AP World History – Notes for Chapter 23 - Decolonization
Unit 6: 1914 – Present – M. Rivas
Introduction:
1. List empires that collapsed in the 20th century (p. 1083).
2. national self-determination (p 1083)
3. Mexican Revolution 1910 (p. 1083)
Europe dominated the global political order at the beginning of the 20th century BUT AFTER WWII, transoceanic empires
that were created during the age of imperialism gave way to new states by the end of the century. Emerging ideologies
and anti-imperialism contributed to the dissolution of empires and the restructuring of states.
4. List reasons why imperialism ended and new states were created in its place during the post WWII era? The
book gives you several reasons so list them and briefly say what they were IN YOUR OWN WORDS (p.10831086).
What to consider when reading about independence of the colonies:
Here are some general characteristics of the age of decolonization. As you read the story of each particular country and
the leader of their independence movement, see how many of these characteristics are part of their independence
struggles.
 Some colonies NEGOTIATED THEIR INDEPENDENCE while…
 Others had to ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE THROUGH ARMED STRUGGLE.
 Emerging IDEOLOGIES of anti-imperialism contributed to the dissolution of empires and the restructuring of
states.
 NATIONALIST LEADERS and PARTIES in Asia and Africa challenged imperial rule.
 REGIONAL, RELIGIOUS, and ETHNIC movements challenged both colonial rule and inherited imperial boundaries.
 NON-VIOLENT methods for advocated by some leaders of independence movements
Independence of India: (pp 1086 – 1090)
5. Mahatma Gandhi
6. Indian National Congress
7. Jawaharlal Nehru
8. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
9. All-India Muslim League
Violent independence movements: (page #???)
10. Algeria independence from France
11. Vietnam’s independence from France
12. Angola’s independence from Portugal
Political changes were accompanied by major demographic and social consequences. The redrawing of old colonial
boundaries led to population displacement and resettlements. The migration of former colonial subjects to imperial
metropoles (the former colonizing country, usually in the major cities: maintained cultural and economic ties between
the colony and the metropole even after the dissolution of empires.
13. Explain the partition of India and Pakistan
14. Explain the migration of South Asians to Britain
15. Algerians to France
Independence of South Africa: (pp 1090 – 1093)
Many individuals and groups promoted the practice of non-violence and were part of the Non-Aligned Movement that
opposed and promoted alternatives to the existing economic and political social order of the Cold War.
16. Nelson Mandela in South Africa
17. African National Congress (ANC)
18. The Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa
Comparing the effects of independence on African nations and India - has democracy worked? (pp 1095 – 1098)
19. List reasons why India was able to set up a democratic state and thrive after their independence and African
nations were not.
20. List countries that have been able to achieve economic developments after independence. (pp.1098-1103)
21. List reasons why some countries have not been able to achieve economic development after independence.
(pp.1098 – 1103)
22. Explain the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s – talk about the Tutsi and the Hutu (place this example of genocide
along with the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust in Chapter 21)
To remain westernized or not after independence?
After the independence movement, known as decolonization, some groups conceptualized society and culture in new
ways such as the rise of right-based discourse challenging old assumptions about race, gender and religion. This may
have been a reaction against the age of imperialism when European Social Darwinism led European states to ‘civilize’
their colonial subjects by introducing their western culture. While some retained much of their western characteristics
such as India, others sought to return to their original cultural roots.
23. Compare the different directions that these two Muslim states took as to whether they sought to Islamicize or
Westernize their states between 1914 and 2001: Turkey and Iran (pp 1103 – 1108) Write notes on:
a. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
b. The “cultural revolution” of Turkey
c. Iranian Revolution of 1979
d. Shah Mohammad reza Pahlavi
e. Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini
24. Saddam Hussein