The projection of Britain's 'New Empire' in Africa 1939-48

The situation faced by the British Government during the
Second World War demanded a total effort to fight a total
war. And a cooperative effort was demanded not only by
Britain and her allies, but equally of Britain in
partnership with her empire. The importance of Britain's
empire to her war effort meant that the British Government
had to ensure unity of purpose and the mobilisation of
maximum commitment. British colonies in East and Central
Africa became increasingly important in supplying raw
materials, food stuffs, monetary contributions and
manpower. With advances in mass communications public
opinion could not be ignored and had to be mobilised to
support the war effort at home, in the colonies and abroad.
This involved the British Government in a propaganda
campaign about the mutually beneficial relationship, to
explain the war to the populations in the empire and to
educate the British public about the contributions made by
the empire to the war effort. A reluctant Colonial Office
entered into a new field of activity, public relations in
uneasy cooperation with the Ministry of Information. The
nature of this official British propaganda changed as the
war progressed. In Africa it became increasingly apparent
that 'win the war' propaganda was insufficient, the
colonies would have to be told why they had a common
interest in defeating the Axis. With the collapse of
British power in South-East Asia and the resulting
criticisms of the British Imperial system in general,
particularly from the United States, it was clear that
British policy would have to be articulated in a new way.
The theme adopted was of a new imperial relationship of
'partnership' to replace the old policy of trusteeship. In
publicising the positive economic and social aspects of
'new' Empire through the commitment of the Colonial Welfare
and Development Acts the British Government hoped to reduce
criticism and avoid the controversial issues of the future
political developments in the empire.

In the post-war period the economic problems faced by
the Labour Government and the need to mobilise the
resources of the Empire to support the British economy
threatened the rhetoric of the 'new' Empire relationship of
'Partnership' as attempts were made to utilise the
resources of the African El Dorado to maintain British
independence and ensure its continued great power status.
The colonies in Africa were also seen as under threat from
the new menace of communism and the racial policies of the
Union of South Africa. Official British propaganda
continued to project the mutual benefits of 'partnership'
while realising that the colonies could not be coerced but
would have to be persuaded to play an active part in the
imperial relationship. This long-term educative process
aimed to contain the political aspirations of the Africans
and the white settler communities in East and Central
Africa raised as a result of the war within the framework
of gradual evolution towards self-government within the
British multi-racial Commonwealth.