1. The character of the culture of the occupying power e.g. the diverse forces of the French and English languages and the love of football, golf and cricket games by former British colonies e.g. Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe.
According to McGregor Ross’s book of 1927 the British influenced their colonies through sports he stated:
“Football teams now travel hundreds of miles by train and steamer to play the teams of other tribes. In 1922 a Kikuyu firebrand Harry Thuku was addressing meetings 5000 strong in Kavirondo where some few years earlier he would have been swiftly clubbed. Our administration officers are welding tribes into a nation.”
2. The Africans in the growth of African Nationalism
It was the British trained, intellectuals such as Edward Blyden, Kwame Nkrumah and George Padmore who diffused the idea of nationalism e.g. the Pan African Congress of 1945 held in Britain. These foreigners, came from outside Africa, identified themselves with Africa and played a big role in the development of national consciousness.
3. Period of residing oversees
Almost all the African political leaders e.g. Nyerere, Nkrumah, Kaunda spent formative part of their lives in Europe or America: an alien environment strengthened their feeling of national consciousness, which before they went oversees, had been ethnic based e.g. William Davis of Sierra Leone went to America associated with Negro American movements which increased his African consciousness and then returned to African as a leader of back to Africa movement of coloured Americans.
4. Impact of the 2 world wars
The First World War in 1914 had brought deep and fundamental change in the relations of the African people with the great unknown world which suddenly fell upon them and insisted that they must become part of it, however unwilling. There was the effect of 1914 war on French African nationalism through the recruitment of black troops for service with the French armies in Europe and the role of the Senegalese politician Blaise Diagne in the recruitment drive and then his role in the post war Pan African congress in Paris. The war widened the Kikuyu political horizon, it deflated the white man’s prestige before the African people, it taught the blacks to butcher the ruling whites.
5. Foreign ideological influences
Christian influence was a great factor in terms of culture and change of thinking. There was also the nationalist movements especially Indian and Irish nationalism and then Marxism influenced the political ideology of several African politicians e.g. Nkrumah, Nyerere, Patrice Lumumba etc there is also the influence of American negroes. According to Nkrumah:
“Many of them have made no small contribution to the cause of African freedom. Names which spring up immediately to mind are those of Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois. Long before many of us where even conscious of our own degradation, these men fought for African national and racial equality.
OR
External factors in the development of African nationalism
External factors in the development of African nationalism
All nationalisms are affected by external factors/forces. Europeans introduced to Africa the concept and the European-style state system.
External factors that influenced African nationalism
1. The character of the culture of the occupying power e.g. the diverse forces of the French and English languages and the love of football, golf and cricket games by former British colonies e.g. Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe.
According to McGregor Ross’s book of 1927 the British influenced their colonies through sports he stated:
“Football teams now travel hundreds of miles by train and steamer to play the teams of other tribes. In 1922 a Kikuyu firebrand Harry Thuku was addressing meetings 5000 strong in Kavirondo where some few years earlier he would have been swiftly clubbed. Our administration officers are welding tribes into a nation.”
2. The Africans in the growth of African Nationalism
It was the British trained, intellectuals such as Edward Blyden, Kwame Nkrumah and George Padmore who diffused the idea of nationalism e.g. the Pan African Congress of 1945 held in Britain. These foreigners, came from outside Africa, identified themselves with Africa and played a big role in the development of national consciousness.
3. Period of residing oversees
Almost all the African political leaders e.g. Nyerere, Nkrumah, Kaunda spent formative part of their lives in Europe or America: an alien environment strengthened their feeling of national consciousness, which before they went oversees, had been ethnic based e.g. William Davis of Sierra Leone went to America associated with Negro American movements which increased his African consciousness and then returned to African as a leader of back to Africa movement of coloured Americans.
4. Impact of the 2 world wars
The First World War in 1914 had brought deep and fundamental change in the relations of the African people with the great unknown world which suddenly fell upon them and insisted that they must become part of it, however unwilling. There was the effect of 1914 war on French African nationalism through the recruitment of black troops for service with the French armies in Europe and the role of the Senegalese politician Blaise Diagne in the recruitment drive and then his role in the post war Pan African congress in Paris. The war widened the Kikuyu political horizon, it deflated the white man’s prestige before the African people, it taught the blacks to butcher the ruling whites.
5. Foreign ideological influences
Christian influence was a great factor in terms of culture and change of thinking. There was also the nationalist movements especially Indian and Irish nationalism and then Marxism influenced the political ideology of several African politicians e.g. Nkrumah, Nyerere, Patrice Lumumba etc there is also the influence of American negroes. According to Nkrumah:
“Many of them have made no small contribution to the cause of African freedom. Names which spring up immediately to mind are those of Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois. Long before many of us where even conscious of our own degradation, these men fought for African national and racial equality.
DALMUS AKAMA answered the question on October 12, 2017 at 03:41