Origins of Nationalism
The spread of Western education, the after effects of the two World Wars and acquaintance with other peoples, systems and thoughts, as well as disgust with certain actions of the colonial powers, gradually pointed the way to political activitiy amomg Cameroonians, a sign of nationalism.
This was manifested in divers ways. Through religious protest such as that against some of Alfred Saker’s actions in Victoria. Lotin Same broke away from the successors to Basel Mision ( the Evangelical Mission) to found the Native Baptist Church which accepeted polygamists and members of traditional societies as full Christians. Workers went on strike in the plantations to protest against poor wages, housing, etc. villagers protested against forced labour, high taxation, imposition of the production of certain crops such as cotton. Trade Unions developed in this way and political parties followed in their trail: Union des populations du Cameroon (UPC), Parti Democrat (PD), Paysans Independants (P.I.), Union Cameroonaise (UC), all these of French Cameroon.
In the British Cameroons many parties existed in sucession: Kamerun United National Congress (K.U.N.C.), Cameroon National Federation (C.N.F), French Cameroon Welfare Union (F.C.W.U.), Kamerun National Congress (C.C.C), Kamerun United Party (K.U.P.) and the One Kamerun (OK) which replaced the UPC when the latter was banned.
In the French Cameroon, a nationalist, radical party, the UPC waged a serious campaign for immediate independence and reunification and was ready to do anything to attain its objectives. This angered and frightened the French as strikes, protests, and demonstrations broke our in large towns, especially Douala, in support of the UPC. This resulted in the proscription of the party. While some of its leaders fled to British Cameroons others went underground and still, others fled to France, West and North Africa.
While the UPC waged a violent struggle against the French Colonial system in Cameroun, moderate parties cooperated with the French and therefore stole the show. Andre-Marie Mbida who was the first to lead a black government soon fell from power. Ahmadu Ahidjo was the appointed prime minister in 1958. he was the one to lead the French Cameroon to independence on 1st January 1960. His Party, the Union Cameroonaise (UC), had to consolidate its position and virtually swallow all other parties through a process of cajoling maneuvering and baiting.