Nationalism

[Music] gentlemen and ladies this will be our textbook for the first weeks of the course as you can see it deals with nationalism before we begin our serious study of it I'd like to run through it quickly with you that way we'll know where we're heading which is more than I can say for our football team last Saturday let's find out what nationalism is mister Ellen here sir mr. Ellen tell the class what nationalism is strawbe troopers I guess and things like that do you have anything good mr. Smith isn't it [Music] since 1946 every new nation of Southeast Asia has annually celebrated its day love independence as a nation our struggle for independence is of the past taken for granted there's a most recent achieve lead offended historically speaking there are newborn the Philippines gained independence in 1946 India and Pakistan in 1947 Burma and Ceylon in 1948 Indonesia in 1944 and Malaya in 1957 the story behind Southeast Asian independence is the story of nationalism what exactly is nationalism why is it so important nationalism is the feeling and belief via people living within a certain territory that they ought to be unified into an independent nation basically it is the idea of a homeland it is the sense of belonging together of sharing things in common things like customs festivals language and in some cases religion not all these things have to be shared the Indonesians for example speak 40 different dialects but the binding force of some common elements is essential for the growth of nationhood and a psychological feeling of a need to belong has been a deep and powerful force in human affairs during the last four centuries the riches of Southeast Asia attracted the Europeans they came to trade they stayed to conquer because of Europe's industrial supremacy and military might they took over this agricultural area and Exploited its resources in the 19th century European control was widely extended this control of a land and its people was called colonialism the peoples of the Southeast Asian colonies became second-class citizens of large empires as one of the great storehouses of natural resources Southeast Asia was a prize worth having the colonizing countries were astute for Southeast Asia proved within a hundred years to be the producer of 5/6 of the world's natural rubber more than half the world's supply of tin is produced here and a considerable amount of other oils the region is also the main supplier of kapok used in pillows and life preservers but most important it produces rice this is the bread the staple of Asian life Burma Thailand Indonesia all produced this vital staple and abundance at present the region supplies fully 60% of all the rice production in the world nearly as important as its natural wealth a Southeast Asia's key strategic position must ride the main lines of communication between Europe and the Far East these were tempting economic and military rewards which led the colonial powers to seek control over these countries in Burma for example Britain abolished the monarchy and put an English Viceroy in charge but as the deposed Burmese monarch had been both the head of government and the leader of the National Buddhist religion this led to drastic social changes for example the British imported their own legal system but the British laws were not understood by the Burmese and had disastrous consequences under the old laws the peasants could never have their land taken from them now under the English law if they didn't repay along they lost their land the colonial administration restricted native rights ran the affairs of the colony to the advantage of the foreign elite and left most of the natives at a lower economic level the colonizers defended their actions by pointing to developments in the colonies of natural resources and export trade improvements in communication and transportation advances in health and sanitation the establishment of business and industries and the creation of modern cities the colonial powers brought to Southeast Asia their cars their goods and their money they also brought better education and more democratic ideas the Asian people began to think in the newer ways some were inspired by the democratic ideals of Jefferson and Lincoln and they began to publish their own ideas and to demand self-government for their own countries during World War two the Southeast Asians learn to become soldiers to fight the invading Japanese by 1945 when Japan was defeated the natives now armed with weapons and democratic ideas were determined to resist the imposition of any outside control by force the colonial powers underestimated the depth of these new feelings of nationalism in Burma the British Army returned but was kept under constant alert by the attacks of the Burmese nationalists after two years of struggle the British accepted the inevitable and granted Burma independence in Indonesia after World War Two the Dutch also tried to regain their control rioting broke out across the country when the resistance of 80 million Indonesians was united by the native army the Dutch were finally forced to concede Indonesia its independence Indonesia remains an undeveloped agricultural country their food supplies will have to be increased technical and administrative personnel trained and a better standard of living guaranteed before political stability is assured in French Indochina during World War two the local communists took the lead in the national resistance to the Japanese invaders and so gained the confidence of the people after the war they continued their armed insurrection against the returning french colonizers the communist publications presented their movement as being progressive they also presented pictures of the rapid improvement of living conditions under communism and preached freedom from the Western imperialists to people as poor as are the Asiatic masses such a doctrine offers the hope of immediate relief by 1954 after seven years of guerrilla warfare the French were forced to accept partition of their colony the North now became the separate state of Viet Minh sometimes called North Vietnam and controlled by the Communists the South Vietnam became an independent republic Wales became an independent kingdom as did Cambodia the Republic of Vietnam was governed by strong leaders who aimed eventually to establish democratic institutions the vast majority of the southern vietnamese people had not previously participated in democratic self-government neither as a part of colonial france nor