Hi there, I'm Mr. Roberts, and thanks for joining me for today's history lesson, where my job will be to guide you through our history resources.

I'll be making sure that by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to securely meet our lesson objective.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to recall that in the latter half of the 20th century, the British Empire began to collapse with many nations being granted independence.

There are four key terms which we need to make sure we are comfortable with before embarking on our learning journey today.

Decolonization refers to the process by which colonies of the British Empire, gradually achieved independence from Britain, during the course of the 20th century.

Nationalist refers to a person who wants their country to be politically independent.

Partition means to divide into parts, and a rebellion is an act of rising up against rulers or authority.

Our lesson on the end of Empire is separated into four learning phases, and the first one revolves around Indian independence.

After World War Two, the British Empire experienced significant decolonization, driven by a combination of nationalist movements within colonies, and changing political dynamics globally.

Several key events illustrate this transformation.

For example, the campaign for Indian independence.

This campaign began in 1885 with the founding of the Indian National Congress, which organised meetings and demonstrations.

It was initially ignored by the British.

However, in 1919, following India's contribution to World War One, the British made slight governance changes, establishing provincial lawmaking councils, and giving the vote to over 5 million wealthy Indians, although key areas like taxation and the armed forces remained under British control.

In the 1920s, the Indian independence movement, gained momentum under Mohandas Gandhi, who led non-violent protests and civil disobedience to campaign against colonial rule.

Despite these efforts, complete independence remained elusive.

The government of India Act of 1935, granted Indians control over everything except the army, but India remained part of the British empire.

During this period, the Muslim League led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, emerged as a significant force advocating for a separate nation for Muslims due to growing religious and political divisions within India.

Now, let's try the following.

True or false? After World War Two, the British Empire began to collapse in the face of nationalist and independence movements.

Pause the video while you decide on the answer, and press Play to resume.

Welcome back, and well done if you said true.

Now I'd like you to pause the video and consider why this might be, and press Play when you are ready to continue the lesson.

Hello again, and well done if you said that after World War Two, the British Empire experienced significant decolonization, driven by a combination of nationalist movements within colonies and changing political dynamics globally.

After World War Two, Britain's weakened state made it difficult to control India.

In 1946, Britain offered independence, but religious tensions initially led to violence.

British, Indian and Muslim leaders agreed to partition India into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Pakistan gained independence on the 14th of August, 1947, followed by India the next day.

The lines of partition were announced.

Two days later, an estimate suggest that as a result, about 12 million people became refugees as they sourced desperately to move to the so-called correct country for their beliefs.

The partition also caused widespread violence and set the stage for ongoing tensions that continue to this day between India and Pakistan, showing the lasting legacy of colonial rule.

For Britain, India's path to independence was just one part of the broader decolonization process, across the British Empire in the mid 20th century.

And before we move on, let's answer the following to check we're retaining the information we need to in order to be successful.

After partition in 1947, what two countries was India divided into? A, India, B, Kenya, C, Pakistan.

Pause the video while you come to a decision on the answers, and then press Play when you are ready to continue.

Welcome back, and well done if you said, A, India and C, Pakistan, with the two extinct countries as a result of partition in 1947.

For our first task today, I'd like you to answer the following short questions, using your learning so far.

Number one, what does decolonization mean? And number two, describe what was involved in India achieving independence from Britain in 1947.

Pause the video while you do this, and then press Play when you are ready for some feedback.

Hello again.

Well done if you said decolonization is the process by which colonies of the British Empire, gradually achieved independence from Britain, during the course of the 20th century.

For example, India in 1947.

And well done if you described India achieving independence from Britain in 1947 as follows.

The campaign for Indian independence began in 1885 with the founding of the Indian National Congress.

Their calls were largely ignored by the British until 1919, when the British made slight governance changes as a result of India's contributions to the British war effort in World War One.

In the 1920s, Mohandas Gandhi led non-violent protests in the hopes of achieving Indian independence.

"However, British rule continued as before.

The 1935 Government of India Act, did give Indians control over everything except the army, but Britain ultimately remained in charge.

During this period, the Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, called for a separate Muslim nation due to growing religious and political tensions.

After World War Two, Britain's weakened state made controlling India difficult, and so in 1946, Britain offered independence, but the existing religious tensions led to violence.

As a result, it was agreed that India would be partitioned into India and Pakistan with both gaining independence in 1947.

The resulting partition was accompanied by mass migration and violence." Well done there.

And now it's time to move on to the second part of our lesson today where we'll be learning about the Suez Crisis.

Egypt had formally achieved its independence from Britain in March, 1922.

However, Britain continued to have significant interests in the country as the Suez Canal was still owned and operated by the Suez Canal Company, a joint British and French company.

It was a particularly important asset for Britain after World War Two, as its strategic location allowed them to easily maintain links with other colonies, and it was the main source of oil in the Middle East.

Britain also had several military bases, located near the canal.

After World War Two, the nationalist Egyptian authorities, increasingly objected to Britain's presence.

And in July, 1956, the Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, nationalised the Suez Canal Company, which asserted Egyptian control over this critical waterway.

