The role and influence on attitudes to empire of: nationalist leaders,…

The idea

Between 1947 and 1967, attitudes towards the British Empire were profoundly shaped by the dynamic between nationalist leaders and the colonial administration. Charismatic figures like Kwame Nkrumah in the Gold Coast and Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya successfully mobilised mass anti-colonial sentiment, transforming local grievances into powerful demands for self-determination. Conversely, the colonial administration's response dictated the pace and nature of decolonisation. While administrators like Charles Arden-Clarke facilitated a relatively smooth transition by cooperating with nationalists, others, such as Evelyn Baring in Kenya, employed severe repression during the Mau Mau Uprising, which hardened anti-imperial attitudes both locally and in Britain.

What earns the marks

• Analyse the strategies used by nationalist leaders, such as Kwame Nkrumah's Positive Action, to mobilise popular support and challenge imperial rule.
• Evaluate the impact of colonial administrators' decisions on the decolonisation process, contrasting cooperative approaches with repressive measures.
• Assess how the harsh tactics of colonial administrations, such as during the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya, shifted public and political attitudes against the Empire in Britain.
• Examine the interaction between nationalist agitation and administrative policy in determining whether the transition to independence was peaceful or violent.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating the colonial administration as a monolithic entity.

  Put it right: Administrators varied greatly, with some actively preparing colonies for independence while others fiercely resisted it.

• Overlooking the role of the British public; failing to note how media reports of administrative brutality, such as the Hola Camp scandal, shifted domestic attitudes against the Empire.

• Viewing nationalist leaders solely as agitators.

  Put it right: Many were pragmatic politicians who eventually negotiated complex constitutional settlements with colonial governors.

Exam tips

• Contrast the working relationship between Nkrumah and Arden-Clarke in the Gold Coast with the conflict between Kenyatta and Baring in Kenya to demonstrate varying administrative approaches.
• Analyse how the actions of nationalist leaders forced the colonial administration to adapt its timeline for granting independence.
• Ensure you explicitly link the actions of both leaders and administrators to changing attitudes towards the Empire, rather than just narrating events.