Pereira "Ten Principles"
According to the reading, which two ideologies did the Portuguese government rely on to condemn decolonization?
Anti-Communism and Pro-Catholicism
Who declared Rhodesia independent in 1965?
Prime Minister Ian Smith
Mandela states that the court had been told things that were true and things that were false by the state witnesses. What crime then did Nelson Mandela admit to?
Sabotage (or, that he created Umkhonto we Sizwe)
Q: Which international organization played a major role in overseeing Namibia’s transition to independence?
The United Nations - following the termination of SA’s mandate in 1966, Namibia was theoretically under UN authority, and the organization eventually served as the external monitoring authority to judge the 1989 elections as free and fair. The transition was also governed by UNSC Resolution 435.
How does this reading demonstrate the challenges of pursuing independence amid cold war tensions?
As political movements were seen through binaries, anticolonialism was frequently associated with Marxism. Colonial powers thought of African countries in terms of the East and West, often failing to recognize the validity of the third pole.
What actions did Britain take against Rhodesia after declaration?
No aid, Restricted trade, Economic sanctions
Why did Nelson Mandela and the others start Umkhonto?
Government policies made violence seem unavoidable which led to a Need for responsible leadership. Peaceful resistance was also no longer effective, and all legal methods of protesting against white supremacy had been blocked by the government. A choice between submission and resistance (Africans had to choose between accepting a permanent position of inequality or actively challenging the government)
He also argued violence was not the first choice, but became necessary because the government had eliminated other avenues for change.
What system of white minority rule in South Africa functioned as a form of colonialism?
Apartheid
According to Saunders, this system was operating like a form of colonials due to denying the majority population any political rights, controlling their land, and still maintaining economic power in the hands of the minority.
How does Pereira’s position on nonviolence compare to other movements we have seen throughout the course?
Answers may vary. I.e., Gandhi’s Satyagraha
Did Britain stop recognizing Rhodesian passports? If yes, why?
Yes, recognition would give the government legitimacy
What is the relationship between the ANC and the Communist Party (as Mandela defines it)?
Mandela argues that cooperation between two political groups fighting a common enemy does not prove they share the same ultimate goals, pointing to wartime cooperation between Britain, the US, and the Soviet Union as his key example.
According to Saunders, what global political movement slowed independence struggles in places like Namibia and South Africa, and why?
Cold War. During the Cold War, the West was worried about liberation movements being communist or soviet tied, SA used anti communism as a way to keep control, and after the Cold War, negotiations became easier, where independence of states became possible, like Namibia and SA.
“In the absence of such conditions, to found or take part in movements that seek independence is to act against nature”
What does Pereira mean by “conditions”? And is his position correct?
Answers may vary. Most likely, the conditions would require independence bestowed by the colonizer. Portugal fought to give up its colonies, it’s likely the proper conditions would never come, or change to continually legitimize their rule.
Smith says: “ We have struck a blow for the preservation of justice, civilization and christianity.” How does this reflect traditional justifications for European imperialism and what does it suggest about his views on who should govern Rhodesia?
Presents European and Christian rule as superior to African. Suggest white settlers were fit to govern while Africans aren’t suited for governance.
"Theoretical differences amongst those fighting against oppression is a luxury we cannot afford at this stage."
Mandela worked closely with communists even though the ANC and the Communist Party had very different long-term goals. Why did he think it made sense to set those differences aside?
Mandela argues that arguing over ideology was a luxury the ANC could not afford while it was fighting for basic survival and freedom. Both groups were up against the same immediate enemy, white supremacy in South Africa, so he treated unity against that shared threat as more urgent than resolving whether the two groups agreed on everything else. In his view, cooperation now did not mean the ANC was signing up for communism later.
Based on the reading, Saunders presumes that historians and political scientists often ask different questions when studying Namibia and South Africa. How do their approaches differ, and what does each perspective contribute or overlook when explaining these transitions?
Political scientists typically view these transitions as results of conflict resolution or democratization, comparing them to global shifts from authoritarian rule to formal democracy. Overlooks broader historical perspectives.
Historians frame the events through a decolonization lens, asking about the pressures of liberation movements and focusing on the end of colonial and settler rule and how these cases fit into Africa’s long struggle for independence.