How Far Was the Process of Decolonisation Affected by Cold War?

How far was the process of decolonisation affected by Cold War?

Decolonisation is the period where colonial powers grant the nationalist in the respective southeast asian nations independence. The cold war can be defined as an ideological conflict between US and USSR. The process of decolonisation is affected by cold war as it led to direct superpower intervention that either greatly delayed or accelerated the process. Cold War also aroused the fear of communism especially among colonial powers which led to subsequent actions that will affect the entire process. However, key players such as colonial powers (their willingness to grant independence) and nationalist leaders (employment of revolutionary tactics) also played a crucial role in the process of decolonisation. Overall, this essay seeks to argue that the Cold War affected the process of decolonisation most significantly as it influenced the mindsets of colonial powers and actions of nationalists that critically affected the outcome of the decolonisation. 

BP1: The Cold War was most crucial in affecting the decolonisation process as it allowed direct superpower intervention that either greatly delayed or accelerated the decolonisation process. The dogmatic tendency for the US to view the decolonisation process through Cold War lenses motivated it to occassionally intervene either on the side of or against nationalists.  

In Vietnam, the US intervention in the first Indochina war (1946-54) has delayed decolonisation process. The support and aid that the Vietminh was receiving from the Soviets and Chinese after 1949, to sustain their guerilla warfare have provoked intervention by the US. The US responded by assisting French monetarily in fighting the Vietminh, amounting to US$1 billion by 1954. Vietnam decolonisation process was lengthened and this delayed the achievement of a united independent Vietnam until 1975 (30 years). 

On the other hand, in Indonesia, superpowers’ intervention have greatly accelerated the decolonisation process as it forced negotiations with the Dutch. The US was concerned about containing communism in Europe and saw the conflict as damaging to Netherlands’ economic recovery thus Washington threatened to withhold the Marshall Plan aid, particularly to the defeat of the 1948 Partai Komunis Indonesia (PKI) coup, which have already established the credentials of Sukarno and Hatta as staunch anti-communists. This led to the 1949 Hague Agreement and Indonesia was granted independence on 27 Dec 1949.

Hence, the Cold War was most crucial in affecting the decolonisation process as it allowed for the intervention of superpowers who played a part in determining the pace towards independence.

BP2: Also, the Cold War was most crucial as it aroused fears of communism especially among the colonial powers which influenced the mindsets of colonial powers towards the decolonisation process. The Cold War reversed their initial negativity towards granting independence as they were now willing to do so once they were convinced of the nationalists’ anti-communists credentials. 

In Burma, Aung San effectively played on the communist threat during the Jan 1947 London Talks, warning the British that if independence was not granted swiftly, disgruntled nationalists would switch their support to the Red Flag and White Flag communists and the use of violence. The concern and fear for communism have enticed British to grant independence to Burma on 4 Jan 1948.

Similarly in Philippines, Manuel Roxas suppressed Hukbalahap as communist rebels despite their valiant anti-Japanese efforts. The US supported Roxas’ persecution of Hukbalahap by providing substantial military and economic assistance to help the Philippine government counter the Huk insurgency (1946-54) and consolidated its political authority. Since Roxas was seen as more amenable to US interests, the Philippines was eventually granted independence on 4 July 1946.