Egypt's bold move led to a military intervention by Britain and France, who aims to regain control of the canal.

However, the invasion faced immense international backlash, particularly, from the United States and the Soviet Union, who were both eager to avoid escalating Cold War tensions.

Both countries demanded a ceasefire, and the US placed significant economic pressure on Britain and France, eventually forcing the two nations to withdraw, just four months later.

Egypt was subsequently granted ownership of the Suez Canal, and it was reopened to shipping in April, 1957.

The Suez Crisis and the US' successful pressure campaign, highlighted the declining influence of European powers and marked a significant victory for nationalist movements in former colonies.

The Crisis was also symbolic of broader decolonization, across the British Empire and other European empires in the mid 20th century.

Nationalist movements driven by a desire for self-determination, and influenced by the geopolitical shifts following World War Two, reshaped the global political landscape, leading to the emergence of new independent nations, and the decline of colonial rule.

Let's try a true or false question now.

True or false? In 1956, President Nasser of Egypt took control of the Suez Canal, which resulted in a successful British invasion.

Pause the video while you decide on the correct answer, and then press Play when you are ready for the answer to be revealed.

Welcome back, and well done if you identified the correct answer as false.

Now, I'd like you to pause the video and consider why this statement is false, and press Play to resume with our lesson when you are ready.

Hello again, and well done if you identified that Britain's invasion was unsuccessful, because pressure from the USA, forced Britain and France to withdraw.

This highlighted the declining influence of European powers.

Next, I'd like you to complete the sentence on the screen.

Pause the video while you do this, and then press Play when you are ready for the answer to be revealed.

Welcome back.

Well done if your sentence looks like this.

The Suez Crisis highlighted the declining influence of European powers, and marked a significant victory for nationalist movements in Britain's former colonies.

And for our second larger task today, I'd now like you to use your learning so far to answer the following questions.

Number one, describe the Suez Crisis, and number two, explain why the Suez Crisis was important.

Pause the video while you answer the questions, and then press Play for two model answers.

Welcome back.

I asked you firstly to describe the Suez Crisis, so well done if your answer looks anything like this.

"After World War Two, the nationalist Egyptian authorities, increasingly objected to Britain's presence in Egypt.

In 1956, Egyptian President Nasser, nationalised the Suez Canal.

previously controlled by Britain and France, asserting Egyptian control over this critical waterway.

This led to a military intervention by Britain and France to regain control.

However, immense pressure, particularly, from the United States, forced a ceasefire and led to Britain and France withdrawing.

Egypt was subsequently granted ownership of the Suez Canal." Secondly, I asked you to explain why the Suez Crisis was important, and well done if you included any of the following.

"The Suez Crisis was important because the US compelling Britain and France to withdraw highlighted the declining influence of European powers.

The Suez Crisis was symbolic of broader decolonization that was unfolding across the British Empire in the mid 20th century, for example, in India in 1947." So a big well done for your efforts on that task, and now it's time for us to move on to the third part of our lesson today where we'll be looking at the Gold Coast and Ghanaian independence.

Europeans have been trading both gold, and enslaved people along the west coast of Africa, since the 1500s.

Due to its abundant gold mines, the area became known as the Gold Coast.

In 1874, the British officially took control of the Gold Coast during the so-called scramble for Africa.

In the 1920s, an independence campaign began in West Africa.

Educated West Africans formed the National Congress of British West Africa, seeking greater control over their own affairs, but their requests were rejected by the British.

By the 1940s, large scale independence movements emerged in several African nations, including Nigeria, the Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, and Gambia.

After World War Two, While the British were not entirely opposed to independence for West African countries, they emphasised the importance of stability and democracy for any new nations in the region.

And with that in mind, I'd now like you to complete the sentence on the screen.

Pause the video while you do this, and then press Play when you are ready for the answer to be revealed.

Welcome back, and well done if your sentence looks like this.

Due to its abundant gold goldmines, the west coast of Africa became known as the Gold Coast.

The Gold Coast was particularly stable and prosperous.

Its key independence leader, Dr.

Kwame Nkrumah, led a vigorous nationalist campaign using political activism and grassroots mobilisation to push for self-governance.

Despite being imprisoned several times by British authorities, Nkrumah's influence grew.

In the 1951 elections, Nkrumah won while still in prison, prompting the British to release him and appoint him as Prime Minister, though the Gold Coast remained part of the British Empire.

In 1956, his reelection signalled to the British that it was time to leave.

On the 6th of March, 1957, the Gold Coast became the independent state of Ghana, making it the first Sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonial rule.

Nkrumah's leadership and vision for Pan-Africanism, inspired other nationalist movements across the continent, highlighting the strength and impact of nationalist campaigns during the decolonization period.

So now let's have a go at the following question.

What was Kwame Nkrumah campaigning for at this time? A, independence for the Gold Coast, B, independence for India, or C, independence for South Africa.

Pause the video while you decide on the answer, and then press Play when you are ready to resume.

