Further influences of the World War Two were caused by the alliances with the USA and later the dependence of the British on American loans, an the alliance with the USSR both were highly anti-colonialistic. The USA was traditionally against colonialism because they have been a British colony themselves and reckoned that the decolonisation would weaken competitors economically and open up new opportunities to American businessmen. But in addition to the traditional view, the Americans were particularly keen on decolonisation as they entered the war because they considered the promise of freedom to be the best means of motivation the colonial peoples to take an active part in the Allied war effort. This had proved to work und World War One, when India contributed 800,000 soldiers to the war and paid for them herself. The USA also thought of their own reputation and reckoned that the new independent countries would look favourable upon the USA in the event of independence. In order to please the allies and rally Indians behind the war effort,
the British agreed to make concessions such as the Cripps Mission in 1942 which promised Dominion status to India.
The World War Two also brought the anti imperialistic Labour Party to power which stated “to guide the colonial territories to responsible self government within the commonwealth” the following government under Churchill adopted the same policy.
Given that the war drained Britain’s power and made her the biggest debtor nation she could no longer afford to hold on to all of her Empire by force. Britain also did not experience a defeat but was one of the “Big Three” with her Empire in tact and with British troops occupying land across the globe, so Britain, unlike France, Belgium and the Netherlands, was less likely to see the withdrawal as a defeat. In addition to this Britain had already experienced decolonisation in Canada, Australia, New Zeeland and South Africa so she was “used” to this process.
Furthermore there was the growing of Nationalist sentiment among the colonial people. This sentiment was stimulated by colonialism insofar as all the natives tended to be treated badly by the occupying power. The fight against the Axis powers was represented as a war of liberation. These feelings were fortified by the singing of the Atlantic Charter in 1941 which included the principle (paragraph 3) pf respecting “the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live”. Even though, as Churchill claimed, this was just referring to those peoples conquered by the Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Japan) the colonial peoples interpreted this phrase as referring to all those kept under European domination against their will.
The impact of the United Nations as well was crucial for the decolonisation of the British Empire. In 1945 Britain signed the San Francisco charter which created the United Nations Organisation. This charter gave the Un the objective of guaranteeing the right if people to national self-determination and referred to colonies as “non-self-governing colonies”. Twenty seven of the first fifty one members of the UNO had been colonies this meant that there was always a majority in the general assembly hostile towards imperial powers.
There also were some influences which disapproved to the decolonisation policy of the British the impacts of the cold war were that the western powers feared that the decolonisation could benefit the USSR. So there were arguments for decolonisation even for the sake of America such as the maintenance of empires provided Americas allies with political prestige and economic strength and provided the US with strategic bases as well as is prevented those territories falling under communist domination.
Having examined all these points in conclusion it is to say that Britain adopted this policy of decolonisation because it could not afford to run her Empire anymore and the resistance among the people in the colonies and the Allies such as America grew. Although there were influences such as those by the cold war which were contrary to this policy Britain eventually gave independence to her colonies.