under Japanese occupation the Vietnamese people had to be instructed in the new democratic ways in all Southeast Asia after World War two when the eviction of the Japanese it was only in Malaya that a colonial power was able to reassert a temporary hold the reason that the British were welcome back to Malaya was that the three racial groups living there mistrusted each other Vermaelen's the Chinese and the Indians were suspicious of what each other's power might be in the new independent nation eventually a constitution acceptable to all three groups was agreed upon in 1957 Britain fulfilled her promise of giving Malaya its independence the people went to the polls for the first time the Philippines have their allegiance to the west through the United States which acquired them in 1898 they gained their independence in 1946 the policy of the American government has always been to educate the people for citizenship in a democratic country for this reason when the Philippine voters first went to the voting booth there were somewhat better prepared for their civic responsibilities than those in other countries but even here where there has never been an accepted colonialism while a minority of workers are enjoying the improved standards of living a great mass of laborers have as yet of their subsistence Thailand formerly Siam has had a more fortunate history it is the only Southeast Asian country never subjected to Western rule until 1932 Thailand was an absolute monarchy then it became a constitutional monarchy controlled by wealthy and powerful merchants in world war ii it cited with japan that the war brought little damage to thailand and as it has escaped the resentments and frustrations of colonialism it is comparatively prosperous and has little social unrest however a large Chinese minority does present a potential source of trouble because it remains loyal to China in 1947 Muslim Pakistan split from Hindu India when both countries received their independence from Great Britain many of Pakistan's leaders like its founder Jinnah had been educated in England they favored the democratic system and as a result Pakistan retained democratic institutions developed under colonialism boundary disputes between Pakistan and India are a constant source of friction these are aggravated by their religious differences India with its 450 million people as the largest most populous nation of Southeast Asia landed yellow wall Nehru one of its founders was also educated in England and was well versed in Western ideas since World War two India has played a definite role in international affairs her foreign policy has been one of peaceful coexistence between all nations communist and Democratic alike India also encourages conferences among the young Asian and African countries for mutual objectives in 1948 after 150 years of British rule the island of Ceylon was given independence and the minion status in the British Commonwealth although now independent demonstrations show that considerable anti British feeling remain this is because the English on most of the tea plantations and tea is the main export of Ceylon national sentiment has induced the Celanese government to declare that it will nationalize these English on tea plantations without compensation but when these new independent Southeast Asian Nations suddenly found themselves in the United Nations they had automatically to also concern themselves with their position on world affairs there were three courses of foreign policy open to them pro-democracy from Soviet and Leung committed or neutral there were those who took each position in meetings with the pro democratic countries the United States found herself in an unfortunate dilemma she wished sincerely to help the independence of the Southeast Asian peoples but she was also bound to her Western allies who wished to retain their colonial interests Soviet Russia immediately aligned herself with the newly created Southeast Asian nations for propaganda was clear-cut and effective peaceful coexistence she pretended to be for national independence and against foreign domination the leaders and educated peoples of Southeast Asia were not all misled by Russian overtures while maneuvering as best they could to serve their own interests they had no intention of substituting one imperialism for another nevertheless all the new governments of Southeast Asia are subject to strong political pressures both from the United States of America and the Soviet Union the Soviet Union sets up local Communist Party headquarters from which to propagandize its line they tune their propaganda to the wavelength of their listeners and they encourage local groups to oppose their own governments throughout their countries they set up showrooms from which to display their goods every Russian machine which is sold in Southeast Asia is an extra tie with the Russian economy as all machines need their manufacturers replacement and spare but above all the Russian communists sent food they are well aware that high sounding phrases about democracy mean less than a mouthful to a starving man and that acts not just words must overcome the suspicions of their own colonizing intentions America and the West like the Soviet propaganda with educational programs of their own and also offer practical help in the form of food machinery and capital which side has the greatest influence on the development of the Southeast Asian Nations must definitely affect the immediate history of the whole world the Southeast Asian leaders although grateful for help are aware of their importance in bargain shrewdly to obtain aid without political entanglement to stop communist infiltration many of the Southeast Asian Nations have also banded together to form the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization commonly known as Szeto Szeto arranged to promote economic progress and work out mutual problems of aid and defense on a joint basis in effect then Southeast Asia is in a revolt against the long heritage of incredible poverty of obsolete economic political and social institutions and of Western domination these new nations are trying in a few short years to catch up with decades of Western history and industrialization by discarding their colonial past the Western nations can gain the confidence of their Southeast Asian neighbors and offer them not just material health important as this is but also an example of Democratic freedom the common word which the people of all nations ultimately hope to travel [Music]