Welcome back, and well done if you said, A, Kwame Nkrumah was campaigning for independence for the Gold Coast at this time.

For our third, slightly larger task in our lesson today, I'd like you to study source A on the screen, which is the front cover of a popular magazine known as Time Magazine, showing a hopeful Kwame Nkrumah in 1953.

Answer the following question based on your learning so far.

Is this source more sympathetic to Britain or the people of the Gold Coast? Why? Pause the video while you complete this task, and just press Play when you are ready to resume.

Hello again, and well done if your answer sounds anything like this.

"The magazine front cover is more sympathetic to the people of the Gold Coast as it is showing Kwame Nkrumah, leader of the independence movement, in a positive light.

He is depicted in front of an image of the entire continent of Africa.

This suggests that his success is a good thing for all of Africa, not just for the Gold Coast.

It suggests he could inspire more decolonization, across Africa with his actions and leadership." Well done once again, because with that test completed, we can now move on to the fourth and final phase of our learning today, where we'll be learning about Kenyan independence.

In Kenya, several groups formed in the 1940s to fight for self-rule from Britain.

The Kenya African Union, the KAU, led by Jomo Kenyatta, campaigns for independence and access to white-owned land.

Another group, the Mau Mau, favoured violence against white settlers who controlled large areas of land.

The Mau Mau Rebellion, primarily composed of the Kikuyu ethnic group, began in 1952, and was driven by grievances over land dispossession and political marginalisation.

The British responded to the Mau Mau Rebellion with a brutal campaign involving mass detentions, torture, and widespread human rights abuses.

Hundreds were killed, and many Kenyan independence leaders, including those not connected to the Mau Mau, like Kenyatta, were arrested and jailed.

But despite the Rebellion's failure, it became clear to Britain that Kenya's independence was inevitable, and it was granted on the 12th of December, 1963.

Jomo Kenyatta released from prison in 1961, became the first Prime Minister, and later, the first president of Kenya.

In 2013, the British government apologised for its handling of the Mau Mau Rebellion, and agreed to pay compensation for the abuses committed during this conflict.

Kenya's journey to independence, marked by the violent struggle of the Mau Mau, and severe British suppression, fits with the broader decolonization process.

Nationalist movements persisted despite brutal opposition, reshaping the political landscape and leading to the emergence of new independent nations.

Now, let's have a go at the following learning check.

Which country gained independence, after the Mau Mau Rebellion? A, Ghana, B, Kenya, or C Uganda.

Pause the video while you decide on the answer, and then press Play when you are ready to resume.

Welcome back, and well done if you said, B, Kenya was the country that gained independence, after the Mau Mau Rebellion.

And for our final learning check today, have a think about the following true or false question.

True or false? The Mau Mau Rebellion was successful, and one Kenyan independence in 1963.

Once again, pause the video while you decide on the correct answer, and then press Play when you are ready for the answer to be revealed.

Welcome back, and well done if you identified the correct answer as false.

Now, I'd like you to pause this video and consider why the statement is false, and press Play to resume the lesson when you're ready.

Hello again, and well done if you identified that the statement is false, because the Mau Mau Rebellion was unsuccessful, and it was brutally suppressed by Britain.

But as a result, it became clear to Britain that Kenya's independence was inevitable, and so they granted it in 1963, which brings us on to our final written task today.

Using your learning so far, write an account of the Kenyan struggle for independence from Britain.

Pause the video while you complete this task, and then press Play when you are ready for me to provide some suggestions for what you could have written.

Hello again, I asked you to write an account of the Kenyan struggle for independence from Britain, and well done if you managed to include any of the following in your answer.

"In the 1940s, Kenya saw the rise of the Kenya African Union, led by Jomo Kenyatta, advocating for independence and access to white-owned land.

Simultaneously, the Mau Mau waged a violent rebellion, against colonial rule.

The British responded with a brutal crackdown, involving mass detentions and torture, leading to hundreds of deaths, and the imprisonment of Kenyan leaders.

Despite the rebellion's failure, it became clear to Britain that Kenya's independence was inevitable, and it was granted on the 12th of December, 1963.

Jomo Kenyatta, released in 1961, became the first Prime Minister and later president." Really well done there.

With that task complete, we've arrived at the end of our lesson today.

All that's left us to do now is to summarise the key learning points, and it would be great if you could remember these going forward.

After World War Two, pressure from nationalist and independence movements, led to the decolonization of the British Empire.

India was granted independence in 1947, following the partition of India to create a new country Pakistan.

In 1956, a failed invasion by the British and French, over control of the Suez Canal revealed the weaknesses of former colonial powers.

In 1957, Kwame Nkrumah's nationalist campaign for Ghanaian independence was successful.

And finally, Britain's suppression of the Mau Mau Rebellion in Kenya was one of its last acts of control as Kenya gained independence in 1963.

Thank you so much for joining me for our lesson today.

It's been a real pleasure to guide you through our history learning resources.

And I very much look forward to seeing you again in the future, where we'll be learning all about the background to the Windrush and the challenges faced by the Windrush generation, and the contributions they made to British life.