Decolonization and New Nations

Flashcards for reviewing lecture notes on decolonization, new nations in South Asia and Southeast Asia, African nations gaining independence, and the Modern Middle East.

Decolonization

Process whereby former colonies, protectorates, and spheres of influence received their independence from imperial powers.

Partition of India and Pakistan

India's religious diversity made decolonization a bumpy ride, leading to the establishment of Pakistan for Muslims and India for the Hindu majority.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Leader of the Muslim League who helped establish Pakistan.

Mohandas Gandhi

One of the leaders of the Indian National Congress who helped establish a Hindu-majority India.

Kashmir

Northern region claimed by both India and Pakistan, leading to armed disputes.

Jawaharlal Nehru

India's first Prime Minister from 1947-1964, focused on improving living conditions and promoting family planning.

Indira Gandhi

Nehru's daughter who became PM in 1966 and was later assassinated due to religious tensions.

East Pakistan

Declared independence as Bangladesh in 1971 due to being mired in poverty and receiving less attention than West Pakistan

Non-alignment

Doctrine followed by many 'Third World' nations to reject colonialism and Cold War expansionism.

Malaysia

Formed in the 1950s from British colonies on the Malay Peninsula and Borneo.

Myanmar

Former British colony of Burma with a military dictatorship that has limited foreign trade.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Awarded a Nobel Prize for her peaceful efforts to free Myanmar, however, her election in 1995 was rejected by the military.

Indonesia

Gained independence in 1949 from the Netherlands and has faced difficulties due to its diversity and geography.

Sukarno

Indonesia’s first president, helped establish a democratic nation. He called for unity and acceptance of minority rights.

Suharto

General who seized power in Indonesia in 1965 establishing authoritarian rule. He was forced to resign in 1998 after massive demonstrations against government corruption.

Philippines

Became independent in 1949 after 50 years of United States rule and was originally a democracy, but later became a dictatorship under Ferdinand Marcos.

Kwame Nkrumah

Won independence for the former British colony of Gold Coast (Ghana) in 1957 and advocated socialism.

Jomo Kenyatta

First leader of Kenya who led as a one-party dictatorship until popular protests pushed for elections.

Algeria

Part of the French Empire since 1830, gained independence in 1962 after guerilla warfare by the National Liberation Front.

Patrice Lumumba

Soviet backed leader in Democratic Republic of the Congo prior to his execution by Mobutu.

Mobutu Sese Seko

US backed leader in Democratic Republic of the Congo who became a military dictator in 1965.

Rwanda

Central African nation where ethnic violence between Hutus and Tutsis led to a deadly civil war and genocide.

Israel

Founded in 1948 and attracted Jews from all over the world, but faced disdain from Muslim neighbors.

Kurds

A tribe of Sunni Muslims lacking their own nation-state, found in a region encompassing Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq.

OPEC

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries formed in 1960 by oil-rich nations of the Middle East.

Sharia

Islamic law that Islamists want to return to.

Gamal Abdel Nasser

Seized power in Egypt in 1952, worked to modernize Egypt and end Western domination, including the nationalization of the Suez Canal.

Mohammad Mosaddeq

Became prime minister of Iran in 1951 and tried to nationalize the oil fields.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

Religious leader who condemned Western influence, driving out the Shah and establishing an Islamic theocracy in Iran in 1979.

Saudi Arabia

Governed by a monarchy following the strict conservative Wahhabi movement of Sunni Islam, economically dependent on oil and militarily dependent on U.S. support.

Hezbollah

Radical group that has gained the admiration of Lebanese Shiite Muslims and current regimes of Syria and Iran.

Saddam Hussein

Seized a disputed region sparking war with Iran, unleashed chemical weapons on Iraqi Kurds attempting to revolt, and invaded Kuwait in 1990.

Arab Spring

A pan-Arab movement for freedom in the Middle East.

Bashar al-Assad

President of Syria from 2000-2025 whose autocratic rule has led to protests and a civil war since 2011.