The impact of the Second World War on Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), 1939-1953
| dc.contributor.advisor | Phimister, I. R. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Spence, Daniel Owen | |
| dc.contributor.author | Tembo, Alfred | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-11-16T14:19:08Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-11-16T14:19:08Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2015-11 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: The thesis explores the impact of the Second World War on colonial Zambia. The situation faced by the British government during the hostilities required a collective effort to fight a total war against the Axis powers. A supreme effort was demanded not only by Britain and her Allies, but also of Britain in partnership with her Empire. This is a study of how the colony of Northern Rhodesia went about the process of organising its human and natural resources on behalf of the imperial government. Thematically-organised, the thesis begins with the recruitment of personnel for the Northern Rhodesia Regiment. It explores the role of traditional authority and government propaganda but also brings to the fore African agency. It also argues that some sections of the African and European populations were opposed to the colony’s war effort. The colony’s contribution to the Allied war effort was also extended to the supply of base metals to the Allies. Its mining industry came to operate like an appendage of the British war economy, with the imperial government buying the commodity at a controlled price. Furthermore, Northern Rhodesia supplied rubber and beeswax following the fall of Allied-controlled South-east Asian colonies at the hands of the invading Japanese in early 1942. Just as the colony’s mining industry had become important to the Allies in wartime, the mines came to play an even more significant role in the reconstruction of the battered British economy post-war. The new relationship was based on the need for Britain to have access to the very valuable copper industry’s dollar-earnings, especially following the devaluation of sterling. As the City of London lost its importance as the world’s financial centre, the copper companies also shifted their offices to central Africa. This movement was accompanied by growing settler political influence which eventually led to the creation of the Central African Federation. Just as the war affected the British home front, so too, it did that of Northern Rhodesia. The war impacted the lives of ordinary people through commodity shortages, profiteering, inflation, hoarding, and the black market. The colonial government responded by taking an active role never before witnessed in the history of the colony to control these vices. The thesis ends with a discussion on the demobilization process in which African servicemen felt cheated by an Empire-wide system of racial hierarchy. Although expanded government propaganda machinery contributed to the growth of an African political voice, most ex-servicemen remained concerned about personal affairs, and directed their frustration at their traditional leaders who were active in the recruitment process. Contrary to older arguments, African servicemen did not play an active role in nationalist politics. On a wider historical plane, through a detailed examination of the economic, political, military, social, and agricultural sectors of Northern Rhodesia this thesis is the first major study of the impact of the Second World War on the colony. In so doing, this thesis significantly modifies a number of historiographies and opens up space for creating a more comprehensive history of the Second World War in Africa. Lastly, this thesis also helps to broaden imperial historical debates by its examination of the “second colonial occupation” of Northern Rhodesia after the war. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek die impak van die Tweede Wêreldoorlog op koloniale Zambië. Die omstandighede wat die Britse regering gedurende die vyandighede in die gesig gestaar het, het ‘n kollektiewe poging geverg om ‘n totale oorlog teen die Spilmoonthede te loods. Brittanje sowel as haar vennote binne die Britse Ryk sou ‘n uiterste poging moes aanwend. Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek die proses waarvolgens die kolonie van Noord-Rhodesië te werk gegaan het om sy menslike en natuurlike hulpbronne in diens van die imperiale regering te organiseer. Die proefskrif, wat tematies geörganiseer is, open met ‘n ondersoek na die werwing van manskappe vir die Noord-Rhodesiese Regiment. Die rol van tradisionele gesag en regeringspropaganda word nagevors; terselfdertyd word die agentskap van swart Afrikane ook na vore gebring. Daar word aangevoer dat sekere gedeeltes van die swart en Europese bevolkings die kolonie se oorlogspoging teengestaan het. Die kolonie het onder andere die Geallieerdes se oorlogspoging ondersteun deur basismetale aan dié moonthede te verskaf. Mynbedrywighede in Noord-Rhodesië het mettertyd as ‘n onderdeel van die Britse oorlogsekonomie gefunksioneer, deurdat die imperiale regering dié kommoditeit teen ‘n vasgestelde prys aangekoop het. Nadat Japan die Geallieerdes se kolonies in Suid-Oos Asië vroeg in 1942 verower het, het Noord-Rhodesië ook rubber en byewas begin voorsien. Die kolonie se mynbedryf het na die oorlog, met die heropbou van die geknoude Britse ekonomie, selfs méér beduidend vir die Geallieerdes geword. Hierdie nuwe verhouding het berus op die Britse behoefte aan die ryk koperbedryf se dollar-verdienste, veral na die devaluasie van die Engelse pond. Namate London se belangrikheid as die wêreld se finansiële sentrum gekwyn het, het kopermaatskappye hul kantore na Sentraal-Afrika verskuif. Hierdie verskuiwing het met groter politieke invloed aan die kant van setlaars gepaardgegaan, en het uiteindelik tot die totstandkoming van die Sentraal-Afrikaanse Federasie gelei. Nes die Britse tuisfront, is Noord-Rhodesië ook deur die oorlog geraak. Skaarstes in verbruikersgoedere, woekerwinsbejag, inflasie, die opgaar van voorrade, en sluikhandel gedurende die oorlog het die lewens van gewone mense beïnvloed. Die koloniale regering se aktiewe pogings om hierdie euwels te probeer beheer, het ‘n ywer wat nog nooit voorheen in die kolonie se geskiedenis gesien is nie, geopenbaar. Die proefskrif sluit met ‘n bespreking van die demobilisasie van swart soldate af – ‘n proses waarbinne die Ryk se rassehiërargie gevoelens van verontregting gewek het. Alhoewel die uitbreiding van die Regering se propagandamasjienerie meer geleenthede vir swart politieke uitdrukking gebied het, was meeste oud-soldate met hul persoonlike omstandighede gemoeid en het hul frustrasie op tradisionele leiers, wat by werwing betrokke was, gerig. In teenstelling met ouer argumente in die historiografie word daar aangevoer dat swart soldate nie ‘n aktiewe rol in die nasionalistiese politiek gespeel het nie. Deur noukeurige ondersoek in te stel na Noord-Rhodesië se ekonomiese, politieke, militêre, sosiale, en landboukundige sektore, vorm hierdie proefskrif dus die eerste grootskaalse studie van die Tweede Wêreldoorlog se impak op dié kolonie. Sodoende word beduidende wysigings aan verskeie historiografieë aangebring, en word ruimte geskep vir die daarstelling van ‘n meer omvattende geskiedenis van die Tweede Wêreldoorlog in Afrika. Laastens dra hierdie proefskrif tot die uitbreiding van imperiale historiese debatte by deur Noord-Rhodesië se “tweede koloniale besetting” te ondersoek. | af |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Oppenheimer Trust | en_ZA |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Mellon Foundation | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/4561 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Britain | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Copper | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Demobilization | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Home front | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Northern Rhodesia | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Northern Rhodesia Regiment | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Recruitment | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Second colonial occupation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Second World War | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Zambia | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | World War, 1939-1945 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (Centre for Africa Studies))--University of the Free State, 2015 | en_ZA |
| dc.title | The impact of the Second World War on Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), 1939-1953 | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |