Nationalism refers to ones love for his country. It was the desire for East Africans to administer themselves thus it involved activities that aimed at gaining independence.
It also refers to the willingness, national unity, devotion, and African determination for self rule.
Africans hated foreign rule in totality, and they picked up arms against the foreign rule.
World War II contributed to the growth of nationalism and later to East African independence both politically and socially.
The following are the role of the second world war in the growth of nationalism in East Africa:
- There were so many East Africans who participated in World War II and when they came back, they were determined to demand for better conditions. These included people like General china of Kenya.
- The Africans who participated in World War II learnt the European warfare, for example they learnt new military tactics and the use of guns.
- The Second World War veterans became very violent to be controlled by the Europeans when they came back. They even formed political movements in their respective countries.
- The UNO was formed after the Second World and it demanded for immediate decolonization of Africa, East Africa inclusive.
- The war also exposed the Africans to western culture and civilization and this enabled the Africans to know how to deal with them.
- The war also removed the African inferiority complex about the European superiority which was on the Africans for long. During the war, the Africans fought alongside the whites, and they discovered the weaknesses of the whites.
- The war led to the coming up of new anti-colonial superpowers like the USA and former USSR that decampaigned colonialism.
- World War II encouraged the formation of political parties which increased the need for independence.
- After World War II trade unions were formed. These demanded for better conditions of workers.
- The Second World War also led to the formation of Pan African National Congress after a meeting which was held in Manchester where the Africans agreed on the slogan “SELF RULE NOW”.
- The granting of independence to India and Pakistan in 1947 spread to East Africa in The 1950s when the war veterans demanded independence hence a contribution of Second World War.
- The getting of independence by Ghana in 1957 under Kwame Nkrumah increased East African Nationalism.
- The return of the educated class like Jomo Kenyatta and Julius Nyerere from abroad increased the quest for independence. They had interacted with others from other countries during World War II and shared ways of attaining independence.