |
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Source type |
Primary source—political essay |
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Description |
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the world’s first female prime minister. She served three terms as prime minister of Sri Lanka: 1960–1965, 1970–1977 and 1994–2000. Her husband, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, was also prime minister before he was assassinated. Bandaranaike tried to turn Sri Lanka into a socialist republic by bringing banking, education, industry, media, and trade sectors under national control. She also was well-known outside of Sri Lanka and was involved in the non-aligned movement. |
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Citation |
Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies, and Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-aligned Countries. Non-Aligned Conferences: Basic Documents, 1961–1975. Colombo: The Centre, 1976. |
The Non-Aligned Movement…has grown from…25 nations and now exceeds 80. … The beginnings of the Non-Aligned Movement lie in the insecurity caused by the dangerous bloc divisions of the world during the cold war…if one examines the aspirations of the nations which support this movement, it becomes clear that the policy of Non-Alignment represents much more than the desire to steer clear of power blocs; it represents the hopes of two-thirds of humanity and has roots in the common cause of those who have suffered for long periods in history from colonialism and imperialism, and are now struggling to achieve and consolidate their freedom, independence and economic well-being. Non-Alignment can…be seen also as one of the various forms of struggle of colonized and neo-colonized peoples for these objectives.
The principles of Non-Alignment will guide us and act as the pillars of our policy, particularly in its opposition to imperialism, colonialism and racial discrimination and its defense of national independence.…
Our efforts must endeavor to seek for our people a fair share of the wealth they own and produce. The Algiers Conference laid down the basis for an economic plan and …demands justice, not charity. Its aims are to promote development by adopting policies of greater national self-reliance and mutual solidarity.…
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Glossary Consolidate: Bring together and strengthen. |