8.6 newly independent states

Sri Aurobindo's Quote: Highlights the fragmented nature of independence in India: "India is free but she has not achieved unity, only a fissured and broken freedom."
Essential Question: What political changes led to developments in territorial, demographic, and nationalist contexts, as well as economic shifts?
Post-War Independence:
- From 1945 to 2000, the number of independent states increased from approximately 75 to 190 through decolonization.
- New boundaries often incited conflicts, leading to population displacement.
- Example: India's partition into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan, followed by the creation of Bangladesh.
Zionist Movement:
- Emerged in the 1890s as a response to anti-Semitism (e.g., the Dreyfus Affair).
- Theodore Herzl advocated for a separate Jewish state at the First Zionist Congress in 1897.
- Balfour Declaration (1917): The British government endorsed the establishment of a national home for Jews in Palestine, emphasizing the protection of non-Jewish communities.
- Complications from British promises to Arab leaders further complicated the situation.

In 1948, after the UN's partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab sections, Israel declares independence, leading to immediate conflict with Arab nations supporting the Palestinians.

1956: Israel, with France and Britain's support, invades Egypt's Sinai Peninsula regarding the Suez Canal.
1967 (Six-Day War): Israel gains territory, including Gaza Strip (Egypt), West Bank and East Jerusalem (Jordan), and Golan Heights (Syria).
1973 (Yom Kippur War): Israel is invaded by Egypt and Syria but successfully repels the invasion.

Camp David Accords (1978) mediated by President Jimmy Carter marked peace between Israel and Egypt, though largely rejected by Palestinians and Arab states.

21st-century tensions increased due to Palestinian divisions (Fatah in the West Bank, Hamas in Gaza) leading to stricter Israeli controls and economic sanctions.
Significant loss of life between 2000-2014: over 7,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis.

Independence from France (1953) followed by political instability due to Cold War dynamics and the Vietnam War.
Khmer Rouge, under Pol Pot, led to a devastating regime (1975-1979), resulting in over 2 million deaths through starvation and executions.
Vietnam's Intervention (1977) led to political stabilization and eventual democratic reforms in Cambodia with free elections monitored by the UN.

The violent partition led to approximately 10 million people displaced along religious lines with significant casualties (500,000 - 1 million deaths).
Kashmir Conflict: A persistent dispute since partition, leading to military confrontations.

Women took significant political roles:
- Sirimavo Bandaranaike becomes the first female prime minister in Sri Lanka (1960).
- Indira Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister of India in 1966, later assassinated in 1984.
- Benazir Bhutto served as Pakistan's first female prime minister (1988), struggled with corruption issues before her assassination in 2007.

Independence in 1961: Led by Julius Nyerere, focusing on African socialism, education, and agricultural cooperatives.
Struggled with economic hardships, conflicts, and ultimately resigned in 1985 but remained a significant figure until his death in 1999.

Post-WWII emigration flows from countries like India and Pakistan to former colonial powers (e.g., Britain).
Economic relationships continued through migration for various jobs, sustaining cultural ties.