The Bevin plan for Somali unification failed among the four powers

Evidence

Unfortunately for Somali national aspirations, however, the unique opportunity which had existed for welding these two territories together with the Ogaden and Haud, and preparing this national entity for self-government under a single system of rule, had been irretrievably lost. For the present, Somali nationalist activity was accordingly forced to concentrate most of its energies upon local issues in British Somaliland and Somalia, while elsewhere it was suppressed and condemned to a clandestine existence. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 373 (#expands, via linked claim)

As matters turned out, it soon became obvious that the forces arrayed against the plan were such that to have sought to overcome them would have required a degree of effort and political sacrifice which was not warranted by Britain’s very limited strategic interests in the area. By the end of 1946 the Four Powers had still not reached agreement on the whole turgid question of Italy’s former possessions and it was decided to send out a commission to the countries concerned (Somalia, Eritrea, Libya, and Cyrenaica) to consult their own aspirations for the future. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 341 (#contradicts, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Somali elders petitioned both for and against the Bevin plan in 1946; The 1950 lost opportunity permanently fragmented Somali unification hopes — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 373; Britain abandoned Somali unification because its strategic stakes there were too low — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 341

Related

• Somali elders petitioned both for and against the Bevin plan in 1946 (similarity 0.89)
• Bevin’s 1946 plan for Somali unification was opposed by Ethiopia (similarity 0.88)
• The 1950 lost opportunity permanently fragmented Somali unification hopes (similarity 0.86)
• The chance to unify all Somali territories under one rule was irretrievably lost. (similarity 0.86)
• Britain abandoned Somali unification because its strategic stakes there were too low (similarity 0.85)
• Britain promised Somalis during WWII that Somalia would never return to Italian rule. (similarity 0.84)
• Missed Anglo-Italian collaboration opportunities before Somali unification were irretrievable by 1957. (similarity 0.84)
• British handover of western Somaliland to Ethiopia split Somali lands against their will (similarity 0.83)
• No acceptable power wanted the evacuated Somali ports, forcing British action (similarity 0.82)
• Postwar Great-Power talks could not agree on Somalia’s future. (similarity 0.81)
• Ethiopia sought trusteeship over Somalia while publicly refusing to aid the SYL (similarity 0.81)
• Bevin proposed a United Somalia trusteeship under Britain in 1946. (similarity 0.81)
• Ethiopian interests mobilized Somali elders against Somali unification. (similarity 0.81)
• Ethiopia proposed Eritrea-style federation to absorb Somalis in the Horn (similarity 0.81)
• The partition of Somaliland’s territories permanently foreclosed a unified path to independence (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• The 1950 lost opportunity permanently fragmented Somali unification hopes #expands (0.55) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 373
• Britain abandoned Somali unification because its strategic stakes there were too low #contradicts (0.50) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 341