History Assignment: Colonialism and the Arab-Israeli Conflict

This assignment delves into two key historical topics: the Arab-Israeli conflict and the rise of colonialism. The assignment examines the factors that led to the delayed independence of African countries, highlighting the influence of World War II and economic challenges. It also analyzes the origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict, tracing its roots back to the Balfour Declaration and the subsequent political tensions. The assignment provides a concise overview of the historical events and the impact these events had on the regions involved, including the role of the British Empire. It concludes with a summary of the key factors driving the conflict and the challenges faced by the countries involved.

Running Head: HISTORY
History
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

1HISTORY
What accounts for the rather late emergence of African countries as independent nation-
states? Is there something peculiar about Africa that delayed its drive for independence?
Africa was under the colonial rule for a lengthy period of time. France, Britain and
Belgium were the main countries that colonized Africa. Multiple companies got their
independence in the year 1960; this is because of the fact that the Second World War weakened
the power of the colonies (Serequeberhan, 2013). The countries were economically drained after
the war and the West African countries such as Cape Verda and Nigeria gained economic
dominance in the 1960s (Serequeberhan, 2013). The war was one of the major reasons why the
independence delayed in those countries. In the light of this the Africans tried to take active part
in politics. The Great Depression was also one of the causes that delayed the process. This was
the time when Africa started to take notice of the vast resources that the country possessed. All
these events took place in the latter half of 20th century and these factors drove colonialism
(Serequeberhan, 2013).
Why has the Arab-Israeli conflict been so persistent? What religious and cultural factors
have contributed to the persistent state of unrest in the Middle East and, in particular, in
what some people refer to as the Holy Land?
Tension in Palestine between the Jews and the Arabs began after the year of 1917; this
happened because of the British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour declared that the British
people are of the opinion that Palestine should be the national home for the people of Jew origin
(Fraser, 2015). The British also said that they will provide any help that is needed by the
government to the Jews in their endeavors. When the First World War was over, the Ottoman
Empire broke and the League of Nations gave Britain the authority to rule Palestine. This is was

2HISTORY
the main reason that conflict broke out in the nation of Palestine as there was debate whether the
Arabs should live in Palestine or the Jews (Fraser, 2015).

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Reference
Fraser, T. G. (2015). The Arab-Israeli Conflict. Macmillan International Higher Education.
Serequeberhan, T. (2013). The hermeneutics of African philosophy: Horizon and discourse.
Routledge.

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