Word count: Date: 09/03/2011

Li Chun Ho (Alvin) IB History HL

Essay Question: Analyze the methods used by one single-party state ruler in his successful bid for power.
Julius Nyerere ruled Tanzania as a single party state which began in 1961. There were many existing problems in the country as it was one of the poverty stricken nations in Africa such as lack of quality healthcare, poor education standards, illiteracy and scared water supplies. Before his rule, out of the 9 million Tanzanians, half had a living expense of less than one dollar a day, with 3,600,000 being malnourished. Furthermore, because Tanzanias population was built up with more than 120 different tribes each having their own language and dialect, communication was difficult, therefore having a peaceful relations between one another was also hard. Tanzania had no industry, apart from being directed to produce Sisal before the Pact of Paris as a German colony, but had to give Zanzibar to Britain as a protectorate hence the name Tanganyika. It was later declared a British mandate; however its infrastructure was not improved by the British. Keeping this in mind, Nyerere hoped to make Tanzania independent from Britain as soon as possible as well as the living standard of his people through a unique form of African Socialism, Ujama. Nyerere began his political career by demanding independence for Tanganyika. He taught at Catholic schools in the UK and later returned to Tanganyika to teach in 1952. At this time, Tanganyika was still a British mandate, whose government was administered by British officers since the Pact of Paris signed in 1928. Because he saw there was no progress to a peaceful transition from their current state to an independent state, Nyerere joined the Tanganyika African Association, and rose up the ranks to becoming the president in 1954. Renaming it to the Tanganyika African National Union, the organization aimed to speed up the transition, as well as creating social equality and to peacefully co-exist with along with the many tribes inside Tanzania. He later presented the UN trusteeship council as a petitioner to identify a date for independence which was refused by the British in 1955. Because of his method of resilience in seeking for the independence of Tanganyika, he was selected by the British into the Tanganyika Legislative council. This served as an advantage to him when Tanganyika was given self-government in 1960, and also explains why he became the chief minister. The fact his TANU won all seats in the legislative council in the 1958 elections might have also influenced his selection. At this time, he was legally placed into power but not democratically elected, even though he was already seen as a public and popular figure. Another feature of his rise to power included his humble personality to blend with the whole public. When selected chief minister, he thought he failed to deeply understand the social and economic problems of the people, which justifies his reason to leave office quickly only after six weeks. He then spent nine months travelling through the countryside, and through the views he gathered he created a different sense of African Socialism, known as Ujama, where there would be collectivisation, cooperative living and working to destroy class struggle, as seen as features in a capitalist society. This further strengthened his position, and therefore he was democratically elected as president after the country became a republic in 1962. His efforts to secure social harmony and gender equality were important in his rise to power. Because the majority of the country was in a terrible condition, his convincing pledges justified why the citizens should vote for a single party state; no need for long confrontations between other parties in order to reach an anonymous decision which would increase efficiency. He also compared how the citizens were treated under his administration when he was chief minister to under the rule of the British. Because of the pre-existing problems Tanzanians had suffered, to also include the lack of trust displayed towards the British for their indifference in assisting Tanzania to become independent and not investing in its economy, this has made Nyerere an inevitable successor to the British administration.