The End of Empire
 Before we get started
 This chapter requires you to consolidate the thinking
you have done about comparisons and contrasts and
continuities and changes-0ver-time regarding Asia,
Africa, and Latin America throughout this book.
 Do something with this material as you read that will
force you to think continuity and change-over-time as
well as comparison and contrast since this chapter will
figure prominently on the national exam.
Independence in Asia
 Decolonization, like the Cold War, transformed the world
after World War II.
 It sometimes brought newly independent states autonomy
and self-determination; sometimes, however, pressures
from cold war superpowers challenged these new nations
to choose sides by aligning themselves with either
capitalism or communism, often at the expense of their
own independence.
 Achieving national unity, social stability, and economic
prosperity would prove a challenging, lengthy, uncertain,
and dangerous process
Independence in Asia
 India’s Partitioned Independence
 Throughout the 1930s, relentless pressure from the Indian
national Congress Party and Mohandas Gandhi, along with
the Muslim league lead by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, compelled
Great Britain to move gradually toward self-rule for its Indian
domain.
 Constant conflict between Muslims and Hindus hampered
India.
 Muslims feared being the minority
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Lead Muslims to flee to Pakistan and Hindus to stay in India.
Conflict lead to war in the late 1940s resulting in over 1 million
deaths.
India continued to struggle as they attempted to stay neutral
throughout the Cold War.
Independence in Asia
 Nationalist Struggles in Vietnam
 Ho Chi Minh – Wanted Vietnamese independence since before
WWI

Made little progress in the 20s and 30s, but helped to oust Japan during
WWII
 After WWII France regained control of much of South Vietnam.
 Vietnamese War for independence broke out between South
Vietnam and France.
 Geneva Accords – 1954, France sued for peace after several
humiliating defeats and Vietnam was split into a Communist North
Vietnam and Non-Communist South Vietnam along the 17th parallel
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Ngo Dinh Diem came to power in South Vietnam
Vietnam war ensued.
1973 Paris Peace Accords – U.S. withdrew from Vietnam
1976 – North Vietnam wins war
Independence in Asia
 Arab National States and the Problem of Palestine
 Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan gained complete
independence after the war.
 Palestine, however, proved to be a difficult problem
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Great Britain had controlled Palestine and made conflicting
promises to Palestinian Arabs seeking a nation and to Jews
emigrating to Palestine hoping to establish a homeland where
they could escape persecution.
In seeking to fulfill both conflicting promises, the British
government allowed limited Jewish immigration to Palestine
while simultaneously promising to protect the Palestinian
Arabs’ civil and economic rights.
Independence in Asia
 The Problem of Palestine
 WWII made the problem more complex.
 The Holocaust increased the pressure on the British
government and the free world to make good on a promise of
a secure homeland for the Jews.
 Britain turned the problem over to the United Nations
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UN decided that two states, one Arab and one Jewish, would be
created.
Civil War broke out as a result and the Jews announced the creation
of an independent state… Israel.
Jews were able to maintain their independent state with the support
of the U.S. (partly due to oil interests), in spite of constant Arab
opposition.
 Southwest Asia … aka The Middle East continues to be a point of
confrontation.
Decolonization in Africa
 The Cold War also affected decolonization in Africa, a
process already complicated by reluctant colonial
powers and internal tribal conflicts.
 Forcing the French out of North Africa
 French resisted decolonization in North Africa,
especially in Algeria.
 Algerian War of Independence – (1954-1962) Pitted the
National Liberation Front (revolutionaries) against
more than half a million French Soldiers.

Very violent conflict.
Decolonization in Africa
 Black African Nationalism and Independence
 Black Nationalism celebrated Africa’s great poets,
writers, traditions, and cultures.
 Cold war complicated the matter of African
independence
 Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African nation to
become independent in March 1957.
 Nations like Rwanda, Burundi, and Angola would
become independent much later, which much violence
and bloodshed.
Decolonization of Africa
 Freedom and Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa
 Not all decolonization was peaceful as it had been in
Ghana.
 Example… Kenya
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Prolonged violence between the British military and Kenyans
lasted from 1947 through 1959.
After the death of almost twelve thousand Kenyans, Kenya
gained its independence in 1963.
After Independence: Long-Term
Struggles in the Postcolonial Era
 Political and economic stability was elusive in
developing nations seeking to avoid domination by
more powerful nations.
 Continued interference by surrounding or superpower
nations, local elites trying to maintain their status
through imperial ties, or internal divisions prevented
development of a clear national identity, caused
revolution or war in almost all these postcolonial
nations.
After Independence: Long-term
Struggles in the Postcolonial Era
 Communism and Democracy in Asia
 China
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Mao Zedong – United China under Communism following WWII
 Envisioned a “Great Leap Forward” for China from 1958-1961 to push industrial
and agricultural production by abolishing all private property and by
communalizing all farming and industry.
 Ended in disaster as 20 million Chinese starved to death.
 Cultural Revolution sought to oust communist opposition following the
Great Leap Forward and resulted in the death of millions more
Deng Xiaoping
 Mao’s successor
 Attempted to modernize China by sending students to western universities.
 Led to a pro-democracy youth movement in China that was bloodily
crushed in Tiananmen square in 1989.
 India
 Attempted to maintain political responsibility and democracy.
 Plagued by problems like extreme population growth and food shortages, brutal
assassinations and continued quests for peace and religious tolerance seem to be
the the pattern in modern India
After Independence: Long-term
Struggles in the Postcolonial Era
 Islamic Resurgence in Southwest Asia and North
Africa